Quickie Meals for Busy Parents :

Are you too busy for a pedicure? No time to take a walk? Well, that's just too busy for me. Making meals ahead of time is one of the very best ways to conserve time on weekday evenings, and it's a great way to ensure that you stick to your family's nutrition plan. (That quick phone call to the pizza guy is not.)

Life is too full not to give yourself the gift of free time. Take aim at your health goals, grab some new, stackable plastic containers and get cooking on the weekends. At one time, I had an entire month’s worth of meals in my freezer, providing insurance that I would stay with my diet. I don't assume the rest of the busy parents out there get the same euphoria I do from a stocked freezer, but just knowing you can have a lazy day and still eat right -- well, that’s just plain happiness in my book.

You can start with individual-serving-type plastic ware, for smaller families or single people. Or vary your way up to large family-portion styles. I have a friend that uses Ziploc bags for absolutely everything, and she even neatly labels and dates them all. I'd never claim to be that organized, as I do find mystery frozen foods in my freezer from time to time. I had a neighbor once who put tomato and pasta based dishes in red-topped containers, and she had brown tops for meat-based meals. Now, that's organization at a glance, but I'll leave it you to decide what method works best.

Some of the best meals at my home are those the kids think are tasty but also are nutritious. Burgers, for example, can be easy as pie -- maybe even easier. I've never been very good at crust anyhow.

Purchase very lean ground beef and inexpensive "tubes" of ground turkey. Mix them together with your favorite seasonings and get a couple of willing little helpers to assist you. Create a mountain of meatballs and many burger patties -- until all the turkey and beef is gone. Place them on waxed paper and freeze uncovered for two to four hours. Then, put them in zippered plastic bags or in plastic containers for later use in spaghetti or on the grill.

I love keeping meatballs this way because they won't stick together. Plus, they are half the price of the packaged meatballs from the grocery store. I find those tilted grills that let the fat just drain off while your food cooks, like George Foreman Grills, to be life-savers.

Plop a few frozen burger patties on the grill and walk away. The flavor is better than any fast-food burger, and the amount of fat is so much less with the added turkey. Pile on some fresh veggies, add some fat-free mayonnaise, and you have yourself the healthiest burger in town.

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