4 Easy Meal-Planning Ideas

I always have a few key foods in my kitchen so I can pull something together, even on the most hectic night. My standbys are eggs, lemons, garlic, an onion or shallot, carrots, another sturdy vegetable (think broccoli, not lettuce), canned tuna, vegetable broth, nut butter (usually almond), and rice. With just those (and a few well-placed spices), I can whip up a stir-fry, a vegetable scramble, or my signature hearty tuna salad — or transform leftovers in the fridge into fried rice.

Your go-tos don't have to be the same as mine, of course. Pinpoint four or five items that will keep in the pantry or fridge for at least a few days (ideally longer) — and that have decent nutritional value and are versatile — then make sure you keep them on hand.

Rotisserie chicken: a working parents' friend. We eat half a chicken for dinner, usually with a quick, tossed salad. Then I take the rest of the meat off the bird, shred it and — you guessed it — freeze it for another night, using one of our favorite recipes for leftover chicken. And if there's space in the freezer, I'll wrap and freeze the carcass, too, to make broth on the weekend. If I have not batch-cooked grains or beans during the weekend, I rely on precooked ones. Trader Joe's sells a nice vacuum-sealed cooked brown rice, and canned beans are a money-saving (and time-saving) pantry staple.

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