Is your weekday schedule so busy that stops at fast food joints are necessary? Having trouble sticking to a healthy diet? You might want to give meal prep a try! Make healthy food quickly and easily. Plan the meals for the week after getting everyone’s input. Shop accordingly. Pick one day a week as a cooking day. On cooking day, get out all the ingredients required. Elicit the help of your spouse and kids assembling, peeling, chopping, etc. Assemble, cook, and store in meal-size portions. Make double batches. Don’t like leftovers? No problem! Freeze half for a future week. Cook up a big batch of rice or quinoa, a savoury sauce, and chop veggies for a quick stir fry (add protein-rich canned beans, cashews, tofu, or sesame seeds later). Planning ahead can make homemade weekday meals faster than takeout.

Darlene Porter, Know Thyself as Soul Foundation (nonprofit group offering free meditation) KnowThyselfAsSoul.org