Quick and Healthy Back to School Suppers

The kids are back to school, and while most parents are somewhat relieved to have a few hours of freedom, reality soon sets in as we see the schedule piling up with after school activities, homework help, and the seemingly endless chores of daily life. Here are some ideas, tips and techniques to create quick, healthy and satisfying meals that taste like they took hours to create.

Every time you cook a meal think ahead about your next day or week. If you're making a pasta or rice dish cook up double the amount. It saves well in the fridge for several days and pasta is a great way to use up leftovers. If you're roasting meat, such as chicken or pot roast, roast two birds or two roasts. It doesn't take much more time and the second one can be used in sandwiches, wraps, salads, casseroles, soups and more. You could also make two casseroles, lasagnas, etc. when making a weekend dinner and freeze one. When you're chopping veggies for dinner, chop extra and store in the freezer or fridge in small zip lock baggies. Also, instead of mincing one or two cloves of garlic, throw a whole head or two of peeled cloves into the food processor and pulse with some olive oil until it's almost paste. Store in the fridge with a thin coating of olive oil on top, and make sure it's sealed well or the whole fridge will smell!

Don't be afraid to serve a room temperature dinner! Even though it's back to school time, the weather is still hot, especially down south. Make your life simple by laying out platters of low sodium meats, steamed shrimp, sliced lowfat cheese, fruit, olives, nuts, a loaf of whole grain bread dough, and lowfat dips or spreads. You can purchase all of these at the store already prepared. Try a Mexican theme with tortillas, shredded chicken breasts, fat free refried or pinto beans, shredded lowfat Mexican cheese, salsa, light sour cream, and lots of shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Serve them at room temperature and let the kids assemble their own burritos. They can heat them in the microwave to melt the cheese and heat the beans. You can buy whole rotisserie chicken, or just have veggie burritos.

When the weather gets cooler, everyone is in the mood for soup. Yet who has time to make their own during the hectic week? Never underestimate the power of "doctoring" store-bought soups. Try and buy low-sodium versions of your family's favorites and keep the fat to a minimum. One great idea for a special New England clam chowder is to add in some fresh shrimp, an extra can of clams, chopped Italian parsley, and top off the bowls with a dab of light butter and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve it with hot cornbread made from the box mix. You could sprinkle some lowfat cheddar or pepper jack cheese over top halfway through baking. Another fast supper would be to doctor up some vegetable beef soup by ladling it over leftover pasta and fresh spinach and topping it off with some grated Swiss or gruyere. Serve it with hot, whole grain garlic bread and a side salad from a bag of mixed greens.

Supper doesn't have to be fussy and complicated in order to be fast and full of nourishing comfort. These ideas will help you to feed your family full of nutritious meals while maintaining your sanity and your budget.