By this point, we all know that home made food is better for us than processed convenience foods.
That we should be able to pronounce every ingredient in every food product we buy.
That the product should have 3 ingredients or less.
That we should buy local tomatoes from a farmstand in August and spend all sunday making Nonna’s homemade pasta sauce.
So we dutifully ‘pin’ gorgeous recipes and stock up at the farmer’s market and feel very virtuous about it all.
But then one day you come home from work and you are so hungry that you drop your bag at the door and, still wearing your coat, you charge into the kitchen,starving and throw open the fridge and it looks like this:
…and you think:
WHERE THE FUCK IS ALL THE FOOD!?!?
That’s when you end up eating
the entire bag of your kid’s rainbow Goldfish crackers
and an ice cream scoop of peanut butter
….while you wait for the Hot Pockets to heat up.
That’s when stuff like this starts to look good:
If this has ever happened to you, what you need is an arsenal of healthy 5 min meals.
Just for those times when:
You oversheduled yourself today and forgot to pack a snack.
Your kids are hungry and tired and need to be fed NOW.
You have a small window between work and book club and need to eat, check your email, change and be out the door again in 20 mins.
It’s friday and you are like
So you can stock up on Hungry Mans…
…or you can stock up on these pantry staples and in case of emergency, you can execute any of the following Five Minute Healthy Meals Ideas.
Grocery list
- Sprouted tortillas or pita pockets (for what the deal is with sprouted breads, check out my Costco shopping list post)
- Boston lettuce/collard greens/ Romaine lettuce (for carb-free wraps)
- Box or bagged fresh greens
- Canned beans (lentils, chick peas, pinto, white). Look for low sodium.
- Canned tomatos
- Pestos/ Salad dressings / Spicy sauces / spreads / salsas etc. that you love so much you would eat them on a napkin so slathering it on a plate of veg look amazing.
Be careful here – you want to check ingredients for sugar (by all it’s names – usually ending with ‘ose’) and low-quality oils (like canola oil, soybean oil). This is where it might be worth spending some time on a Sunday to prep some home made versions (click here for my easy home made hummus and salad dressing recipes).
But if you are stuck, my philosophy is that it’s fine if a spoonful of Memories of Szechuan helps the broccoli go down.
- Frozen vegetables (broccoli, chopped spinach, cauliflower, edamame ,etc, etc)
- Ready to go protein.
- Canned Soup
Look for a brand like Amy’s Organic, which is low in sodium, BPA-free and full of clean ingredients.
5 Minute Healthy Meals
- Half of your plate would covered in vegetables.
- On the other half, there would be
- a portion of protein about the size of your palm (diameter and thickness)
- a portion of starch about the size of your fist.
- Then you’d add a thumb-sized portion of healthy fat (not shown here but think about olive oil, grass-fed butter, nuts, etc)


Meal Category #1: Soup up your soup
I work at home so I do this all the time for quick and warming winter lunches. Just heat up the soup in a pot and throw in the extra protein and veggies (great way to use up frozen veg). Bring to a simmer and top with some healthy fat!
- 1 can of Amy’s organic soup in your favourite flavour
- 1 portion extra protein (frozen edamame works well here)
- 1 handful extra veggies (toss in some fresh spinach or a frozen mix)
- Serve with a 1/4 avocado sliced thin on top or extra spicy sauce, a dollop of pesto or sour cream or greek yogurt, etc
Meal Category #2: Stuff in a wrap
- 1 wrap. You could use the sprouted tortilla or pitas here or use a collard green or Boston lettuce leaf as a low carb alternative
- 1 portion of protein ( you measure out the correct portion for YOU by looking at the size of your palm). This could be eggs, chicken, beans, hummus etc.
- 1 -2 handfuls of vegetables (ideally you’d have some sprouts and fresh greens and shredding carrots on hand but if not, nuke some of your frozen broccoli or chopped spinach. Remember, this should be the equivalent to half of your plate so stuff it in!)
- 1 tbsp delicious pesto/spread/dressing or 1/4 of an avocado.
Meal Category #3: Breakfast all the time
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 handfuls veggies (chopped tomatos, thawed frozen spinach, sauteed mushrooms, etc etc)
- 1 thumb-sized portion of cheese of choice
- Salsa
- Any seasonings you like (paprika, lemon pepper, etc)
You could do this on a frying pan (mix eggs with seasoning, pour on hot non-stick pan, add veggies and cheese and fold) or mix it all in a mug and put in the microwave for 2 mins and have virtually no clean up. If you aren’t watching your carbs, add a slice of bread.
Meal Category #4: Put stuff on vegetables instead of bread
- Vegetable ‘vehicle’ (something like a thick slice of tomato, cucumber rounds, jicama slices, celery sticks)
- Protein ‘salad’. This version has tuna but you can try it with chicken or chickpeas:
Mix it all together and measure your portion of the protein salad out (about 1 cup will do) and serve on as many cucumber rounds tomato slices or celery sticks as you want. Here’s a good, mayo-free tuna salad recipe:
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder (depending on your taste)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Meal Category #4: Quickie chili
- Portion of protein
- Canned tomatoes
- Extra veg (whatever needs to be used up in your fridge..zucchini, peppers, carrots)
- Seasoning of choice (Chipotle chili or a sugar-free taco seasoning, for example).
- Serve with 1/4 avocado or 1 tbsp sour cream
Meal Category #5: Easy Peasy Bean Bowl
- 1 cup of beans
- 1 tbsp of pesto
- Serve on a bunch of veggies
So there you go! Five different 5 min healthy meal ideas with tons of variations = no emergency Hungry Man meal for you when you don’t have time to marinade the grass fed beef and julienne the vegetables and stir the risotto.
What did I miss? Leave a comment below and let me know what’s your go-to 5 min healthy meal?
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[…] Five Minute Healthy Meals! […]
great ideas! are there instructions for the chili?
Not really! Just chuck it all in a pot, season as you like! 🙂
One thing that really helps me (and saves money!) is to buy dried beans in bulk (I especially love doing this with chick peas), soak a giant pot of them overnight, change the water and then boil for a couple hours. Then I divide the cooked chick peas into freezer bags (about 2-3 cups each) and throw them in the freezer. Then when I want some beans, I’ll just take out a bag and either thaw it overnight or if I want it sooner, I just run it under hot water for a few minutes and it’s good to go. Huge time saver and money saver!
I panic-purchased soooo many dried beans a while ago. I made the black beans once and they were sooo good, but I despaired of ever planning enough to get through what I’ve bought. This is such a great idea! Thank you.
Oh wow- I ran out of my healthy mayo the other day and wanted tuna. Couldn’t figure out how to make it without mayo! Can’t wait to try your tuna recipe. Always have those ingredients on hand. Yay. ALL of these ideas are great. Will be referencing often. Thank you Oonagh- love you and your no nonsense approach!
I was thinking the same thing!! Why hadnt I thought of using plain yogurt instead of mayo sooner?!
I fry up diced onion, garlic and curry powders, add frozen peas, grated carrot or whatever veg is handy and tinned lentils – might add some cream/coconut milk – then I fill a bunch of wholemeal wraps, wrap them in greaseproof paper and keep them in the freezer. Whenever I’m too hungry too cook one of these will do me and they take just two mins from frozen in the microwave.
Another favourite is bag or rocket lettuce, some sundried tomatoes, a few pecans and feta cheese – yum.
My real lazy soup is a bag of frozen veg, chicken stock – boil, simmer and whizz. Not the tastiest soup in the world but does the job and so quick and easy.
Thanks for the ideas. I love using romaine as wraps but don’t think to do it often enough. Thanks for the reminder. I like the protein salad on veggie idea too.
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it!
Love this! Now I need to make it into a chart to hang on my refrigerator!
Awesome! So glad you like it Rebecca!
I read this while scarfing a bowl of cereal after feeding my entire family real food but not making enough to go around. If only I’d read it earlier!
Honey, why do you think I wrote this? #beenthere 🙂
Thank you, thank you ,thank you!! Love all of these and can’t wait to try them
Excellent, Dawn! 🙂
Definitely have had that moment! Will be sure to try some of these. Love the lettuce wrap idea!
I am a new subscriber. I really appreciate the free resources for meal planning and was excited to see these ideas. However, Is using strong profanity prevalent across your site? Call me old fashioned, but I can’t see why it is necessary.
Totally agree. I love all the knowledge and the great ideas but I could do without the profanity.
Great ideas! I love the profanity and humor! Thank you for your funny and no bullshit way of sharing how to be healthy♡
I love your site except for the profanity. It seems very inappropriate for such a well designed and professional site. Of course, I realize it is your site and I can just leave. Thanks for your time.
These are the best ideas ever!! Thank you so much!!!
Great ideas, thank you! I’m saving this as a list when I’m having the Fuckits…
This is excellent! Part of my brain is stick at Candwich…. WTF?!?!
I know, right!?!
Great ideas. Very appreciative of the profanity, too. Helps me get through my day.
Fuck yeah! Glad you liked it, Suzanna!
Thanks for the ideas. And the little bit of extra encouragement.
Great ideas. I like to make a soup on Sundays and freeze individual portions. I take one out and put in my lunch bag for work and usually by lunch time it’s thawed enough to be microwaveable. If you do this often then you can mix up the flavors so you don’t get bored. I happen to love all the profanity! It’s so good to laugh and lighten up about being healthier. Healthy as fuck is what brought me to join your newsletter and read your blog. I love how you incorporate the psychology into this as well. Gym programs and trainers don’t do anything about that part of it. I’m doing the best I can but trying to be happy doing it. Even if it’s half assed sometimes! LOL! Please keep sharing.
Love all this. Thank you. Do you make your own pesto or buy it? If you buy it is it in a tube?
I usually just buy my pesto (comes in a tub) but if you have a good blender/food processor it’s super easy to make and you can get some better quality oil in there than what you’d normally get from the store…
I have big hands. My protein and carb portions would be HUGE. Or do I get to eat more as a gift for being born with large hands? haha
I’m listening to your healthy as fuck audible and I’m telling everyone to listen to it!!! I love it!
Not only are these great ideas that I can use, but your style of writing is hilarious. Whether it be on your website or in your emails, there’s always a line (or three) that brings a smile to my face or has me laughing out loud. Thank you, Oonagh, for the tips and the laughs!
Love you and your “profanity”
I just found your book a few months ago, and have been following you ever since!!
Thank you, thank you ?
I also love your profanity and sense of humour. Thanks!
Great content too.
I just finished reading your book Healthy as F*ck and totally loved it! And honestly, I LOVED the profanity! That had me laughing all the way through and helped me to stop being so hard on myself. Thank you, Oonagh!
Great ideas! I read your book about 2 months ago and have followed you since then. I LOVE your realistic approach to things. 1 phrase that I say to myself all the time if I try to be lazy- am I just telling myself bullshit to get out of doing what I should.. Not an exact quote of course but your book motivates me to be honest with myself and get it done. Can’t thank you enough for all your posts, recipes, exercise ideas. 🙂
I’ve been looking for what I call “pocket meals” (as in, keep one handy for when I need it). Thanks so much!!
Fuck is the most versatile word, kinda like tofu. It soaks up the meaning from the words or people around it. Fuck on. I am reading your book now, love your style, looking forward to the meal prep, going shopping tomorrow.
The profanity is spot on, so what’s in my head. Really enjoying the audio book and working through my shit. Thank you ?
Oonagh, do you know a good resource for exercises one can do in an above ground pool? Love your food ideas too. Meal prep is indeed one way thing you can do to keep on track. THANKS
Try this! https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pool-exercises
When are you writing another book??? I LOVED listening to your book on Audible. Second helping, please :).
Aw! thanks dude! I’m thinking a podcast before another book… But I’ll keep you posted!
I’m devouring the Breakfast All Day right now and wondering where it has been all my life! Wow! Am reading your book and it’s amazing. I’ve been filling half my plate with veggies for just 4 days but I already feel better. Thank you!!
That’s awesome dude!
I really love your content and am actively looking for this kind of health advice and would love to get your book, but the profanity is a no go for me. I’m going to have look somewhere else. It makes me kinda sad. If anyone has any recommendations for similar content without the profanity, please let me know.
yeah definitely I’m probably not the fitness pro for you if you don’t like profanity 🙂 Maybe try Precision Nutrition? They give awesome, evidence based advice with cool infographics (and never swear 🙂
My go to 5 minute meal… I make pesto in late summer and freeze portions. I use frozen shrimp and zucchini noodles with the pesto. It’s all done in one dish and takes no time at all!