ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 8 minutes
Students and staff at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition are obsessed with food, cooking and culinary nutrition – but sometimes even we don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. For those busy work days or when you simply don’t have the energy to cook, getting dinner on the table fast with less stress is essential to our health and well-being. This is where 30-minute meals can swoop in, satisfy your taste buds and keep your health goals on track.
Before we share our favourite 30-minute meals, we have a pro tip for making quick meals successfully: meal prep, meal prep, meal prep! Menu planning and meal prep is one of the first skills we teach our students in the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program and it becomes the foundation for a nutritious lifestyle. It’s hard to eat well when you don’t have your fridge organized and ready to go!
Some additional resources for quick meals you might find handy:
Gluten-free pasta and sauce makes one of the ultimate 30-minute meals! This vegan version uses nutritional yeast for cheesiness and if you’ve got a homemade tomato sauce in the freezer, even better.
A one-bowl, 15-minute burger recipe that you can load up with all of your favourite toppings, spreads and condiments. Plus, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo and keto.
If you’re looking for a low-carb pasta option, zucchini noodles are your best friend. Instead of using parm in this recipe, we like to make a nut/seed parm using nutritional yeast and either hemp seeds or blitzed cashews.
One of our favourite comfort food meals, with a luxurious creaminess and a healthy dose of nutritious fats from coconut milk and almond butter. For a grain-free, Paleo option, try zucchini noodles instead of rice vermicelli.
We love make-ahead meals! This chicken recipe is loaded with fresh veggies and is fantastic for lunch, dinner, or if you’re part of a cooking cooperative.
This recipe has all of the flavour and charm of the traditional version, but uses cauliflower as a grain-free sub. For extra protein, add cooked tofu, chicken or more eggs. Yummy!
A power-packed salad filled with detoxifying foods and tossed in a zingy, tangy dressing – salads don’t get much better than this. For added protein, toss in some beans, tofu, fish, eggs or meat.
We love that these veggie burgers can be cooked on the grill, in a pan or in the oven – it really depends on how hands-on you want to be. If you’re really organized, double the batch and freeze some so they are ready to go at anytime for a ‘fast food’ meal.
These tasty meatballs are packed with veggies, herbs and spices. Pair them with tomato sauce and zucchini noodles, enjoy with a side of roasted veggies and a dipping sauce, or crumble over a salad or into an omelette. Lots of possibilities here!
‘Cheesy’ Tahini Pasta with Brussels Sprouts + Capers
If you’ve got some leftover roasted chicken or turkey that you need to re-purpose, this soup is the perfect home for it. There is a vegan option in this recipe as well!
Get your green on with these make-ahead vegan teriyaki bowls. For extra fibre and nutrition, opt for cooked quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, wild rice or cauliflower rice.
Keto Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Coconut Cauli Rice
For those days when it’s too hot to cook, a pasta salad can be a lifesaver. This recipe uses black bean pasta – a protein and fibre-rich option you really must try – and is soused in a heavenly avocado dressing. What more can we ask for?
A veganized version of the classic spicy baked egg dish that retains all of the flavour. We like this one because you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
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