With full time work schedules, slow commutes, and after school activities, many moms and dads are turning to drive through take-out as a way to get dinner on the table. That is one way to feed a hungry crowd but it’s not necessarily the most economical or the most nutritional. With a small microwave oven and frozen pre-cooked dinners, your entire family can eat fast and healthy, even on those two or three days a week when dinner time is a rolling event.

That small microwave oven in the corner is not just for popping popcorn or heating up leftovers. You can cook entire family meals in a small microwave oven with just a little planning and preparation. Depending on the age of the kids, and your charm quotient, meal preparation can be a fun family activity.

Some parents find it easiest to pick one night a week when they have a little extra time. They use this night to make meals for several other days or even for the week if there is room in the freezer. One pot meals work the best. Pasta dishes, stews, and almost everybody’s favorite – meat or vegetable lasagna, all warm up perfectly inside a small microwave oven.

For those few days each week when family schedules are completely disconnected meals can be subdivided into individual portions before freezing. That way each person can heat up their own portion when they have a few minutes to eat and nobody feels like they’re getting leftovers.

College kids seem to have a penchant for eating unhealthy foods. Even with a full meal plan ticket in their pocket they will choose the drive through window over the dining hall if it’s closer and more convenient after that late afternoon class.

With a small microwave oven and mini-freezer, they can eat all kinds of healthy frozen dinners including cheesy pastas and vegetable casseroles. The only consideration with college age students is that not all dorms allow for small appliances.

If you’ve always owned a full size microwave you may have to take some time to get accustomed to a smaller version. The wattage on a small microwave oven may be less, which means that food takes longer to cook or heat. You will have to experiment with the cooking times and make adjustments.

Keep the inside clean by spraying with an antibacterial cleaner and wiping it down with a damp cloth. Bacteria can grow inside a small microwave oven, especially if you forget to cover a dish and the food splatters. If food is caked on, a good trick is to place a mug of water in the microwave, and turn it on high for a minute or two. The steam will loosen any food particles that are stuck making them that much easier to wipe away.

By: Peter Boston