Melissa J. Luther, Contributing writer

After a long day of work, sports and clubs, everyone is tired and it is tempting to just head for the nearest drive-through.

Don't.

You can prepare a fast, healthy dinner in less time and with less effort than it would take to agree on which drive-through to visit.

As long as you have vegetables, a lean protein source and a few other staples, you can create an almost endless variety of easy meals.

Stir Fry

Stir-frying is one of the quickest and healthiest ways to make a delicious meal.

Cut your meat of choice into cubes or thin slices. Cut your vegetables the same way, or use frozen vegetables instead. If you have time, marinate your meat in soy sauce while you cut the vegetables. Or rub them with oil and coat with finely diced ginger and garlic.

Cook the meat until it is no longer pink, usually less than 5 minutes, and set aside. Add your vegetables to the pan and cook until crisp-tender. If you do not want a sauce, add the meat back to the pan, stir and cook until meat is heated through.

If you want a sauce, remove the vegetables from the pan, add a little soy sauce and water and heat almost to a boil. Thicken with a little corn starch. Add the meat and vegetables back to the pan, stir to coat and cook until heated through.

Serve over rice.

This simple healthy meal can take advantage of any vegetable and meat you have available. Or you can go completely vegetarian. If you'd like, add a jar of Chinese vegetables, such as bamboo shoots, water chestnuts or bean sprouts, when you add the meat back to the pan.

If you do not like soy sauce, ginger or garlic, substitute your favorite seasonings.

Tacos, Burritos

Once again, any meat you have on hand will do. Ground beef or turkey are the simplest choices, but if you have boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork chops, cut them into thin strips. Season with taco seasoning -- a store-bought mix or your own combination of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, paprika and ground cumin -- and cook the meat until desired doneness, usually less than 10 minutes.

If you'd like, add a can of beans or refried beans to the meat just before it's done cooking. Or you can heat the beans and offer them as an additional topping.

Meanwhile, assemble your favorite toppings, such as shredded lettuce, onion, tomato, shredded cheese or salsa. Spoon the meat into taco shells or tortillas and let everyone top their own.

If your family does not like taco seasoning, use whatever seasoning everybody does like, put the ingredients in a soft tortilla and call it a wrap sandwich.

Pasta

Pasta cooks quickly and can be topped with whatever you have on hand. If you like the traditional tomato sauces, start with jarred brand and add some diced fresh vegetables, like bell pepper or onion, for a personalized touch. Or simmer diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and your favorite vegetables while the pasta cooks.

For a lighter, pasta salad-type meal, saute whatever vegetables you have on hand, mix with cooked pasta and toss with a little extra virgin olive oil. Top with your favorite cheese, grated.

If you have leftover meat from last night's dinner, cut it up and add it to your sauce.

General Tips

Dinner does not have to be elaborate every night. With a little imagination, the same basic ingredients can create completely unique meals.

Of course, sometimes you want to create something a little fancier. On the days you do have time to cook, prepare double batches and freeze half for a quick dinner another night. This lets you create a little stockpile of meals. Label freezer bags with contents and date, and use older prepared meals first for best taste.

By combining the creativity of these three meal types and pre-freezing a few additional meals, you will always be prepared to serve your family a delicious, healthy meal in minutes.