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Providing quick healthy meals is the ultimate challenge for harried parents. The kids are constantly on the go. And whether you work outside the home or inside, you likely have many demands on your time. Yet even if family meals are no longer the unhurried affairs you may remember, that doesn't diminish their importance.

Gathering together at the table allows your family to connect with each other. Family meals also help children learn good table manners. Just as important, they set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating.

How can you preserve family mealtime and still meet your busy schedule? Here are a few simple strategies and tips that will let you whip up quick healthy meals.

Rise and Dine: The Importance of Breakfast

If there is a most important meal, it must be breakfast. "Research shows that kids who eat breakfast on a regular basis take in more nutrients overall, including fiber; are less overweight; and fare better on academic tests than children who skip the morning meal," says Janice Bissex, MS, RD, co-author of The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers.

Breakfast's affects on academic performance is really a no-brainer: After about 10 hours or so without food, eating in the a.m. fuels the brain and body for the day ahead. Plus, it's a meal, so when you skip it, you miss out on opportunity to consume important nutrients, such as protein, calcium, fiber, and vitamins.

Quick Healthy Meals for Breakfast

Of course, what you eat for breakfast matters. "Complex carbohydrates are the cornerstone of the most beneficial breakfasts because they produce a long-lasting supply of glucose for the brain and body," Bissex says. "Breakfast should also contain protein, fiber, and some fat to help children and adults feel fuller longer."

Translation: Go for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, such as Wheat Chex or oatmeal prepared with milk instead of water. When topped with fresh, dried, or frozen fruit, breakfast cereals make quick healthy meals that are ready in a snap.

Time is always tight in the morning, but by keeping breakfast simple so you're sure to include it even on busy days. Here are some more quick healthy meals to get your day started that are good for the whole family:

• Whole-grain toast topped with 1 1/2 ounces melted reduced-fat cheddar cheese; 1 cup cubed fruit
• Fat-free latte; 1/2 whole-wheat English muffin with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese; medium banana
• Peanut butter pancake roll-ups: microwave two small frozen pancakes and spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 1/2 cup grapes; 8 ounces 1% low fat or skim milk
• Cooked oatmeal with applesauce swirled in; topped with raisins and chopped almonds; 8 ounces low-fat yogurt
• 2 ounces smoked salmon on 1/2 whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese; 1 cup berries; 8 ounces 1% low-fat or skim milk
• 8 ounces coffee flavored yogurt with 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ cereal mixed in; 1 plum or nectarine
• Egg and pita sandwich: 1 egg scrambled in 1 teaspoon olive oil stuffed into whole-wheat pita pocket and topped with salsa; 8 ounces 1% low-fat or skim milk
• Breakfast parfait: Layer 1 cup low-fat yogurt; 1/2 cup crunchy whole-grain cereal; and 1 cup fresh, chopped fruit, or whole berries

The last thing you want to do at the end of a hot summer day is stand in front of the stove, stirring something, or fire up your big oven. It's summer, for Heaven's sake! There are other things we'd rather be doing. There are movies to see and swimming pools to dive into. And the higher the mercury climbs, the less energy we seem to have for preparing dinner.

Sounds like a job for (drum roll, please) ... convenience foods! But many convenience products add a heap of calories, fat grams, and sodium to your daily nutritional totals. Besides, to many of us, these products just don't taste as good as freshly prepared meals.

What's the answer? I like to call it "some assembly required" -- not so much cooking as putting together a meal, using some of the better-for-you convenience products. We're still whipping up a "made-fresh" meal, but without spending too much time in the kitchen.

None of the following tips or recipes calls for using the big oven, though some involve the toaster oven or microwave. Both appliances are great for summer because they let us cook without heating up the whole kitchen.

10 Tips for No-Sweat Summer Meals

1. Frozen pesto is one of my all-time favorite convenience products (I like Armanino Pesto, from the freezer section. It's made with canola oil, which is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat, and has a bit less fat than other brands). Use it as a dressing for hot or cold pasta, a spread for gourmet sandwiches, or a sauce for fish (see recipe below). Just keep your serving to about a tablespoon, because each tablespoon has 47 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

2. Using the outdoor barbecue keeps the kitchen cool, and all you need is a piece of meat or fish (or some vegetables) and a good sauce or marinade. Any bottled, reduced-fat vinaigrette can serve as a quick marinade. Keep in mind that meats and poultry should marinate for at least two hours while fish and veggies only need one hour.

3. The sandwich, the epitome of easy-assembly food, makes a great summer dinner entrée. Think beyond peanut butter and jelly and try some new sandwich ideas! Choose whole-grain breads and reduced-fat fillers and spreads whenever possible. Double up on the lettuce and tomato to boost the nutritional value and fiber.

4. Prewashed salads in a bag are great, especially when they go on sale. Just cut (the bag), dump (it in the bowl), and drizzle (the dressing). I like to spruce them up by tossing in canned beans (kidney, black, edamame, or garbanzo, rinsed and drained); more veggies; cubed or shredded reduced-fat cheese; and cooked, shredded lean beef or pork, skinless chicken breast filets, or shellfish; fruit; toasted nuts; and/or fresh herbs.

There are some powerfully protective and health-promoting nutrients that we know about these days. Can you say lycopene, carotenoids, or vitamin C?

Some are vitamins or minerals, some are phytochemicals, and some are things that aren't even digested (soluble and insoluble fibers). And there are certain foods that -- because they contain impressive amounts of several powerhouse nutrients -- just seem to be "super" foods.

We aren't talking about spending money on megavitamin supplements or exotic plant extracts. If we map the food sources for all these super-nutrients, we find a clearly marked path toward certain fruits and vegetables, along with other plant foods like beans and whole grains.

But frankly, most Americans probably won't heed these life-enhancing suggestions if it means significantly changing what, where, or how they eat. Many people would rather pop a pill and call it a day. I hear it all the time. People say to me: "Just tell me what to take."

So let's get some inspiration going by proclaiming this Super-Foods Week -- and it's all about pumping particularly protective foods into your daily diet.

These foods are so chock full of protective nutrients and energy-boosting vitamins that eating them is almost like taking a vitamin supplement -- but better. The great part about these super-foods is that they come with a nature-made balance of nutrients, phytochemicals, and fiber. There are probably all sorts of health benefits to these components that we haven't even discovered yet. Just this month, the Journal of Nutrition published a study indicating that a phytochemical found in spinach may help protect against prostate cancer.

I've got my own mental list of what I would pick as the top 10 or 15 super-foods, but I was curious to find out what foods would make the lists of people who work for top nutrition organizations and health newsletters.

Melanie Polk, RD, director of nutrition education for the American Institute for Cancer Research, stresses the importance of eating a large variety of plant foods. But she was able to help me in my quest for the top 10 super-foods.

Calling on what she has read recently about various nutrients and cancer prevention, she gave me this list off the top of her head:

• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Beans of all types
• Kale (or other leafy greens like spinach)
• Red bell peppers
• Tomatoes, raw or cooked
• Whole wheat (or other whole grains like quinoa or bulgur)
• Oats
• Apples
• Berries

(Polk also noted that kiwi and cantaloupe would make her top 20 list)

The Environmental Nutrition Newsletter, meanwhile, named these 15 foods as "super foods for super health" in its April 2004 issue (listed alphabetically):

• Avocados
• Blueberries
• Brazil nuts
• Broccoli
• Butternut squash
• Edamame
• Flaxseed
• Kale
• Kiwi
• Lentils
• Onions
• Quinoa
• Sardines
• Tomatoes
• Yogurt

It's that time of year when even non-football enthusiasts gather around the television for a few hours to watch a predictably spectacular football game (and half-time show)  satisfaction guaranteed.

If only we could say the same for the often super-caloric Super Bowl party food!

But this year you can have your Super Bowl appetizers and eat lighter, too. Check out our four appetizer recipes, each of which you can whip up in five minutes or less. You'll be in and out of the kitchen in a flash, with nary a touchdown or pass completion missed.

Super Bowl Ranch Dip and Veggies

You can add food coloring to this dip to show which team you are rooting for!

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dip (1 ounce)
16-ounce container fat free (or light) sour cream (my favorite is Naturally Yours Fat Free)
Assorted raw veggies: Try baby carrots, celery sticks, zucchini coins, jicama sticks, cherry tomatoes

• Mix the ranch packet with 16 ounces of sour cream. If you have time, refrigerate dip for one hour before serving, to thicken and blend flavors.
• Serve with assorted raw veggies.

Makes 8 servings of dip.

Per 1/2 cup of ranch dip served with fresh veggies (1/2 cup carrot sticks, 1/2 cup celery sticks and 4 cherry tomatoes): 180 calories, 9 g protein, 34 g carbs, 0.4 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 900 mg sodium (because of the ranch powder). Calories from fat 2 percent.

Football in a Blanket Bites

Serve these with ketchup, mustard, or even BBQ sauce!

1 can refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls
About five lower-fat turkey franks (such as bun-length Louis Rich)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll roll dough; separate into eight triangles. Cut each triangle in half to make two triangles.
• Cut each hot dog into three pieces, about 2 inches each (depending on the length of the hot dog)
• Place each hot dog piece in the center of one of the small triangles of dough and wrap the dough around the hot dog. Place on nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crescent dough and turkey franks.
• Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Makes 16 Bites (8 servings).

I call myself a "part-time" vegetarian because, while I do eat meat, I like to eat vegetarian meals often. I even like to order vegetarian entrees at restaurants, just to get new ideas for making meatless dishes. I still eat fish, chicken, lean beef and pork, but I would guess at least half of my meals are lacto-ovo vegetarian (meaning they include eggs and/or dairy products).

There was a time when all my meals were meatless (can you say University of California at Berkeley graduate school?). Oddly enough, the one thing I totally craved every so often was a good lean cheeseburger (that was before they had all these great vegetarian burgers.)

Two decades and two kids later, I have evolved into a happy, part-time vegetarian. Becoming a part-time vegetarian comes with a slew of benefits. It often costs less to prepare meatless dishes, it helps the environment when we eat more plant-based meals (some would argue), and then there's the health advantage.

Besides reducing the saturated fat content of your diet, a meatless day or two each week, has other benefits, says Julie Upton, MS, RD, with the Environmental Nutrition Newsletter. Upton says vegetarian diets are lower in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. They also tend to include more of the beneficial nutrients found in plant foods, like vitamin A and C, potassium, fiber, and phytonutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene.

There's never been a better time to eat meatless meals, whether you do it part time or all the time. Today's supermarkets have many healthful and creative options, including meatless convenience Items you can keep in your freezer for those action-packed weeknights. Here are a handful of quick options to consider:

1. Burger Alternatives. Soy and veggie burgers usually contain less saturated fat than beef burgers, some feature high-quality soy protein, and most have at least a couple of grams of fiber, too. Here are a few examples:

• Boca Burger -- Vegan (110 calories, 2 g fat, 13 g protein, 5 g fiber)
• Gardenburger Flame Grilled Soy Burger (120 calories, 4 g fat, 14 g protein, 4 g fiber)
• Gardenburger Savory Portabella Burger (100 calories, 2.5 g fat, 9 g protein, 4 g fiber)
• Morningstar Farms Grillers Original (140 calories, 6 g fat, 15 g protein, 2 g fiber)
• Amy's All American Burger (120 calories, 3 g fat, 10 g protein, 3 g fiber)
• Whole Foods 365 Organic Classic Veggie Burger (100 calories, 2.7 g fat, 14 g protein, 4 g fiber)

2. Frozen (non-meat) pizza. Check the ingredient label to find out for sure, but some brands are definitely suitable for lacto vegetarians. Check out these fun flavors:

• Amy's Pizza Pesto (1/3 Pizza, 128 grams, contains 310 calories, 12 g fat, 12 g protein, 2 g fiber)
• Freschetta Brick Oven Roasted Portabella, Mushroom and Spinach (142 gram serving contains 280 calories, 10 g fat, 12 g protein, 2 g fiber)
• Whole Foods 365 Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese (142 gram serving contains 270 calories, 7 g fat, 12 g protein, 3 g fiber)

3. Frozen cheese-filled tortellini and ravioli. In the fresh and frozen pasta sections of your supermarket, you'll provably find at least three brands of meatless tortellini and raviolis. Just pop them in your freezer and when the mood hits, you're about 20 minutes away from tender tortellini (including the time it takes to boil the water)! Add a meatless sauce (marinara, a drizzle of olive oil, pesto, or a vegetarian white sauce) and some vegetables, you're good to go.