How many of you have used the excuse I haven’t got time to eat healthy before?

You know when you’re in a bit of a rush so you just get a take away or chuck something in the microwave. We’ve all been there, myself included.

Just with a bit of good guidance and a little bit of planning you can get around this so your healthy eating is no longer left to chance.

The hardest times when sticking to a healthy nutrition programme is when you are stressed, tired, bored and rushed, I know it is for me anyway.

So today I’m going to share with you 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners. They are all healthy, they are all tasty and they take less than 12 minutes to make!

Microwave meals these days can take about 5 minutes, I’m sure you can wait an extra 7 to ensure you are putting good healthy food into your body rather than processed junk!

The ‘I don’t have time to eat healthy’ excuse won’t be accepted after reading these. You don’t have to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen, you can do it quick and on the run.

Breakfasts

Cold Pizza

Definitely not your usual breakfast.

All you have to do is toast 1 slice of brown bread, add 2 tbsp of ricotta, 1 large basil leaf, 2 tomato slice, then season with salt and pepper and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil. Delicious!

Nutty Banana

Toast 1 slice of brown bread, add 1 tablespoon of crunchy almond/peanut butter and add banana slices on top. Takes just a couple of minutes

Breakfast Wrap

Heat a pan with extra virgin olive oil, scramble 3 eggs, a handful of spinach leaves plus 1 tblsp drained and rinsed black beans (optional).

Add some salt and pepper and add to a wholewheat wrap along with some salsa.

Lunch

Veggie Soup

Grab a medium saucepan, add 200ml vegetable broth, ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil and a little bit of pepper. Once it’s boiled add 100g of couscous, 50g broccoli, 50g cauliflower and cook until tender.

Quinoa Salad 

Boil 100g of quinoa according to cooking instructions. Once cooked fluff and stir in 20g walnuts, 25g drained chick peas, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1sp lemon juice plus salt and pepper. If you are hungry add ½ tin of tuna to it.

Packed Sweet Potato 

Cook a sweet potato in the microwave, prick with a fork several times first. Microwave for around 5 minutes. Cut lengthways to split it open and add tbsp of non fat Greek yogurt, 1tsp honey, 2 tbsp. drained and rinsed black beans and a little bit of paprika.

Dinner

Vegetable Fried Rice

Microwave 1 serving of instant wholegrain rice (you brown rice if you have more time). Heat a pan and with coconut oil and cook ¼ courgette and a small red onion then add to the rice along with 2 small sliced cherry tomatoes and ¼ tin of drained and rinsed black beans. Add 150ml of vegetable broth and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Push the vegetables and rice to the outside of the pan and scramble one egg in the centre (takes about 3 minutes) and mix it all together. Could add meat if required.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Cook a small serving of rice pasta according to packet instructions. Mix together the juice from ½ a lemon, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ½ an avocado and a bit of basil in a blender. Once the pasta is cooked mix it together and enjoy.

Portobello Burgers

Whisk together 1 clove of minced garlic, ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and ½ tsp of finely chopped fresh basil. With half of the mix drizzle over 1 Portobello mushroom cap. Then grill the mushroom for around 4 minutes each side.

Bun Optional

Combine the remaining sauce onto a lightly toasted brown roll, and add lettuce, tomato slice and the mushroom cap.

What do you think?

Delicious and quick.

If you had more time then use brown rice instead of instant rice and cook the sweet potato in the oven as opposed to the microwave.

The breakfasts all contain bread plus one of the dinners which is something you shouldn’t eat too often, so don’t have one of these every morning, just a couple of ideas to have 1-2 days a week.

These dishes are great tasting, they won’t take you away from your weight loss goals and they are a hell of a lot healthier than a take away!

Please share some quick healthy recipes you know below.

Bon appetite,

Jamie Stedman