Learn how you can reduce the prep time for different kinds of healthy home-cooked meals by keeping a supply of cooked grains on hand.
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What is your greatest challenge when it comes to healthy eating? Nearly half of my email subscribers say they don’t have time to cook. But tricks that shorten prep time can enable healthy home-cooked meals to compete with the convenience of packaged foods and take-out. This is why I keep a supply of cooked grains and potatoes in the fridge.
A few weeks ago I shared 6 Ways To Enjoy Baked Sweet Potatoes. Now let’s take a look at some of the yummy dishes you can make faster with cooked grains.
1. Enhance a Green Salad
Like this Black Bean Mango Salad
A big salad is a perfect weeknight meal and cooked grains can boost a green salad’s full-factor. I often add a half-cup of cooked rice or quinoa to make a heartier dinner salad. First I warm the grains slightly in the microwave.
2. Go All The Way With A Grain Salad
Like this Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
You could also try:
Grain salads are especially hearty and can be made quickly if the grain is cooked in advance. I like to pack grain salads for my daughter’s lunch. You don’t have to worry about cooling or heating or wilting lettuce!
3. Enjoy Some Veggie Burgers
Like these Kale Veggie Patties
You could also try:
I’m much more likely to take the time to make veggie burgers if I already have cooked grains on hand. You only need about a cup of cooked rice or quinoa and the burgers themselves take just a few minutes to prepare.
4. Make Your Own Sushi Rolls
Like these Veggie Quinoa Sushi Rolls
You could also try:
Sushi may look difficult, but it’s actually very easy to prepare – especially if you have cooked grains in the fridge. You just need to warm the rice or quinoa slightly and add a bit of rice vinegar and maple syrup.
5. Enrich Soups and Sautés
Like this Quick Rice and Beans
You could also try:
- A different twist on this Quick Veggie Minestrone Soup
These are but a few suggestions. I welcome other ideas – feel free to comment below.
The trick is to cook the grains ahead of time. If you are good at planning, you could use the weekend to cook what you need for the week. If you’re like me (not so good at planning), you could simply make extra as you go along. For example, I’ll cook extra rice when I make Rice and Beans. In a day or so I’ll use the leftover rice to make veggie burgers or salad – whichever strikes my fancy.
A rice cooker offers a no-fuss approach to cooking grains ahead of time. You can even set it up so the cooked grain is ready when you get home from work!
I hope I’ve inspired you to look for more time saving options for preparing healthy meals. Again, please feel free to share your ideas in a comment below.
genkikitty
I have to agree, there is nothing better than being hungry and finding things in the fridge. 🙂 Buddha Bowls are our friends!
Margaret
Yes! It's so much better than when you keep opening the fridge hoping something new will appear! 😉