"Just spend 30 minutes cooking!" Easy to say when you're not working 50+ hours, commuting for two more, and trying to maintain some semblance of a personal life.
This guide isn't going to pretend you should be meal prepping and cooking from scratch. It's for people who genuinely don't have time - and need strategies that work within that reality.
🎯 The Core Principle
Perfect eating isn't the goal. "Better than what I'd otherwise eat" is. Small improvements sustained over time beat ambitious plans that fail after a week.
Strategy 1: Stock Zero-Prep Foods
Keep these in your fridge/cupboard
- Pre-washed salad bags - Open and eat
- Rotisserie chicken - Supermarket does the cooking
- Tinned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) - Instant protein
- Hummus and pre-cut vegetable sticks - Grab and go
- Greek yogurt - No prep required
- Fruit - Nature's convenience food
- Cheese portions - Protein that doesn't need cooking
Strategy 2: Embrace "Assembly" Over "Cooking"
Meals that don't require cooking
Combine ready-made components into a meal:
- Rotisserie chicken + bagged salad + pre-made dressing
- Tinned tuna + pre-cooked rice (microwave pouch) + vegetables
- Deli meat + cheese + crackers + fruit
- Greek yogurt + granola + berries
- Hummus + pitta + pre-cut vegetables + feta
Strategy 3: Strategic Outsourcing
Let someone else do the work
There's no shame in not cooking. These options are often healthier than stressed, rushed home cooking:
- Ready meal delivery services - Chef-prepared, just heat
- Supermarket ready meals - Quality varies, choose wisely
- Restaurant healthy options - Not all takeaway is junk
- Pre-prepped meal kits - If you want to cook but not plan
Strategy 4: Batch When Possible (Realistically)
If you occasionally have 30-60 minutes on a weekend:
- Cook a large batch of protein once - portion for the week
- Hard-boil a dozen eggs - easy protein all week
- Make one large salad - portion into containers
But if this doesn't happen? That's fine. The other strategies still work.
Strategy 5: Smart Defaults
Decision fatigue is real. Remove daily decisions by setting defaults:
- Same breakfast every day - Greek yogurt + fruit + coffee. Done.
- Same lunch structure - Protein + carb + vegetables. Details can vary.
- Automated delivery - Subscribe to meals so they just arrive
- Set shopping list - Buy the same staples weekly without thinking
💡 The Real Talk
You're not failing at adulting by not cooking elaborate meals. You're making pragmatic choices with limited time. The goal is eating reasonably well, not performing domestic perfection.