Healthy And Fast: Wholesome Meals You Can Make In 30 Minutes Or Less

Julia Child once said, "The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for your steak to cook." But Julia Child also had job that kept her on her feet all day long and a 6-foot-2-inch frame to hold all the steak she cared to eat.

The rest of us aren't so lucky. Most of us have busy nine-to-five jobs that leave little time for active lives and painstakingly prepared meals. When forced to choose between home-cooked meals and kids' soccer games or a night out with friends, we usually pick our lives over our kitchens. There's nothing wrong with that, except that in choosing work, children, and social lives over meal preparation, most of us settle for fast food and takeout more often than we'd like.

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A recent study found that Americans only spend about a total of 30 minutes a day preparing meals. That's right, just half an hour for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The rest of the world averages just over two hours. We also eat faster than any other nation, spending only an hour and 14 minutes with our food, compared to an hour and 45 minutes worldwide. It could be that our constant hurry is hurting our bodies, since America also leads most of the world in obesity.

Most Americans would say that they're simply too busy to allot any more time to making food. But junk food isn't the only option for a meal in a rush. We've compiled eight healthy and easy-to-make recipes that  will fill you up with nutritious ingredients. So even if you can't slow down, you can at least nourish your body when you chow down. 

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Warm, comforting soup doesn't have to cook for hours. This protein-packed bean soup takes just minutes to cook and tastes like it simmered all day. Click here for the recipe.

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Black beans make a yummy, protein-packed substitute for meat. Adding avocado to your burger instead of mayo will also give you all the creamy flavor you crave.