Nutritious heat and run meals?

Feel like you don't have enough time for nutritious meals? Here's a Q&A by Dr. Janet that you may relate to:

Q: I prepare to go containers for lunches and dinners, over the weekend, for the week. However, sometimes there is not enough time to reheat or cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are times when I have only a few minutes at home to grab meals, time to heat something up but not sit down and eat. Do you have any recommendations for some go-to foods to have on hand for quick and healthy meals when there is only time to heat and run?

A: As you have already been doing, your best bet is to plan ahead (you know your lifestyle and it sounds to me like spending hours in the kitchen is not feasible nor desirable), so... stock your refrigerator with easy, on-the-go, nutritious foods that you can easily grab and run with. Stay away from processed sodium and fat laden boxed foods and aim for fresher, whole foods. How about cooking up a big turkey on the weekend along with a batch of whole grains like brown rice. This way you can use the turkey (a nice lean protein) and rice up in creative ways all week...just zap it in the microwave (don't forget the the veggies) and you have a great meal in minutes. A big batch of pasta (whole grain of course!) also holds up well for reheating. Add a side bagged salad, shredded carrots, tomatoes and bagged broccoli and you have a super fast nutritious meal in minutes. Another idea is to learn to make the crock-pot your best kitchen friend. Try my  turkey crock-pot chili (in the recipe section of NT)--throw in all the ingredients in the morning and you have a delicious hot meal ready-to-go (add some of your pre-cooked brown rice) that doesn't need reheating... it doesn't get better or quicker than that.  And if you simply don't have time for a hot reheated meal, eat a nutritious cold one instead. Try whipping up a bunch of whole grain pita sandwiches (spread with hummus or avocado and filled with a lean protein and veggies) ahead of time or the Mexican bean wrap sandwich in the NT handbook? They are quick and easy to make and hit the spot for a fast and healthy meal on-the-go. Maybe for those days you don't have time to reheat, stock up on a bunch of brown rice California sushi rolls that come pre-boxed and ready to eat--available at most supermarkets. Greek fat-free yogurt, a handful of walnuts, a bag of baby carrots and a piece of fruit are always quick and nutritious foods to go.

Remember to plan ahead and have a healthy day!