by Daniel J. Gansle

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2008

We all have fond memories of Grandma cooking the Sunday roast with her signature mashed potatoes, gravy, and veggies, then washing the resulting dishes for two hours afterward. But in today's hurried world where time is a precious commodity, such luxuries are few and far between.

After a long, stressful day at work only to be stuck in traffic for hours on end, who feels like coming home and having to cook a grandiose meal? Most of us don't feel like cooking at all, which is why fast-food restaurants and ready-made meals are so popular. Furthermore, taking this convenient route can lead to increased costs and eventual health problems. So what to do?

In this article, you'll learn about some healthy meals that can be prepared quickly, easily, and very inexpensively. So put that cash back in your wallet by following these simple 20-Minute Meal ideas.

1) Salads. These days you can purchase a near ready-made salad in a bag that contains lettuce and shredded carrots among other veggies. Purchase a vinaigrette salad dressing (preferably one that contains healthy olive oil), some optional croutons, and you have a healthy meal right in front of you. Tip: If you prefer meat in your salad, purchase canned tuna or cooked chicken chunks.

2) Barbecue Tofu. In the grocery store, purchase two blocks of firm tofu, a small bag of white rice, barbecue sauce, and a bag of frozen veggies you can steam in your microwave. When you get home, cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, remove tofu from its packaging and drain. Cut tofu in six even slices per block, slather both sides of slices with barbecue sauce, and cook in oven on aluminum foil-covered baking pan for about 15 minutes. Steam veggies in microwave, then serve entire meal. Tip: You can purchase minute rice for faster cooking.

3) Burritos. Purchase large burrito-size tortillas, refried beans, shredded cheese (Mexican, Colby-Jack, Cheddar, or the spicy Jalapeno Jack), an onion, and some sour cream. Plop refried beans on the tortilla, sprinkle with diced onion and cheese, then roll up into a burrito. Wrap burrito in a paper towel and cook in microwave for approximately one minute. Serve with sour cream. This is an amazingly inexpensive, and surprisingly filling, quick meal.

4) Mexican Pizzas. Following the initial steps above, purchase large burrito-size tortillas, refried beans, shredded cheese (Mexican, Colby-Jack, Cheddar, or the spicy Jalapeno Jack), an onion, salsa or picante sauce, and some sour cream.

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