Seriously Healthy 30-Minute Dinners

Preparing a fancy four-course meal from scratch is totally fun … if you’re on vacation. But most likely you’re a pretty busy person, with things to do and people to see.

Dinner can be super overwhelming. Planning, prepping, and then actually making a dinner can be time consuming and exhausting with the laundry list of other things we need to do in a single 24-hour period.

Enter the 30-minute meal. This life-saving notion makes dinner preparation a breeze, and also makes it easier to bypass that drive-through lineup that’s calling to you with its convenience and copious amounts of salts and fats.

The following recipes will be on the table in fewer than 30 minutes, guaranteed.

• Tasty Tex-Mex Tortilla (use leftover rice)
• Dilled Salmon Linguine
• Salmon, Butter Leaf, and Avocado Salad (on a day you’re having salmon, make extra to have this salad the following day)
• Golden Tuna Melt
• Salmon Mac and Cheese
• Asparagus Frittata (skip the Toasted Hemp Nori)
• Stir-Fried Turnip Greens and Tofu
• Mini Personal Pizzas
• Egg Fried Rice (use leftover rice)

Keep in mind the following time-saving tips as well.

• Buy frozen veggies: there’s a common misconception that frozen veggies lack in nutritional value. This is simply untrue: frozen fruits and vegetables are often picked at peak ripeness and then quickly flash-frozen to lock in nutrients and flavour.
• Make big batches of rice and beans: these staples are so versatile they can be the foundation of everything from chili to fried rice. Plus, they keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for a good five days—enough to get you through the work week.
• Take shortcuts: jarred marinara, canned fish, canned beans, pre-chopped stir-fry veggies, and whole wheat pizza crusts are lifesavers when on a tight schedule.
• Multi-task: making pasta? Throw your veggies in during the last few minutes to blanch them. Then simply add the sauce and voila!