Rethinking "Fast Food"

"Fast food" generally means food served from a window by a person wearing a polyester uniform, who asks "do you want fries with that" and most people end up in the drive-thru line because they do not think that they have the time to make something at home.   A great goal is to change your definition of "fast food" to merely food that is available quickly, and here are some ways and recipes to get you on your way:

"I don't have time to cook:" If it is time that is the issue, develop a few go-to quick meals that do not require a great deal of work to prepare or time to cook.  Some of my favorites are in the posts 15 Minute Healthy Dinners  and Two Minute Meal.  So what makes them quick and easy?
1.  They are made from ingredients that have a long shelf-life, so stock up when you see a sale, and always have them on hand. 
2.  You can use frozen vegetables instead of fresh, though I would not elect frozen spinach due to the water content, so that you know to routinely buy them at the grocer and do not have to worry about their quickly going bad. 
3.  The greatest time saver, flavor booster, and nutrition kick with any meal is that you can take five minutes on the weekend to dice onion, garlic, and pepper to use for the work-week. 
4.  Finally, for an added boost of omega-3, consider a can of wild, Alaskan Salmon, which has a great shelf-life and only the prep-time that it takes to open a can!

Other great options for when you simply do not have time:
Veggie grilled cheese: In a large pan melt 1/4T butter and add four slices of whole wheat bread (makes two sandwiches).  Add a light sprinkle of low-fat cheese, a sprinkle of oregano, shred some fresh spinach, and add another sprinkle of your cheese to hold the spinach in place.  Allow everything to melt and then add slices of tomato.  Close the sandwiches and allow them to sit for another minute.  Once cooked, open to add some fresh avocado, sliced tomato, bell pepper, and onion.  Five minutes for dinner, but if you need it fast, make the entire thing in the microwave.

Veggie Quesadilla: Grab a whole wheat shell and sprinkle with low-fat cheese.  Add thinly sliced onion, pepper, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, black beans (if from a can, wash well before serving), tomato, avocado, and salsa.  Fold and let all part cook together in the shell on the stove or oven.  Want to save more time and guarantee that it will be eaten?  Let your kids build their own! 

With protein and fiber from the beans,
the Red Beans and Rice is a great
option, but my personal favorite is
Jambalaya. 
Watch for both on sale for as little
as $1 per box.

"I have other things to do besides cook:" We all do, which is why when you are at home, but cannot watch the pot, reach for something that takes no time to prepare, even if it takes time to cook.  This is where our family staple comes in: Zatarain's.  Using the same pre-chopped veggies from above, saute them with a bunch of mushrooms in a medium pot, but as this is going to be your entire meal, load up on your favorite veggies for both nutrition and taste.  Once they are slightly soft, add your water, and follow the directions on the box.  Most Zatarain's items require about thirty minutes to cook, but you do not have to watch the pot.  Garnish with low-fat cheese and fresh tomato for a great meal that is light on labor.  I love to pair this with baked asparagus for a simple veggie dish, as it also takes no time to prepare but a few minutes to cook.

Finally, my favorite trick, which can turn most anything into flavorful fast food is to smoke, grill, or bake extra boneless, skinless chicken breasts over the weekend to later add to the top of these quick and simple dinners, or toss over a salad loaded with veggies.  Regardless of the meal served under it, the lean chicken with slow-cooked taste adds great protein and gives it that June-Cleaver-I-worked-all-day-on-my-family's-dinner flavor, even though all you did was pour it out of its baggie.