Making
healthy, South Beach Diet–friendly meals doesn’t have to take up a lot of your
time. There are many ways you can shave off minutes in the kitchen and still
eat nutritious, delicious food. It’s just a matter of having the recipes and
ingredients on hand and learning a few shortcuts.
So, if you’re feeling time-pressed
and daunted by the idea of preparing healthy meals, here are some simple
time-saving tricks to help you get started: Always read through the recipes you
plan to make to be sure you have all the ingredients prepped and assembled
before you start cooking.
- As soon
as you get home from the grocery store, prep fruits and veggies and separate
them into individual containers to use during the week. Always keep a bag of
prewashed greens on hand to create a healthy salad in minutes.
- Instead of mincing garlic
each time you need it, throw whole cloves into the food processor. Refrigerate
any leftovers in a plastic container and use within one week.
- Cook once so you can eat
twice (or more). On Sunday, for example, prepare enough food for two or three
meals so you can freeze some in microwavable containers and enjoy the leftovers
throughout the week (and take a night or two off from cooking). If you’re
grilling, grill extra for lunch the next day.
- Stock your kitchen with
easy ready-to-eat foods, like canned or pouched tuna, plain low-fat or nonfat
yogurt, or ready-made hummus, to grab for on-the-go snacks.
- Prepare veggie crudités
once a week and keep them in plastic bags or plastic containers in the fridge
to snack on or to add to soups, salads, and more.
- Clean as you cook —
rather than stacking the dishes in the sink to clean after dinner, wash pots,
pans, bowls, and other kitchen utensils as you’re preparing the meal.
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