Healthy and quick

In my experience, it all depends on how much you're willing to do ahead of time, or how much you're willing to buy canned or boxed food.

Take one day that you have more time, and peel and cut carrots into sticks and keep those in your fridge for quick snacks.
Cook a bunch of rice on a Sunday and separate into individual servings for the rest of the week. Now you can have rice any night for dinner and not have to wait for it to cook.

When you buy meat, you can go ahead and cut it and separate it into individual servings for whatever use before you put it in fridge. Then just remember to get it out of the freezer before you want to use it, give it time to thaw – or defrost in the microwave – and you're ready to cook.

Of course, most salads are ready to eat within 20 minutes…

Gourmet magazine features a handful of under 30 minute recipes in every issue and I've done a couple and they turned out well. It's also searchable online on epicurious (which posts the Gourment mag recipes): www.epicurious.com/recipesm...y/recipes They're great because they tell you the total time and break down prep and cooking time.

I try to keep a couple packages of pasta in the freezer (I get the refrigerated kind) and some veggies. The pasta is really quick cook, toss with a little olive oil & throw in some steamed veggies. Yum!

=)

On Sunday's buy in bulk and cook in bulk. Break it down and freeze it; defrosting it on the weekdays as you need it.

Or look into Crockpot cooking.

Or go to Trader Joes and get some shortcut meals.

my favorite quick meal is as follows

Whole wheat couscous ..cooked in the microwave only takes 3 minutes

BASE
in a pan
heat olive oil (tablespoon or so)
couple cloves of garlic
add a can of drained black beans
can of diced tomatoes
diced onion if you have it
half a cup of salsa
Salt, pepper, cumin

ADD INS
a cup of one of the following
diced tofu
peeled shrimp (my favorite)
diced chicken breast

Serve over couscous sprinkle with a little cheese

all in all it takes about 10-15 minutes, you can even eat it burrito style and there is leftovers that can be easily packed for lunch the next day.

I always keep canned black beans and canned tomatoes around for quick meals

Do you have a grill? You won't have any dishes to wash!

I guess this doesn't really make a meal, but my love for frozen peas is great. The other night I had just a bowl od frozen peas heated in the microwave, or you can out them in salads, weird but very good, they are also good in any type of pasta, which my love for pasta far exceeds even my love for frozen peas. I like to keep annie's white chedder mac and cheese and cook it up and add some frozen peas and a can of tuna, maybe some broccoli, (I recently learned about FROZEN broccoli, oh the wonders of freeze) So there you have it. or my favorite since I was a very small child, or forever, pasta peas and parmesan cheese!!! but then again, I AM a college student so maybe that is just too "collegiate" as everyone always mentions college eating as some horrible, sad to look back on unhealthy experience...but who's to say! hope maybe my rant may impress upon you the wonders of pasta and peas!

One fast favorite is Greek Salad www.mediterrasian.com/delicio...alad.htm

Antipasto and whole wheat baguette

Spring salad mix plus your favorite veggies, chopped eggs and cheese or tuna. Toss with Balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Ad a few basil leaves.

peanutbutter and a granny smith can tide you over until you can cook a slower meal.