Busy parents sometimes do not have enough time between children's activities and their own meetings on weekday evenings to cook a meal that takes a long time and must be enjoyed sitting down.

The following recipes are nutritious alternatives to quick meals for dinner where long cooking processes are inconvenient or unmanageable. Most of these sandwiches can be very healthy when are made with whole grain breads and lo-fat alterantives to the usual ingredients that sandwiches often contain.

Which breads are most often all/largely whole-grain? These: whole wheat, multi-grain, rye, and pumpernickel.

Fast Greek Pita Pocket

(One sandwich takes 5 minutes)

INGREDIENTS

First part

• Half of a small (3 oz) package of Cream Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Sour Cream, Lo-Fat salad dressing/mayonnaise
• 1 Pita bread pocket

Second part

• Lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, sliced thin
• Chopped or sliced black olives
• Cheese: Feta, Ricotta, or Cottage Cheese (or a combination)
• Some sliced banana or apple, or any fruit you like. If you prefer, add additional vegetables instead, such as sliced celery, onions, or bell peppers of any color.
• For a Pita with fruit, you can also add a touch of honey.

DIRECTIONS AND ASSEMBLY

• Mix the cream cheese and sour cream or dressing well and spread into a pita bread.
• Place a couple of lettuce leaves onto the pocket.
• Add the Cheese(s) by spoonful and don't overfill.
• Add remaining ingredients and enjoy.

Fast Nutritious Sandwich Spreads

(Each takes 3-4 minutes for 1 sandwich)

INGREDIENTS

Healthy bread or sub rolls - whole grain

Peanuts and Carrots Spread

Mix the following and spread on bread or a roll:

• ¼ cup peanut or any type of nut butter
• Fresh broken unsalted peanuts or a few walnuts
• 1-2 Tablespoons of sunflower seeds
• 1-2 Tablespoons golden or dark raisins
• 2 Tablespoons shredded carrots
• 1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese or Neufchatel
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of apple butter

Olives and Egg Spread

• Chop up two hard boiled eggs, or use just the whites, if you prefer. Place in a bowl and add all of these and mix well:
• 3 Tablespoons sliced or chopped black olives (you can use half green olives if you like)
• 1 teaspoon either sweet or dill relish
• ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of low-fat salad dressing or mayonnaise

Cheese, Cucumber, and Onion Spread

• Thinly slice ½ of a medium Spanish or other sweeter type of onion.
• Thinly slice about 1/3 of a cucumber -- remove the peel or leave it on.
• Place vegetables into a bowl and ads a Tablespoon of cider vinegar and a pinch of pepper. Let sit 2 minutes.
• Slice some sharp cheddar cheese and place on a dark, whole grain bread. Add the onions and enjoy.
• You can substitute a mild white cheese as well or whatever cheese is your favorite.

For something hot and fast when kids are extra hungry, try adding this dish as an accompaniment to healthy sandwiches.

Fast German Potatoes and Wieners

(Serves 2 people in 10 minutes. Double the ingredients and you have enough for 4 people in the same time.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 standard can of German Potato "Salad" - 15 to 16 ounces, depending on the brand. Look at sugar and sodium content to be sure it is not sky high.
• 4 Wieners - hotdogs of any kind, meat sausages, or vegetarian sausages.

DIRECTIONS AND ASSEMBLY

• Place all ingredients into a skillet, cover and heat over low heat until wieners are slightly puffed and potatoes are heated through.
• Serve and add any of the following ingredients that you wish:
• Sliced green onion or scallion on top.
• Sliced hard boiled eggs or just the whites.
• A splash of cider vinegar.
• Sliced cooked apples on top.