Keep healthful food handy

You know the prescription for losing weight: Exercise more. Eat less of the bad foods and more of the good. Fix more meals from scratch, using fresh, locally grown ingredients.

That's the ideal, but it's easier said than done. One reader recently wrote: "Would love to see some articles on realistic ways to eat on the run for us workaholics! For families that have to do this on a budget. We all don't have a bottomless purse to use at the grocery store."

We all face time and cost limits when working to fit better meals into our busy lives. Developing a backup plan or shortcuts can help when the ideal seems out of reach.

For Plan B to work, it not only has to satisfy the criteria for "quick, easy and affordable," but it also needs to meet quality standards -- plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, for example.

Taking these factors into consideration, what are some strategies for making a health-supporting diet work under less-than-ideal conditions?

One key is to fill your home with good foods that take little time to prepare. Some examples:

• Frozen vegetables. Open the bag, dump veggies into a bowl, add a few tablespoons of water, cover, heat in the microwave for several minutes and serve. Buy different blends but avoid vegetables that come with butter sauce in the bag. Serve with a sandwich or veggie burger, or toss mixed vegetables with cooked, whole-wheat pasta and pesto sauce. Trader Joe's and Cascadian Farm brands make delicious vegetable and grain combinations that can stand on their own as one-dish meals.
• Pre-prepared, fresh produce. Vegetable trays aren't just for office parties. Buy one, snack on the vegetables and salad dressing dip, and take some to work for lunch. Leftover carrots, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower can be steamed for another meal. Use prewashed salad mixes and buy ready-made fruit salads. Yes, you'll pay more if someone peels your carrots for you. Save money by shopping at warehouse stores such as Costco and Sam's Club.
• Soup. Buy it canned, in shelf-stable boxes or the cup-of-soup type (add hot water and stir). Buy low-sodium varieties when you find them. Soup and salad, or soup and whole grain bread are always good choices.
• Ready-made deli items. Hummus, tabbouleh (Middle Eastern wheat salad), slaw and other salads. Use leftovers in whole-grain pita pockets or roll them up in flat breads or flour tortillas. Add mustard, plain yogurt or salad dressing.
• Carefully selected frozen entrees. The best ones contain little or no saturated fat and are lower in sodium than their counterparts on the shelf. Look for ethnic meals such as rice bowls with mixed vegetables or Indian curried vegetables.

You may not have time to cook, but there's also no need to rely on frozen entrees for meals. Sandwiches, soups and salads are fine. There's also nothing wrong with a bowl of cereal for dinner.

You'll save money if you stick with simple meals, too. A baked potato takes less than 10 minutes to cook in a microwave oven. Pair it with vegetable sides, salad or a bowl of soup for a quick, low-calorie, inexpensive and good-tasting meal.

Trim the cost by buying store brands and watching for specials. Amy's brand frozen bean burritos typically sell for $2.79 each where I shop, but I recently bought a case when the store ran a two-for-one special. Top a bean burrito with salsa, add a favorite veggie side and you've got a quick and healthful meal.

For many of us, the ideal of home-cooked meals from fresh, local ingredients is an aspiration. The reality often falls short. When it does, be strategic. With a little planning, you can eat on the run -- and eat well.