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• 2 garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 large diced onion
• 1 diced jalapeno pepper
• 2 (15 ounce each) cans of kidney, pinto and garbanzo beans
• Half a cup of corn
• Half a cup of diced celery
• 2 cups of vegetable stock or water
• 28 ounces of whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Salt to taste

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 35 minutes. Let cool and store it for your upcoming busy week. When you need it, just warm it up and garnish with baked chips and low-fat shredded cheese. This is great as an after-school snack or for your main dinner meal.

Chicken Wrap

• Slice and shred a pre-cooked chicken (you can pick it up at the store on a weekday evening or prep it on Sunday).
• Place in a large bowl and mix with the following ingredients: half cup red bell pepper (thinly sliced); 3 medium carrots and 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks; 3 tablespoons of bottled vinaigrette; and shredded lettuce.
• Warm tortillas (they can be gluten-free) wraps or flatbread.
• To raise the veggie count for this meal, add a salad and a healthy salad dressing.

Beef and Vegetable Stew

Your prep time is less than 15 minutes, but you'll need a slow cooker; cooking time is around 4-5 hours with high setting, 8-9 hours with low setting). Begin by browning 3 lbs of boneless beef chuck with olive oil. Add to the slow cooker with the following ingredients:

• 1 cup each of beef broth and red wine (skip the red wine if you have children, of course)
• Half a pound of frozen pearl onions or 1 chopped yellow onion
• Half a pound each of baby carrots and chopped zucchini (mushrooms and squash can also be used)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Additional ideas include adding 2 chopped turkey bacon slices for flavor or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken.

Remember, prep time is the most important thing when it comes to ensuring you and your family get healthy meals during even the most hectic week. If you are having difficulty creating your 10-minute menus, check online; there are countless sites that offer recipes, some that use as little as five ingredients. You can also ask a friend, neighbor, co-worker or family member to share a recipe that has worked for them in a pinch.

A final point: Don't do it all yourself! Prep time is the perfect time to involve the family. As long as your children are old enough to use knives safely, they can participate in cutting and chopping vegetables, fruit or anything else you may need for your 10-minute meals. And younger children can help with smaller jobs that will still save you time, like getting cans from the pantry or vegetables from the refrigerator. Work together and make yourself some 10-minute meals that will make your life a whole lot easier - and healthier

Claudia Anrig, DC, practices in Fresno, Calif., and is on the board of directors of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, an organization that can answer your questions regarding the value of chiropractic care during and after pregnancy.