5 Easy and Quick Meals to Cook When You’re Low on Time

Healthy and wholesome food doesn’t always require hours to prepare - as these quick cooking ideas show. 

Finding the time to home-cook healthy food is hard.

One study in the UK found that a lack of time is people’s biggest barrier to cooking. Similarly, a survey in the US found that eight in 10 are too tired to cook themselves a meal after work. 

If you lead a busy life that’s full of commitments and responsibilities (who doesn’t?!), then planning your meals in advance, going to the supermarket, and cooking healthy recipes from scratch can be really difficult. 

But it is possible. 

We’ve put together a list of five quick-to-cook meals that are packed with macronutrients  (protein, carbs, healthy fats, fruit & veg, and dairy or dairy alternatives), vitamins, and minerals. We’ve prioritised ingredients that are easy to find and which should be available at most corner shops or convenience stores. 

Related: How to eat healthy without cooking

5 quick recipes to cook when you’re short on time

Here are 5 quick, easy meals to cook, which you can whip up in a hurry. Most of them will take between 10 and 20 minutes, including prep. All the meals are designed for one person. If you’re cooking for more people, simply multiply ingredients by the number being served. 

1. Varied veggie chow mein

This take on a classic stir fry is incredibly easy and will be ready to eat in as little as 10 minutes. It’s also packed full of vegetables, complex carbs (from the wholewheat noodles) and protein-rich peanuts. 

Ingredients:

• 75 g wholewheat egg noodles (roughly one nest) - or vegan alternative

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• ½ tbsp groundnut oil (or other flavourless oil)

• 1 garlic clove, sliced

• 1 small onion, finely sliced

• 1 carrot, cut into thin strips

• 3 pieces tenderstem broccoli

• 1 red pepper deseeded and thinly sliced

• 50 g bean sprouts

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• ½ tsp five spice powder

• Pinch chilli flakes

• 1 spring onion, chopped

• 1 tsp sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

Method:

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions (typically, 2-3 mins in boiling water). Drain and drizzle with sesame oil to prevent clumping. 

Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Throw in the broccoli and carrot, and keep stir-frying for 2-3 minutes. Add the red pepper and bean sprouts to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes. Chuck in the noodles and combine with the veg, then add the soy sauce, five spice powder, and chilli flakes and stir through, then turn off the heat. 

Serve in a bowl, with spring onion, sesame seeds, and peanuts sprinkled on top. 

Cooking tip: Chop all the veg and measure out the sauces and spices before you start cooking - you won’t have time to chop once you start frying. 

2. Gorgeous greens soup 

This soup is full of flavour, rich in antioxidants, and is a surprisingly good source of protein (from the peas). We’ve suggested certain greens, but you can use practically anything you can find.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter or rapeseed oil

• 1 small onion

• 1 clove garlic

• 150 g frozen peas

• Half a head of broccoli, chopped into florets (you can use the stem too)

• Handful of spinach leaves

• 10 fresh mint leaves

• Small bunch of parsley

• 350 ml veg stock

• 50 ml double cream or yoghurt

• Salt and pepper

• Seeded sourdough bread

Method:

Gently cook the onion and garlic for about 5 mins in the butter/oil in a deep pan. Add the peas, all the greens, and the herbs to the pan and stir through, then pour in the veg stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for around 10 mins. 

Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to whizz it up into a thick soup. Pour in the cream or yoghurt and stir through. Season to taste. 

Serve with toasted bread. 

3. Plant-packed pesto pasta with added veg

You’ll never want to buy the jarred stuff again after tasting this homemade pesto. The nuts in the sauce provide plenty of protein, while the veg and wholewheat pasta make this meal super healthy. 

Ingredients:

For the pesto:

• 30 g nuts (almost any will do — almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) though peanuts don’t work as well as their flavour is quite strong)

• 30 g spinach

• Bunch of basil

• ¼ clove garlic

• 15 g parmesan or other hard cheese (including vegan alternatives)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 50 ml olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Other ingredients:

• 5-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

• ½ courgette, quartered lengthways, then sliced into 2 cm chunks

• ½ tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 25 g frozen peas

• 90 g wholewheat pasta

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Mix the tomatoes and courgettes with oil and seasoning. Roast for 15 mins. 

Gently toast the nuts in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a blender with the spinach, basil, garlic, cheese, lemon, and oil. Blend until you have a consistent, smooth pesto. Season with salt and pepper. 

Cook the pasta per the packet instructions. In the final 3 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas to the pan. Drain, but keep a little cooking water in the pan. 

Stir the pesto and roast veg through the pasta and peas. If it needs to be loosened, use some of the retained cooking water. 

4. Ultimate veggie quesadillas

Quesadillas are one of our favourite quick and easy-to-cook meals. This recipe uses black beans for protein, a range of tasty veg, plus cheddar and sour cream for your dairy (use plant-based alternatives if you prefer). 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp chilli powder

• 400g tin black beans

• Salt and pepper

• 75 g sweetcorn (frozen or tinned)

• 1 lime, juiced

• 4 whole wheat tortilla wraps

• 50 g cheddar

• 25 sour cream

• ½ an avocado

• 1 tomato, chopped

Method:

Gently fry the garlic and onion in the oil for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the tomato puree, then add the spices and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour the beans (and the liquid from the can) into the pan and cook for 5 mins until reduced. Season to taste. 

Use the back of your spoon or a potato masher to gently mash the beans (you just want a rough texture - it doesn’t need to be smooth). Stir in the sweetcorn and ½ the lime juice, and then remove from the heat. 

To make the quesadillas, divide the bean mix in half and spread it to the edges of two of the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top and then cover with the other tortillas. 

Put a frying pan on a low heat and slide a quesadilla onto it and gently cook for 1-2 minutes. Use a fish slice to carefully flip over and cook on the other side for another 1-2 mins. Repeat with the second quesadilla.  

Cut the quesadillas into quarters. Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, and the tomato (with a little lime juice). 

5. Quick cous cous with chickpea ‘tagine’

This Morocco-inspired dish is packed with plant-based protein, bold flavours, and tons of texture. And it takes next to no time to make. 

Ingredients:

To make the cous cous:

• 75 g cous cous

• 80 ml hot veg stock

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

To make the ‘tagine’:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, chopped

• 1 courgette, halved and chopped into 2 cm slices

• 400 g can chickpeas

• 1 tbsp harissa pasta (if you can’t find it in your local store, substitute with a blend of 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, and 1 tsp coriander powder)

• 6 cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp black raisins or chopped dried apricots

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt and pepper

• Plain yoghurt

Method:

Put the cous cous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the veg stock. Stretch clingfilm over the top of the bowl. Leave for 10 mins until the liquid is fully absorbed, then fluff up with a fork. Stir through the olive oil and sprinkle with coriander leaves. 

Fry the onion, garlic, and courgette in a pan with the oil for 5 mins, then stir through the harissa paste. Pour in the chickpeas, with the liquid from the can, the cherry tomatoes, and the dried fruit. Simmer for 5-10 mins until reduced and fairly thick. Add lemon juice to taste and season. 

Serve alongside the cous cous and a dollop of yoghurt. 

You might like: Our pant-based weekly meal plan

Huel - healthy food, even faster

For those moments when you want healthy food even faster, Huel is the perfect option. All our powdered, ready-to-drink and Hot & Savoury meals are nutritionist-approved, contain a complete range of macronutrients and 26 vitamins and minerals your body needs. And, they take just moments to make - with no prep, zero cooking, and very little washing either. 

By having Huel in your cupboard or fridge, you know you’ll always have healthy, tasty meals that take just seconds to prepare. Explore our range of nutritionally complete meals here. 

Have some quick-to-cook meals up your sleeve

There are so many quick, easy meals to cook out there. By mastering a couple of recipes that you enjoy and which take minutes to prepare, you can be confident of knocking up healthy, wholesome meals whenever you’re short on time. 

Frequently asked questions about quick meals to cook

Can you provide some ideas for quick and easy food to cook? 

Quick meals to cook with whole foods include things like:

• Nachos with black beans, homemade tomato salsa, cheddar, and sliced avocado

• Simple veg and chickpea curries served with flatbreads

• Many kinds of pasta with simple sauces

• Almost all vegetable soups

• Baked eggs in tomato sauce with toast

• Homemade baked butter beans on toast

• Variations on vegetable and noodle stir fry

• Simple salads (such as a Greek salad) with bread

• Variations on minestrone soup

How to make quick meals that are healthy?

When you’re looking to cook healthy meals fast, you’re looking for a balanced diet, where all five main food groups are present and in the right proportions. 

The UK government’s Eatwell Guide is helpful here — it says roughly one third of your plate should be made of carbohydrates, one third fruit & veg, about 15% protein, 15% dairy, and 4% fat. 

So, you want to choose meals that are quick to prepare and that contain all these food groups. 

• Your foundation should be a quick and easy-to-prep carbohydrate — things like wholewheat pasta or noodles and wholemeal bread are usually faster to make than things like brown rice or potatoes. 

• Next, you want to choose veg that can either be eaten raw, or which don’t take long to cook - tomatoes, courgettes, onions, spinach, and frozen peas are all good options. Things like aubergines, cauliflower, artichokes, or beetroot tend to take longer to prep. 

• For your protein, plant-based is usually faster than meat or fish. Tinned beans, chickpeas, and lentils literally need moments to warm through in a pan and they’re good to go. Nuts can be quickly toasted in a pan and sprinkled on top of dishes.

• Dairy options such as milk, yoghurt, or cheese are typically quick to prep - simply stir them in or grate/dollop on top. 

• Many kinds of cooking or dressing oil will provide ‘good’ fats while also being handy for frying or roasting with. 

What are the best quick and easy meals to cook that are also healthy?

Certain cuisines and food types lend themselves especially well to quick cooking while remaining healthy. 

Whole-wheat pasta dishes are perhaps the simplest. The pasta means you instantly have a healthy carb and can add all kinds of vegetables and protein. Noodle stir-fries are also exceptionally quick and can contain lots of the good stuff. Mexican-style food also lends itself to speedy, healthy cooking - beans, veg and wholewheat tortillas are satisfying, tasty and can be knocked up in minutes.  

Words by Len Williams