Planning leftovers strategically can indeed help you prepare healthy meals quickly. Here are some ideas:

1. Grilled Chicken: Cook a batch of chicken breasts or thighs seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices. Use the leftovers for salads, wraps, or stir-fries throughout the week. These can be shredded and frozen for more uses over time.

2. Roasted Vegetables: Roast various vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. Use them as a side dish, in omelets, or mix them into pasta dishes. We often cook and freeze winter squash in large batches to use it for soups and sauces (red curry sauce).

3. Quinoa or Brown Rice: Cook a large batch of quinoa or brown rice. Use it as a base for different meals such as stir-fries, grain bowls, or alongside proteins and vegetables. This freezes very well in portion-sized containers. Brown rice can take 45 minutes to cook but it only takes 3-5 minutes to defrost and heat in the microwave!

4. Soup: Prepare a large pot of vegetable or chicken soup. It can be reheated quickly for a comforting and nutritious meal. Consider freezing portions for longer-term storage. We try to make 1-2 batches of low-sodium vegetable-based soup every week and freeze the extras for more easy meal days.

5. Pasta Sauce: Make a homemade pasta sauce with plenty of vegetables and lean proteins like ground turkey or chicken. Use it not only for pasta but also as a topping for baked potatoes or a base for casseroles. You can even freeze the pasta dishes and casseroles!

6. Lentils or Beans: Cook a big batch of lentils or beans. They can be added to salads, soups, or used as a filling for wraps or tacos. Beans and bean soups and dishes freeze very well.

7. Shredded Chicken or Turkey: Slow cook or roast a whole chicken or turkey breast. Shred the meat and use it in salads, wraps, sandwiches, or as a topping for baked sweet potatoes.

8. One-dish meals: Many one-dish meals like pasta with ground turkey, shakshuka, chicken biryani, casseroles, lasagna, and chili are easy to make in large batches to be frozen for later use.

9. Hard-Boiled Eggs: Boil a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge for a quick and protein-packed snack or to add to salads. We do not freeze these but having a big batch for the week comes in handy for salads and snacks.

Remember to store your leftovers properly in airtight containers to maintain freshness and safety. Labeling them with the title and date makes it easy to keep items rotated. These pre-prepared elements make it easier to assemble balanced meals without spending too much time in the kitchen.

It is helpful to defrost and reheat your food in a shallow microwaveable pan (photo below). You can see how we did this with our Italian Wedding Soup, which came in handy as a lunch on a busy day in our studio. In this case, the refrigerator was almost empty, and by the time I got around to wanting lunch, the only other opportunity would have been going out or ordering takeout. A frozen healthy lunch that is low in sodium was a much better choice. I had made this the week before for dinner in a huge batch and froze it in many small batches after eating it for dinner.