We all have them; those days when, in between meetings, soccer practice and yoga you’ve have to fit in dinner.

Where’s the time for that?

Our mental dexterity depends on eating well, and our pocketbooks will thank us too!
So what are the tips and tricks to eating well without breaking down and resorting to the drive-through widow?

The obvious answer is to get organized and plan ahead, so here’s how to do it…

Keep these basic ingredients at the ready at all times. They’re relatively inexpensive, extremely versatile
and keep for a long time.

• Jarred artichoke hearts

• Cans of chic peas, black beans and Poblano chillies 


• Cheese: parmesan, Monterey jack to name but two (remember that most hard cheese freeze well.
The texture can change a little bit but They’ll be fine for grating or cooking with)

• Chicken breasts and wild salmon: buy in bulk and grill them all off in one go.
Keep a few in the refrigerator for the week and pop the rest in the freezer.

• Brown and wild rice

• Mustard: Dijon or grainy are a must. Also, add a little curry paste or dried herds to your mustard
to take things in s different direction.

• Dried or roasted seed and nuts: pumpkin, sunflower seeds and sliced almonds, pinenuts
and chopped walnuts. Dried cranberries: are also a good suggestion as they keep well in the freezer

• Yogurt: not just for breakfast, but great an a quick curry topped with dried currents.

• Tortillas: keep them in the freezer. You can always find room for them in the freezer

• Stock: tetra packs of organic chicken stock or veggie stock and coconut milk

• Olive oil: splash out on the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. Olive oil unlocks many doors
in the flavor department!

• Onions, ginger and garlic

So what to make you ask?

Quesadillas
Quesadillas are the Mexican equivalent of a grilled cheese sandwich and can be made in no time at all.

Entree Salads
They’re a quick way to get as many vegetables into a dish and still have it taste great. Stop at your local fresh market and pick up an assortment of greens. Things like spinach, baby greens, arugula – they all make terrific bases. Use your stash of seeds and nuts for flavor and crunch. Thaw out a chicken breast you cooked the night before for added protein. Adding. wild rice is also a good option for an entree salad as it’ll add texture and flavor..

There are a lot of quite good ‘ready made’ dressing on the market, but why not just make your own? Making an all purpose dressing is a snap – 1/3 balsamic vinegar, 2/3 olive oil, salt and pepper to take then finish it off with a little Dijon.

Here’s another quick tip for fresh vegetables – Have you noticed that fresh food items are “going off” in your refrigerator before you have a chance to eat them?A solution is to cut things like tomatoes and red peppers in half and throw them in the oven on a low heat or a half hour or so. It’s easy and will also make a tasty addition to any dish in the days to come.

Eating well really isn’t that hard, with a little foresight and a dash of self control. You’ll be eating better and, most importantly, you’ll be feeling better and what can be better than that!