I have a confession to make. I’m a horrible cook (that’s me, Minuca). My idea of a healthy meal is a salad and for a fast meal, it is a hamburger and fries from McDonalds. For me, cooking is one of the universe’s mysteries.
I had quite a few disastrous attempts when I tried my hand at cooking. For example, one time I wanted to boil some rice and I forgot all about it. An hour later my kitchen was full of smoke (true story).
That is why when my dear friend, Carole, asked me to help her interview her favorite food bloggers, I accepted it immediately.
We came up with one question, the most important one, to ask these awesome bloggers:
What is your #1 tip for cooking a healthy meal fast?
Kerstin Rodgers MsMarmiteLover.com // @MsMarmitelover
~ Kerstin is a food and travel writer and photographer. She launched the supper club movement in the UK in 2009 with her supper club The Underground Restaurant.
It might not sound healthy but I love to jazz up pot noodles. Click To Tweet Grab some rice noodles, soak them, drain them, then add a pack of instant miso and boiling water plus any vegetables that you have lurking in your fridge, finely sliced.
Examples are batons of carrots, broccoli heads, a few bean sprouts, some alfalfa, finely sliced mushrooms. Add some cubes of tofu if you have it. Top with a few seeds like pumpkin seeds or crumbled toasted seaweed.
A few drops of toasted sesame oil makes this a quick luxury Asian soup: low-cal, gluten-free if using rice noodles, filling and warming.
Kristy Bernardo TheWickedNoodle.com // @thewickednoodle
~ Kristy is a chef, recipe developer, photographer, food blogger and travel writer. She teaches cooking classes, speaks at conferences and events and appears on video and television.
PLANNING AHEAD. I have found that I eat so much healthier when I have at least a vague idea of what meals I plan on cooking for the week and picking up the ingredients in advance.
I have around ten quick and healthy recipe favorites that I tend to rotate through. Click To TweetI’ll usually choose three from that list then add a couple more to try for the week to keep things interesting.I’ll also make a chopped veggie salad that can feed me all week; I just chop up my favorite veggies and keep them in the fridge.
Then I take out what I need, season it and add either balsamic vinegar and olive oil, my favorite dressing or sometimes even just a little mustard. It’s so delicious and I love the convenience of having it ready to go!
Heidi Larsen FoodieCrush.com // @foodiecrush
~ Heidi is a photo-taking, storytelling, magazine and e-cookbook designing food blogger. She likes to create and share recipes that are fresh, seasonal, mostly simple, often healthy, comfort food.
The thing I've found that helps me the most is meal prep. Click To Tweet I used to think meal prep was for non-cooks, and maybe a little overhyped, but now I’m a believer.
If I bake or grill a few chicken breasts or salmon with different seasonings at the beginning of the week, cook a batch of quinoa or Farro and pop it in the fridge plus have pineapple and melons sliced and diced and ready to go, I am definitely going to use those in my lunchtime salad or as a wrap.
I always have fresh tomatoes sitting on the counter and lettuce or arugula in the fridge. It has made such a difference in my eating style.
Helen Best-Shaw FussFreeFlavours.com // @FussFreeHelen
~ Helen is a food, travel and lifestyle writer and top ranked blogger. She is a freelance recipe developer, food stylist and a photographer.
I would say to make a quick healthy meal have a well-stocked freezer and pantry. Click To Tweet
I always have tubs of beans in the freezer, as well as home cooked rice.
Fry off an onion, add some spinach, chili, and garlic and serve with the rice and some good quality soy sauce.
Shelley Alexander
~ Shelley is a holistic chef, food coach, cookbook author, food blogger and certified healing foods specialist.
She helps busy people to get nourished and healthy.
I make cooking healthy meals easy and quick by taking a little time on the weekends to make a meal plan and prep foods for the following week.
This makes it easy to prepare and batch cook simple, nourishing meals to eat throughout the week. I prep meats, vegetables, fruits, salads, salad dressings, snacks, soups, stews, and smoothie ingredients so everything is ready to go for the following week.
If you do this you can put together easy, healthy meals fast when your week is busy.
Beth Nydick BlueBarnKitchen.com // @BlueprintBuddy
~ Beth has a health-focussed lifestyle brand with simple and creative recipes, meal planning and lifestyle programs.
My #1 tip for cooking a healthy meal fast is planning, planning, and prep. Click To Tweet
When you have a meal plan not only will you eat healthier, you’ll save money but you will also eliminate the last minute stress of meal time and possibility of making unhealthy choices in a crunch.
Prep goes hand in hand with planning, taking the time to prep your veggies will make the cooking process less stressful and take less time
Chrissy Carroll SnackingInSneakers.com // @ChrissyTheRD
~ Chrissy is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, licensed Zumba and Zumba Kids instructor, marathoner and triathlete. She has a Bachelor’s in Nutrition Science and a Masters in Public Health.
My tip: Invest in a good set of knives and a nice big cutting board. Click To Tweet
I used to own these poor quality knives that made chopping vegetables such a chore (not to mention put you at risk of cutting yourself), and also had one of those small cutting boards where you could only cut about half an onion at a time.
It sounds silly, but purchasing a gigantic wooden cutting board and a high quality sharpened chef’s knife has made it so much quicker and easier to get all my produce chopped and ready for whatever healthy meal I’m about to make.
Crysta Icore Dancing With Fireflies // @MorningTempest
~ Crysta is a freelance writer, food and travel blogger, and an adventurer. She dedicates her blog to creative people. Writers, artists, dreamers, travelers, foodies… all are welcome.
In our house, we raised 5 kids who were all very different eaters. So my biggest tip for cooking a healthy meal would be to always try experimenting with new ingredients.
Use your food processor to mix in ground vegetables in with your sauces or even your meat dishes. Click To Tweet
They will never know and you will sneak in some healthy vegetables without the complaints.
Rebecca Pytell StrengthAndSunshine.com // @RebeccaGF666
~ Rebecca is a healthy gluten-free and allergy-friendly food blogger. She shares her recipes and tips on how to live a happy, healthy life while navigating food allergies and dietary restrictions.
Always have your pantry stocked with essentials! Click To Tweet Think canned beans, fish, dry grains, tomatoes. Having extras in the freezer is great as well!
From extra baked goods to soups and casseroles. Also never underestimate the power of the microwave! Throw in a potato for 5 minutes, slice it and top with beans, salsa, nutritional yeast, and any spice you desire!
Healthy meal done in less than 10!
Casey Miller TheBestOfFitness.com // @bestoffitness01
~ Casey teaches people how to have a healthy lifestyle through fitness and nutrition on his blog, The Best of Fitness.
Cooking a healthy meal doesn’t have to take hours if you’re prepared and organized. Click To Tweet Now this isn’t my number one tip but it sure helps. My number one tip is to keep it simple.
There are so many recipes out there that look great and are super healthy but take 30-60 minutes to prepare. Who has time for that? If you’re able to keep your meals under 5 ingredients, you will not only save time but money.
Let’s take a look at this simple breakfast: 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, tomatoes, green peppers and a banana. That’s only 4 ingredients and should take a total of 10 minutes and that’s with cutting the vegetables.
If you want something even faster, how about ½ cup of oatmeal, 2 tsp. of peanut butter and some fruit.
Omelets is one of the best breakfast for athletics and it’s included in many healthy diets.
It may not be the most creative but sure saves time! By keeping it simple, you’re allowing yourself more time to do the things you love instead of sitting around a kitchen cooking.
So, next time you are looking for meal options, just try to keep it under 5 ingredients and see what you can come up with.
Susan Poggio SimplySundaysFoodBlog.com // @SimplySundays1
~ Susan is a food blogger that writes simple recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients. On her blog, she shares her passion for food and family.
My #1 tip for cooking a healthy meal fast is “few” & “fresh”. You only need a ‘few’ ingredients if you’re using ‘fresh’ ingredients.
Fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits are all so flavorful you don’t need a long list of ingredients to transform them into a delicious recipe.
Fewer ingredients = less prep time which helps with the busy weekend meal prep. Fresh ingredients = healthy meal without added preservatives of processed foods. Click To Tweet
Miranda Hutchins-Holman GraceandGravy: with a side of life // @GraceandGravy
~ Miranda shares on her blog her love for baking, new recipes (including cooking from scratch) and DIY Tutorials.
My #1 tip for cooking a healthy meal fast is to always have fresh meat and veggies in the fridge. Click To Tweet
I try to only buy meat and fresh veggies for 2-3 days at a time that way I can keep them in the fridge and they will be ready to saute for a healthy meal without the unhealthy additives.
I would like to thank all the bloggers who contributed to this round up. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Let me know in the comments below what was your favorite recipe or tip that you would like to rush into your kitchen to try.
If you know at least one person that needs to eat healthier, then share this post with them and help us spread the word around.
There are some great ideas here to make life easier in the kitchen. I don’t have a lot of time to cook usually so getting food prepared ahead would save so much time. I often plan my meals for the week which helps keep down the cost as well. Great blog. Thank you
Thanks for stopping by, Robert. Yes, this group of bloggers has great tips for busy days!