It’s 6 p.m. on a Tuesday. You’ve just walked in the door after a long day of work or classes, and you are exhausted. The last thing on your mind is spending an hour in the kitchen chopping vegetables and watching over a hot stove. The temptation to reach for your phone and order takeout is overwhelming. We have all been there. The desire to eat healthy often clashes with the reality of a busy schedule. Many people believe that cooking nutritious meals from scratch is an all-or-nothing game that requires a huge amount of time and effort. But that simply is not true. You don’t have to choose between your health and your sanity. By learning a few simple cooking shortcuts, you can get a delicious, healthy dinner on the table faster than a delivery driver could find your house. These tips are all about working smarter, not harder, in the kitchen.

Embrace "Mise en Place" on the Weekend

"Mise en place" is a French culinary term that means "everything in its place." Professional chefs use this technique to have all their ingredients prepped and ready to go before they start cooking. You can use this same idea to make your weeknights incredibly smooth.

Set aside just one hour on Sunday to do some basic prep for the week ahead. This could mean washing and chopping vegetables like onions, bell peppers, and carrots and storing them in airtight containers. You can cook a big batch of a whole grain like quinoa or brown rice to use in different meals. You could even marinate chicken or portion out fish fillets. When you get home on a Wednesday, half the work is already done. All you have to do is assemble and cook.

Master the Sheet Pan Dinner

The sheet pan dinner is the busy person's best friend. The concept is simple: you toss all your ingredients—a protein, vegetables, and sometimes even a starch—onto a single baking sheet, season them, and roast everything together in the oven. This method not only saves active cooking time but also drastically reduces cleanup.

To build a great sheet pan meal, choose a protein that cooks relatively quickly, like chicken thighs, sausage, or salmon. Pair it with sturdy vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, or zucchini. Cut everything into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite herbs and spices, and bake at around 400°F (200°C) until everything is cooked through. It’s a complete, balanced meal with minimal effort.

Use Smart Store-Bought Helpers

Cooking from scratch doesn't mean you have to make every single component yourself. There are plenty of healthy, pre-prepared items at the grocery store that can save you a ton of time. The key is to read the labels and choose products with minimal added sugar, sodium, and preservatives.

Some great time-saving helpers include:

  • Rotisserie Chicken: A pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is incredibly versatile. You can shred it for tacos, add it to salads, or toss it into a quick soup.
  • Pre-Cut Vegetables: Buying pre-chopped onions, butternut squash, or spiralized zucchini can cut your prep time in half.
  • Healthy Sauces and Dressings: A high-quality jar of marinara sauce or a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil can be the base for a quick and flavorful meal.
  • Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: Frozen produce is picked at peak ripeness and flash-frozen, so it retains all its nutrients. It’s perfect for adding to smoothies, stir-fries, and soups without any washing or chopping.

Batch Cook Your Grains and Proteins

Cooking grains like rice or quinoa can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. Instead of doing this every night, cook a large batch once a week. Store it in the fridge, and you will have a ready-to-go base for grain bowls, salads, or a quick side dish.

The same principle applies to proteins. You can grill several chicken breasts, bake a large piece of salmon, or hard-boil a dozen eggs at the beginning of the week. Having these cooked proteins on hand makes it easy to throw together a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner without having to cook from scratch.

Rely on One-Pot Meals

Similar to sheet pan dinners, one-pot meals are a lifesaver for minimizing cleanup. Think of soups, stews, chilis, and curries where all the ingredients simmer together in a single pot on the stove. This method allows the flavors to meld together beautifully and creates a hearty, comforting meal.

A simple one-pot formula could be sautéing some aromatics like onion and garlic, adding a protein, tossing in vegetables and a liquid like broth or canned tomatoes, and letting it all simmer until cooked. Dishes like this are also great for using up any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge.

Keep Your Pantry Stocked with Staples

You can’t cook a quick meal if you don’t have any ingredients. A well-stocked pantry, refrigerator, and freezer are your first line of defense against the takeout menu. When you have basic building blocks on hand, you can always whip something up.

Some essentials to always keep around include:

  • Pantry: Canned beans, lentils, canned tomatoes, broth, whole-grain pasta, rice, quinoa, onions, and garlic.
  • Fridge: Eggs, Greek yogurt, and a few long-lasting vegetables like carrots and cabbage.
  • Freezer: Frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, and some basic proteins like chicken breasts or ground meat.