When you have kids, spending a whole bunch of time in the kitchen preparing healthy meals isn’t always realistic. Finding recipes, doing the shopping, prepping the meals – it all takes time, and it’s often time that we just don’t have. So, when you’re short on time, I have a few go to strategies that ensure I have healthy meals ready to go:n1. Use your slow cooker! Turn any cut of meat into tender, yummy mouthfuls, simply by using your slow cooker. I like to combine chicken breast or beef with 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of honey and 1 tbsp. of minced garlic. Cook the meat in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours and then shred it. This will give you a protein source ready for several meals. The great thing about the slow cooker is that you can set and forget – no need to stand in front of a hot stove. 2. Get into smoothies! Photo source: www.mp-body.com Smoothies are a great way to snack in between your main meals, and they take just minutes to prepare. I like to combine some frozen blueberries with a banana, linseed meal and chocolate or vanilla protein powder – delicious! You can use a blender, but a Magic Bullet or Nutribullet tend to give the smoothies more air and this helps you feel fuller for longer. 3. Embrace frozen veggies. Photo source: www.goodfood.com.au There’s a myth out there that frozen veggies are not as good for you as fresh veggies. This is actually not the case. In fact, there’s some people who say that vegetables that are snap frozen are better for you, as they lock in the nutrients straight away. So, I regularly have a stash of frozen carrots, peas, corn, beans and mashed potato on hand – it saves so much time chopping and cooking! There are so many simple time-saver strategies that you can implement into your food preparation – can you think of any more?