When it comes to meal plans making healthy choices is the best answer but let’s face it, not all of us have the time to prepare healthy meals considering the busy lives we’re leading. Guess what? Turns out healthy meal plans that are easy and super doable (even for beginners) is possible. So take out your pans and tools and you’re ready to go!

1. Pasta

For a lot of food types out there, the pasta-based dish is your go-to meal for carb choices but since we are talking about healthy, switch regular pasta with wheat-based varieties that have a lower glycemic index and healthier for the body.

And one simple spaghetti dish simply add dices of tomatoes and garlic (at a ratio of 3:1), a tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, top it up with some fresh herbs and grated cheese and a healthy dish is served!

Another alternative is to dump the whole ingredients in one boiling pot – pasta, vegetable broth (or chicken stock) tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, sliced pepper and a bit of pepper flakes – and let the boil before simmering in medium heat to reduce. Take it out and let it cool a bit before adding grated parmesan. The result is a creamy and soft pasta.

2. Chicken

For the chicken-based dish, none can top a recipe like this as you only need 10 minutes to prepare and you can make the whole recipe last for a week. Simply marinate small chicken pieces with hard veggies – carrot, potatoes, onion slices, zucchini – and let them sit for 5 minutes or so before placing them on a flat pan, baked in an oven at medium heat for 20 minutes.

Forget about deep-frying, if you want to ensure you’re eating a hearty healthy meal, oven baked or steamed is the way to go. 

Tip: this recipe is versatile as you can marinate in any flavor you want – paprika and pepper flakes with thyme for some Italian punch or lemon zest with basil for a tangy citrus flavor.

3. Fish

You can cook fish-based dishes just like the recipe mentioned here – but with a twist. Add slices of fish (salmon, catfish, tilapia; pretty much any fish will do, even shrimps) and hard veggies such as asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and carrots with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice, and wrap the whole thing in foil.

4. Vegetables

For vegetable-based dishes, you can’t go wrong with stir-fries – a versatile dish that you can add any type of veggies with any type of a base to create different flavors. Use soy sauce, fish sauce, or even sweet Thai chili sauce ad experiment with different combinations of vegetables for you to try it out.

For example, add large cubes of brinjal and zucchini, slices of red peppers, chickpeas, red onion into a sauce mix of soy, oyster, and fish for a delectable, umami-rich dish.

Tip: for quick, wholesome meal add a bit of brown rice or noodles for some healthy carbs. 

Doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or you’ve been cooking for ages, these staples are pretty easy to cook!