I’ve said many times that if a recipe doesn’t state that it is “easy” or “simple,” then I’m probably not going to prepare it. This hasn’t always been the case, but during this busy season, I don’t have time for meals that take a lot of time and energy to prepare.
I greatly prefer homemade foods, but my need for convenience has led me to prepare numerous meals that are mostly homemade. This approach allows me to mix key convenience items in no-fuss recipes that yield tasty, nutritious meals for my family. Here are some of my favorite shortcuts.
How to use key convenience foods to prepare semi homemade meals
Soups, stews, and chilis
Even when prepared from scratch, soups, stews, and chilis are great foods for busy nights because they are made in a single pot or slow cooker, making cleanup a breeze. Most recipes yield large batches, giving you leftovers to eat later in the week or to freeze for later.
Convenience foods to consider
- Cans or boxes of broth
- Canned beans
- Frozen, canned, pre-cut fresh, or freeze-dried vegetables
- Refrigerated or frozen tortellini
- Seasoning packets
There are so many soups that I love, but the ones my family is enjoying most right now are Chicken Enchilada Soup and Slow Cooker Creamy Veggie Tortellini Soup.
Pizzas
Pizza is one of the few meals that everyone in my household loves. The most time-consuming aspect of making pizza is preparing the dough. Therefore, using a shortcut for this makes pizza a great option.
Convenience foods to consider
- Prepared dough (often available for purchase from local mom-and-pop pizza restaurants or the deli section of the grocery store)
- Pre-cut veggies
- Jarred pizza sauce
- Shredded cheese
In addition to making traditional pizza, you can try alternatives that don’t require dough. We like French bread pizzas, as well as pizza made on naan bread and pizzadillas (cheese and other pizza toppings in pan-fried tortillas served with pizza sauce for dipping).
Sheet-pan meals
Sheet-pan meals typically bake in a relatively short amount of time and, if you cover the sheet pan before baking the meal, there isn’t much to be cleaned up.
Convenience foods to consider
- Pre-cut vegetables
- Pre-marinated meats
- Seasoning packets
I need to branch out and try more sheet-pan meals because I tend to keep going back to our favorites. During the fall and winter, we love this Sausage and Root Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner. During the spring and summer, we love this Ranch Chicken and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner.
Pasta dishes
There are few foods as versatile as pasta. It can be prepared in so many ways so there is a dish to please just about everyone! Additionally, it is affordable and cooks quickly, so it is great for busy cooks.
Convenience foods to consider
- Dried, frozen, or refrigerated pastas
- Jarred or refrigerated sauces
- Pre-cooked meats (such as rotisserie chicken, frozen meatballs, or tuna)
- Frozen or pre-cut veggies
We enjoy so many pasta dishes that it is difficult to choose favorites! Some that we prepare frequently include Baked Ziti, Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, and Chicken Florentine Skillet.
One-pot meals and stir-fries
As with several of the other meals I’ve mentioned, one-pot meals and stir-fries are versatile and they utilize few dishes during preparation, making cleanup easy.
Convenience foods to consider
- Frozen or pre-cut veggies
- Quick-cooking rice
- Dried, frozen, or fresh refrigerated pasta
- Pre-cooked meats (such as rotisserie chicken or smoked sausage)
- Seasoning packets
- Cans or boxes of broth
Our favorite one-dish meals include One-Pot Savory Chicken and Rice, Country Chicken and Veggies with Biscuits, and Cheesy Sausage and Pepper Pasta.
Breakfasts
The meals I shared above are great for lunch and dinner, but what about breakfast? Thankfully, there are numerous ways to use convenience foods to prepare breakfasts that will give our families a good start to the day.
Convenience foods to consider
- Frozen fruits (for use in smoothies and yogurt parfaits)
- Store-bought yogurt
- Pre-cooked meats (such as bacon and sausage)
- Frozen hash browns
- Frozen veggies (for use in omelets, egg muffins, quiches, and smoothies)
- Quick cooking oats
- Baking and pancake mixes
- Toast toppers (nut butters, avocados, cream cheese, etc. to go on toast, English muffins, bagels, and biscuits)
With the exception of pre-cooked meats, we utilize all these convenience foods on a regular basis. One item I didn’t list here that is very convenient and versatile is the humble egg. Scrambled eggs, a favorite in my house, take just minutes to make. Hardboiled eggs are also popular here. Once cooked, these can be kept for a week in the fridge. Grabbing and peeling an egg is about as convenient as it gets! Another easy breakfast we like to make is Cheesy Baked Egg in Toast. It’s a cinch to prepare and is very filling.
Final thoughts
I often think that convenience foods are unhealthy. I think of things like processed cheese products, potato chips, and TV dinners that are ultra-processed and laden with saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. While these aren’t particularly healthy, many convenience foods are. Frozen fruits and veggies, for example, are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts (oddly enough, they are sometimes even more nutritious because they are frozen at the peak of ripeness). Likewise, canned beans (especially those canned without added salt) are incredibly nutritious. When determining if convenience foods are healthy, consider the following:
- Ingredients. Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients a product has, the better. Real food (for example, beans, carrots, potatoes, or chicken) should be the first ingredient. The ingredient list should not contain lots of preservatives and other products you don’t recognize.
- Look carefully for hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and sodium nitrates. These should be avoided.
- Nutrition labels. Look at how much sodium and added sugars a product contains. If a product has lots of these, consider looking for a low sodium or no sugar added option.
- Prioritize fiber and protein. Commonly, foods with high fiber and protein content have undergone less processing. Be careful with this, though, because food companies are profiting off the current protein craze by adding extra protein to everything from granola bars to ice cream. Containing extra protein doesn’t make every item healthy! In fact, I saw some protein bars a few days ago that contain sugar as the first ingredient. Foods like this aren’t good options, regardless of how much protein they contain.
- Compare items. Comparing similar items can often help you identify differences in their nutritional profiles. It’s generally best to select the item with less saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.
How do you get meals on the table quickly? What are your favorite shortcuts?
Join the Conversation