by Patti Beckert

Created on: September 16, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

Families today are running on high octane, trying to fit everyone's activities into a very tight schedule. Most often, mealtime suffers because there just isn't enough time to whip up a nutritious meal in between Susie's cheerleading practice, and Joey's trombone lessons. Catching a bite to eat on the way out the door is pretty standard these days, and it leaves a lot to be desired in the healthy eating department.

With these three easy base recipes you can prepare many different meals by interchanging proteins, vegetables, and starches:

Stirfry over Rice or Pasta

Mexican Meat Mixture Base for Fajitas, Taco Salad or Seasoned Meat over Rice

Italian Meat Mixture Base for Pasta

To start:

-Purchase Mix and Match Ingredients-

Proteins: The standard serving size is 4-5 oz. protein per family member. Boneless Chicken Breasts ; Salmon Filets; Lean Tender Beef such as Sirloin or Top Round; Ground White Turkey Breast; Ground Round, or Tofu

Starches: Whole Wheat Pasta in several varieties, i.e. bow-tie; fettuccini; Angel hair; Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice; Cannelloni Beans

Vegetables (Fresh): Green Peppers and Sweet Red Peppers; Onions; Tomatoes; Yellow Squash; Zucchini; Fresh Rosemary for Salmon dishes

Vegetables (Frozen): Japanese or Oriental Stir-Fry Vegetables

Spices: Salt; Pepper; Garlic Powder; Onion Powder; Italian Seasoning; Chopped Garlic; Chili Powder; Cumin

Miscellaneous: Canned Seasoned Tomatoes (Italian and Mexican); Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas; Mild Salsa; Soy Sauce; Low-Fat Shredded Cheeses; Parmesan Cheese; Low-Fat Sour Cream; Olive Oil; Large Ziplock Bags

-Prep and Store-

Prepare and store your vegetables ahead of time to cut down considerably on your overall cooking time.

Proteins - (Separately) Cut chicken breasts, beef, and salmon, into strips or chunks, season all pieces lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Portion the proteins out for each meal and put separately in large Ziplock bags. Doubling up on the recipe and freezing one portion of each prepared protein will cut down on future prep time. Ground turkey and ground round can be stored in their 1 lb. packaging and do not require pre-seasoning. Depending on how soon you will be making your meals, keep two different proteins in the refrigerated section fresh for the first two nights' meals, and store the rest of the prepared proteins in the freezer for later use.

Rice - Boil two bags of rice according to instructions and store in refrigerator. It can be re-heated in microwave without

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