Vaults - 10-Minute Meals

Simple Strategies for Making Quick Healthy Meals in Minutes

Are you challenged by your busy schedule to find the time to plan and make your meals? Do you find yourself eating out more than you would like? Are you frustrated with the pace of your progress but unable to maintain a consistent eating plan? If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.

Over fifteen years ago, I decided to pursue a PhD in Nutritional Sciences because as a personal trainer, the number one challenge my clients were facing was making the time to plan and make healthy meals. Unfortunately, this is still the case today.

Over the years I have worked with clients who had never turned on the stove in their kitchens. Some didn’t even know that they had an oven in their kitchens. Today, however, these same clients are cooking most of their own meals. What’s the secret to their success and to yours? They followed my simple strategies for making quick meals in less than ten minutes.

Let’s face it, you won’t get healthy, look the way you want or perform at an optimal level, unless you are in control of what you’re eating. Unfortunately, it is not possible to be in control of what you eat unless you make your own meals.

Here are my simple strategies for taking charge of your meal plan and building a healthy, fit, high performance body.

1. Stock up

Obviously, before you can make quick healthy meals you have to stock your freezer, refrigerator and pantry with certain necessities. In the freezer, stock up on frozen vegetables, berries, wild-caught salmon, organic chicken, grass-fed steak, turkey and some of your other favorite protein sources. Try and keep the ratio of your meals to about 90/10. Ninety percent plant-based and no more than ten percent from animal proteins. If your goal is to reverse disease, however, your diet should be 100% plant based.

Stock your refrigerator with fresh vegetables. You can find most vegetables pre-chopped and pre-washed in most large supermarkets. How easy is that?

Stock your pantry with cans of tuna, salmon, sardines, beans, whole grain/rice/bean pasta, tomato paste and sauce, as well as other items you like to eat.

If all this seems daunting, there is a weekly shopping list in my cookbook, Dr. Del’s Rapid Fatloss Cookbook. Just take it to the market with you and buy everything on the list for your freezer, refrigerator and pantry.

2. Plan your week

To be successful, you must have a designated day as your planning and shopping day. It takes me no more than a couple hours on a Sunday to shop for all the things I need for the week. And I’m usually out shopping with my three young daughters. What’s your excuse?

Every Sunday, I shop and make enough food to last at least three days. I usually cook a pot of rice, some sweet potatoes, a large pot of soup or bean chili, and a couple different protein sources (organic chicken, turkey, tofu or fish–since I eat mostly plant-based, I typically use about three ounces of these most as food flavoring for the kids). Guess what? By Wednesday, I still have plenty of food to make my famous leftover stir-fry. Whatever you’re tired of eating, toss it into a stir-fry and it becomes a brand new delicious meal. By the way, did I mention that I’m cooking for a family of five?

3. Buy pre-chopped and pre-cooked

Save yourself time by buying your vegetables pre-chopped. You can find everything from greens, onions, garlic, peppers and most other vegetables already chopped and washed for you. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive, but that’s the price you pay for convenience.

You can also save yourself time by buying some items pre-cooked from your local market. For example, Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and other markets have huge food courts with many healthy selections. Pick up some protein and make everything else yourself.

4. giant salad

Make one of your main meals a giant salad with at least 4-6 different vegetables, a cup of beans, and a home-made dressing. Check out my Youtube channel (youtube.com/drdelmillers) for ideas.

5. Make your meals a top priority

Remember, you will never get healthy, look the way you want or perform at your optimal best unless you make your meals a top priority. If what you eat is always an after-thought, then you will always struggle with your weight, health, fitness, energy level, focus, concentration and performance (at work, play and in the bedroom).

So take a couple hours out of your week to plan your meals. Not only is this good for your health, fitness, and performance, but over time, you will also be increasing your earning potential. That’s right. We’ll talk more about that another time.

6. 10-Minute Meals & Dr. Del’s Rapid Fatloss Cookbook

Next time, we’ll talk about what to do if you’re always on the road.