Plan ahead

Most great meals begin with a plan. Strategically organize what you plan to eat for the week in advance. If you know you have more time to cook on the weekend, use that time to make food that can be used in multiple recipes and reheated as leftovers.

If weekends are also super busy, try to carve out time to do small steps. This could mean making a marinade the night before, or prepping and cutting all your vegetables in advance. 

When you grocery shop, be sure to go in with a game plan – and a list! Having a list of the ingredients you need for your week's worth of meals will help you be quick, efficient and get everything in one go. Preparation is key!

Fill your pantry

With a well-stocked pantry, you’ll always have the staples you need for a nutritious meal. 

Here’s a list of pantry must-haves, so you’re always prepared in a pinch.

Dry goods:

  • Quinoa
  • Soy sauce
  • Broth (Chicken, vegetable, etc.)
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Canned chickpeas
  • Canned black beans
  • Canned white beans
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Maple syrup
  • Raw honey
  • Dijon mustard
  • Bag brown rice
  • Vanilla extract
  • Liquid Stevia
  • Natural peanut butter
  • Raw cashews
  • Cacao nibs
  • Pecans
  • Pitted dates
  • Shredded unsweetened coconut
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds

Spices:

  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Chilli powder
  • Paprika
  • Sesame seeds
  • Cumin

Miscellaneous:

  • Hummus
  • Butter
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Almond milk
  • Corn tortillas

Double up

Do you have a go-to recipe your family loves? If you want to get more bang for your buck, try doubling or tripling the recipe, so you have extra nutritious meals on hand. The leftovers make for a great lunch or dinner the next day.

You can also portion and freeze your leftovers. This is the perfect healthy meal solution for when you’re in a rush.

Use your slow cooker

No matter the season, the slow cooker can be a magical solution! Toss everything in at the beginning of the day and, voilà, you have an easy and healthy meal ready the time you get home from work or school.

Try these delicious GoodLife Kitchen slow cooker recipes:

GoodLife Kitchen’s Quick and Easy Dinners

Find recipes that suit you and your needs. If you know you need to get dinner onto the table fast during the week, search for easy-to-make recipes that don’t take too long to make.

The great news, you can still cook a well-rounded, nutritious meal in a short time frame.

Check out these recipes from the GoodLife Kitchen’s Quick and Easy Dinner series: