{"id":66139,"date":"2018-03-07T07:15:48","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T12:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=66139"},"modified":"2021-08-26T13:45:27","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:45:27","slug":"healthy-20-minute-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/healthy-20-minute-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Brilliant Dinner Shortcuts for Healthy 20-Minute Meals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"10<\/div>\n

Dinner. It\u2019s the same grind every week, but that doesn\u2019t make it any easier \u2014 especially when you\u2019re short on time (always) and sticking to your health goals<\/a> (mostly).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to keep things fresh and fast each night, it\u2019s time to rethink your approach. Follow the lead of these inspiring food gurus who show us that when you strip down your expectations and focus on mastering a few basics, meal time is never more than 20 minutes away.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>21 Meal Prep Pics From the Healthiest People on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Easy Shortcuts for 20-Minute Meals<\/h2>\n
\"20-Minute
Photo and recipe: @katekosaya<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Batch-Cooked Roasted Vegetables<\/h3>\n

By roasting a big batch of vegetables once or twice a week, Kate Kosaya<\/a> has the foundation for multiple meals to take her through the week. Her weekly vegetable haul will get \u201ccut into wedges, circles or slices, drizzled with oil or ghee, sprinkled with spices, and roasted in the oven at 375\u00b0F.\u201d Once cooled and stored in glass containers, it\u2019s simply grab-and-go to create a veggie bowl or creamy vegetable soup made with coconut milk.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>20 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less<\/a><\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and Recipe: Wild Greens and Sardines<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Canned Seafood<\/h3>\n

World-wide travels have imparted Linda Schneider of Wild Greens and Sardines<\/a> with a love of all things oceanic. \u201cWhile canned seafood hasn\u2019t entirely caught on here in the United States, they\u2019re highly revered in parts of Europe,\u201d she says. \u201cSmall fish, such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel are sustainable, healthy, inexpensive, versatile and easy to prep. They’re already cooked, so it’s just a matter of opening a can and adding a little creativity.\u201d With a can in hand, it\u2019ll become dinner when layered on a big green salad<\/a>, tossed with pasta<\/a>, served over beans<\/a>, or even spread on toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and recipe: McKel Hill \/ Nutrition Stripped<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Simple Stir-Fry<\/h3>\n

McKel Hill, MS, RDN, LDN and Founder of Nutrition Stripped<\/a>, practices what she preaches in her Guide to Master Meal Planning<\/a>, making a simple stir-fry on most evenings. Her formula: leftover roasted vegetables, a protein, a carbohydrate and a healthy fat (such as coconut oil). She also relies on a changing mix of herbs and spices to keep things interesting. Not only is it simple and quick, but \u201cit leaves me feeling really great,\u201d Hill says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>6 Nutritionist-Approved Breakfast Ideas to Start Eating Clean<\/a><\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Eggs Anytime<\/h3>\n

\u201cWhere is the rule that eggs are only for breakfast?\u201d asks Sarah Gim of TheDeliciousLife.com<\/a>. Even when she\u2019s not short on time, she prefers to make a scramble<\/a> for dinner by saut\u00e9ing garlic, onions and whatever vegetables she has on hand along with three to four eggs. Once cooked, add a dollop of almond milk ricotta, a few avocado slices and some gut-boosting chopped kimchi. Voila, your 20-minute meal is served! \u201cI eat some variation of avocado, eggs, vegetables and kimchi almost every other day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and recipe: Liz Moody \/\u00a0@sproutedroutes<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie<\/h3>\n

Another breakfast-for-dinner winner: A well-balanced smoothie. For Liz Moody of Sprouted Routes <\/a>and the author of Glow Pops<\/em><\/a>, smoothies are a weeknight staple. \u201cA good smoothie takes literally five minutes to make, and it’s one of the cheapest dinners around. Usually mine are under $5 a serving,\u201d she says. \u201cThe secret to making a dinner smoothie is making sure there’s a good amount of greens, fat and protein.\u201d Her favorite flavor combinations include mint chocolate chip<\/a> and cilantro cucumber<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>14 Deliciously Healthy Green Smoothie Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo: Courtesy of Sara Sullivan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Cooked Quinoa<\/h3>\n

For plant-based nutrition counselor and holistic health practitioner Sara Sullivan<\/a>, batch-making quinoa on Sundays is her secret to a low-stress week. \u201cI love that quinoa is so versatile! You can add it to veggie chili, toss it with roasted vegetables, top it with a fried egg or mix it with some pesto for a quick nutritious meal. The options really are endless,\u201d she says. \u201cQuinoa is a complete source of plant-based protein and is much more affordable than meat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and Recipe: Emily Miller \/ Life by Daily Burn<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Canned Chickpeas<\/h3>\n

Jenny Lei of LiveGreenHealthy<\/a> knows how to assemble dinner in less time than it takes to order takeout \u2014 the operative word being \u201cassemble.\u201d With a can of chickpeas that she always has stashed in the pantry, she\u2019ll whip up a chickpea salad using half a can of chickpeas paired with half an avocado, a sprinkle of feta on top and a swoosh of balsamic vinaigrette. If mixed greens are in the crisper, all the better. \u201cI love how easy and quick this salad is,\u201d she says. \u201cJust assemble and eat!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and recipe: FamilyandForks.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. Red and White Cabbage<\/h3>\n

Hearty, versatile and extremely affordable, there\u2019s a lot to love about the humble cabbage. Slice it up thin or grate it, and you\u2019ve got the beginnings of dinner, says Lisa Stewart of FamilyandForks.com<\/a>. Her favorite go-to: a riff on Filipino pancit<\/em><\/a>, made with a base of saut\u00e9ed cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic. Top it with broth-soaked rice noodles, any leftover pork or shredded chicken you may have and eggs. Whether served hot or at room temperature, it\u2019s a low-maintenance dish that tastes anything but.<\/p>\n

\"Healthy
Photo and Recipe: Renee Blair \/ Life by Daily Burn<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Anything-Goes Tacos<\/h3>\n

For Sonja Overhiser of A Couple Cooks<\/a>, tacos are the perfect foil for leftovers. \u201cWe love taking what’s in our refrigerator and pantry and making it into tacos \u2014 especially using eggs, since they’re so quick to cook,\u201d she says. \u201cWe are big believers in quick \u2018improv\u2019 cooking.\u201d Rehashing food as mix-and-match tacos isn\u2019t only a creative dinner, it\u2019s one that helps reduce food waste, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>30-Minute Meals for Quick, Healthy Dinner Ideas<\/a><\/p>\n

\"20-Minute
Photo and recipe: Choosing Chia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Frozen Cauliflower<\/h3>\n

Did we say 20-minute meals? This one takes five! For a creative twist on your usual smoothie, look to frozen riced cauliflower. It\u2019s how Jessica Hoffman of Choosing Chia<\/a> takes her almond milk blends to new heights. Cauliflower packs a nutritious punch, plus it won\u2019t alter the color of your mixture. \u201cAdding veggies to my smoothies helps me to make sure I’m getting my daily servings of vegetables without feeling like I have to be eating salads all day,\u201d Hoffman says. \u201cI also love adding a source of protein like almond butter, hemp seeds, or plant-based protein powder<\/a> to make my smoothie a more substantial meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>16 Healthy Homemade Energy Bar Recipes<\/a>
\n30 Delicious Whole 30 Recipes You’ll Actually Love
\n<\/a>50 Resources to Make Meal Prep a Snap<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think quick, healthy meals are totally impossible? Take a tip from these bloggers who get dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. These are shortcuts worth stealing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":66239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[204,155,51,71,85,122,86,341,388],"class_list":["post-66139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-cooking","tag-dinner","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-salad","tag-shake","tag-smoothie","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}