by: Constance Weygandt

It is easier than ever to put together quick, nutritious and easy meals. Most supermarkets carry precut, washed and packaged vegetables, in the produce section. Precut fruit is now available, all year round. Most deli's carry rotisserie chicken or turkey. These ingredients, added together, are a recipe for stress free dinners. Here are five of my favorites.

Spinach Salad. On a plate, arrange two cups of washed and packaged, baby spinach, a chopped, boiled egg and one tablespoon of sliced almonds. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Serve with your favorite, low calorie, Italian dressing.

Roasted Chicken. On a plate, serve one piece of rotisserie chicken, from the deli and one cup of your favorite frozen vegetables which have been steamed in the microwave. Serve with one small, whole wheat roll. For desert, have a cup of fresh melon, with a splash of fresh orange juice and a sprinkle of coconut.

Vegetable Medley. Choose your favorite medley of vegetables, prewashed and cut. Steam about two cups, with a little water, in the microwave until crisp tender. Toss with a little margarine, about one teaspoon. Sprinkle with low fat cheddar cheese, about two ounces, and microwave for one more minute. I love broccoli and cauliflower cooked this way.

Poached Fish. In the frozen food section of your grocery store, you can often find individually wrapped portions of tilapia, haddock or salmon. Brush the fish with a little olive oil and sprinkle with lemon pepper. From frozen fish to cooked, in the microwave, only takes minutes. Serve this with a salad of mixed, dark greens and low fat dressing. I enjoy this dinner with a piece of good, dark bread.

Canned Soup and Sandwich. Soup and sandwich is an old standby, for moms in a hurry. Read the label, carefully. Choose a soup that has a lower salt and fat content. Try and choose soups that are less than ninety calories, per cup. My favorite soup, on a cold night, is tomato. Serve with one ounce of lean deli meat, on whole wheat bread, with lettuce, tomato and mustard.

While these recipes serve one person, they can be doubled or tripled to serve a family. With the variety of fresh foods that are available and a microwave, simple and nutritious meals are easier than ever, to serve. The next time you are in the produce section of the supermarket, look around at the packaged and prewashed selections of fruits and vegetables. I'll bet you come up with some ideas, for nutritious and easy meals, of your own.