If your house is like my house, dinner time is crazy time!

Kids be acting wild and hangry and making dinner is the last thing I feel like doing after a busy day.

One thing that helps me get a healthy dinner on the table is taking an extra few minutes on another day to save time when I need it most.

Here are my 4 best prep ahead tips to help you get a nutritious meal on the table in a flash.

1. Cook and freeze extra chicken. Make a big batch of shredded chicken in the crockpot. Let cool and freeze in 1 cup portions. Grab one or two out when a recipe calls for cooked chicken. I cook two chickens once a month and use it all month long.
2. Chop veggies. When that knife and cutting board are already out, chop up vegetables you need for your next few meals and keep in separate containers. For example, I’ll cut veggies at breakfast for lunch’s salad and dinner’s soup.
3. Roast a big pan of vegetables. Double or triple the amount you need for one recipe and use it in tomorrow’s breakfast and the following day’s dinner.
4. Extra grains. If a recipe calls for rice or quinoa, make triple or quadruple the amount your recipe calls for. I fill my rice cooker to the max and freeze the extra in 1/2 and 1 cup portions to add to salads, soups, casseroles, and more.

It’s easy to double or triple what you are already making, and having a freezer stocked with healthy options is a life-saver on those crazy, busy days.