Saving Time With One-Dish Meals

The one-dish meal has been taking over American kitchens for the past couple of years. One-dish meals-single dishes containing all the elements of a full-course meal-can help you cut your cooking time by almost half while keeping meal quality and nutritional values intact. It\'s also a great way to get kids to eat more balanced meals and keep them from overloading their plates.

Many parents shy away from this trend simply because they\'re not sure they can pull it off. But one-dish meals aren\'t that complicated-most of them actually take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Here are some quick tips to help you out.

Add healthy carbs. One-dish meals often have at least one starchy ingredient, such as potatoes or rice, to add weight to the dish and make it more filling. But most of them also have a high calorie count, which pretty much cancel out any healthy effects. Try replacing them with whole wheat ingredients, which are just as satisfying but much less calorie-packed.

Try new vegetables. Vegetables naturally save you time because they cook faster than most meats. Except for some heavy root crops, they\'re usually ready to serve after just 15 minutes of cooking. They also keep the meal light but satisfying, especially if you combine two or more flavors. Try to keep a good balance of flavors for a more interesting taste.

Use the crock pot. It may seem ironic that a slow cooker helps you save time, but it really does. All you have to do is put in your ingredients in the morning, turn it on, and leave it to cook for the rest of the day. You\'ll come home after work to a ready-made meal that\'s not just quick and tasty, but also a lot healthier than the usual oil-enhanced stovetop meals.

Make use of leftovers. Leftovers save you time because they\'ve already been cut and cooked, and all you have to do is pop them into the pan. Needless to say, it also saves you money. So whenever you have unused meat or vegetables, try making a one-dish meal out of them instead of throwing them out.

It\'s easy to save time and money in the kitchen with one-dish meals. They\'re not that hard