by Kat Apf

Created on: February 18, 2011   Last Updated: February 26, 2011

Life is busy these days and finding quick and easy dinners is essential to keep the day moving along.  Dinner time is usually a very stressful time for most people and most people do not have time for elaborate meals that take hours to cook.  Twenty minutes probably seems like a very short to make a meal but you really can do it. 

Also, quick doesn't necessarily have to mean bad for you. So, skip McDonald's and give these ideas a spin.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce-

Rather than making meatballs try doing up a quick meat sauce for your pasta.  Meat sauce can take about twenty minutes to cook up and it's delicious.  Use a garlic press to smash your garlic, chop onions coarsely and saute for a few minutes.  Add about a pound of ground beef.  Cook until it's brown.  Add a jar of sauce and spices, let it simmer while the pasta cooks and you're ready to go.  Add a bagged salad and you've got all your food groups.

Tacos-

In the same way you can fry up ground beef for meat sauce, you can make a quick chili for tacos.  Just change the spices to include chili powder, cumin and so on.  Throw in a can of beans, a small jar of mild chili peppers and a small can of tomato paste and you've got chili in about twenty minutes.  While the chili cooks, chop veggies to add to the tacos and you're all set.

Frozen fish-

Breaded frozen fish is an easy and quick dinner.  Most frozen fish takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.  While it cooks you can make a few side dishes and it's pretty much stress free. 

Soup and Sandwiches-

Soup and sandwiches are just fine for dinner.  You wouldn't want to have this every night but in a pinch, it's okay.  You can also do bagels, pita bread, English muffins or tortillas instead of bread on the sandwiches.  Think tuna salad, cold cuts or even grilled cheese.  This is a super easy meal that's filling and good for you.  Your vegetable can be baby carrots, celery sticks and/or sliced green peppers.

Breakfast night-

You can have breakfast night without being elaborate.  Scrambled eggs, toast, yogurt and fruit cups take little time and are a nice change from the usual heavy dinner fare. Add a little cheese to your eggs after they are cooked. 

Making a dinner in twenty minutes doesn't have to be stressful and you really can make nutritious meals in a short time.  Will it be a gourmet meal? Absolutely not!  But it will be better than fast food. 

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