Finding a few staple meals that offer the nutrients and vitamins you need, and then writing down the recipes, means less time thinking about what to eat and more time to prepare and relax. Not everyone is a great chef, so getting into some of the more complicated cookbooks can be intimidating. A few simple tricks and suggestions can help.

Here are some tips on making meals that are tasty and good for your health:

1. When making a smoothie, try putting in a whole apple (cored) with your berries. The fiber is great for digestion.

2. Sandwiches are a great way to introduce a variety of quick healthy foods. Use lots of greens, skip the butter and use a healthy whole grain breads and you’ve got a quick snack with everything you need – and it’s portable!

3. Create your own muesli. Starting with a simple cereal made from ancient grains, such as kamut, can be boring. Try throwing in some raisons, walnuts, fresh berries, fruit, and some low-fat yogurt and watch it come alive.

4. Keep some herbs on hand. Adding ginger, garlic or lemongrass to your cooking offers a chance to reap the healing benefits. If you are eating soup, throw in some ginger.

5. Enhance store-bought foods with stuff around the kitchen. Try putting extra tomatoes or bay leaves in pasta sauces, or adding some steamed veggies to your pizza.

Eating healthy can be easy; a few tricks up your sleeve and a little imagination and you never know how good things can be.

For a list of healthy recipes, click here.