Does this scenario sound familiar? You leave the office at 5:30 p.m., and you need to sandwich in dinner for your family before a 7 p.m. meeting.

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Your thoughts immediately turn to fast food.

While your thinking is on target, you don't have to drive to the nearest window to put dinner on the table, says Jennifer Ebelhar, instructor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.

With a little planning, you can put together a quick and tasty dinner that is better for you and less expensive than what you could buy at a fast-food restaurant, she says.

"It's all about creating an environment conducive to what you want to do," Ebelhar says. "We shouldn't rely on will-power to help us reach our goal."

The first step to fast food without the franchise is anticipating what you need for meals and snacks during the week.

So make a list

"Think ahead to stock up on the staples you'll need," Ebelhar says.

Whole-grain foods such as pasta, tortillas, bagels and bread can be the backbone of a fast dinner, she says. Look for high fiber — three to eight grams of fiber per serving.

"Buy a variety so you don't get bored. I store my bread products in the freezer so they stay fresh for longer," Ebelhar says.

One of the tricks to serving fast meals is buying foods that you prepare in different ways to make numerous dishes.

For instance, you can add some thawed frozen rock shrimp to a bag of pre-bagged, pre-washed spinach and drizzle on a bit of light Italian dressing for a main course salad.

Or you can sauté the ready-to-serve spinach in Italian dressing with a bit of garlic and add a pungent cheese such as Parmesan, which packs a strong flavor in fewer calories so you don't have to use as much. Pour the concoction over whole-wheat noodles for a fast pasta dish. The key is to remember to buy the spinach, which is why you put it on a list.

Think 'zen

Frozen cauliflower with cheese sauce takes on a second life as a topping for a potato that you bake by nuking it n the microwave oven for dinner in a flash.

Or you can pop some frozen vegetables into a skillet with some good olive oil for a quick stir-fry to throw over brown rice.

While you're in the frozen food section, don't forget the fruits; Ebelhar swears by the power of frozen blueberries to sweeten her cereal and keep her milk icy cold for an "I'm-not-really-hungry-for-a-big-meal" dinner.

Fish fillets that are frozen in individual portions are one of Ebelhar's favorite shortcuts. "A lot of people don't realize that fish is the fastest-cooking protein," she says. "Sprinkle a fillet with herbs, squeeze on some lemon juice and wrap it in foil for a dinner you can bake in 10 minutes."

Perish the thought

Ebelhar says to remember the non-perishables, including canned goods and condiments such as olive oil and low-fat salad dressings. Be adventuresome; a touch of wasabi mustard, horseradish hummus or peach salsa can put the zing in an otherwise boring dish.

A can of beans is packed with fiber and nutrients and takes little time to prepare.

Smear refried beans on a whole wheat tortilla, sprinkle with low-fat cheese, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds and add a spoonful of salsa for dinner on the run.

You can turn a can of light tuna — it's better for you than albacore, which has a higher mercury count — into a tuna melt. Add a bit of mayonnaise, spoon onto an English muffin and top with low-fat cheese before you pop it under the broiler for a quick finish.

You also can use English muffins to make individual pizzas. Lightly toast an English muffin, ladle on some prepared pasta sauce from a jar and top with low-fat mozzarella. "Let your kids select the vegetables they want as pizza toppings," Ebelhar adds.

Breakfast for dinner also makes a fast meal. Ebelhar uses one egg and two egg whites in her omelets to give plenty of volume without the fat.

"When I take the time to cook, I always make a little extra so I'll have leftovers, which are the ultimate fast food. I'm constantly repackaging for the next meal. The pound of asparagus I grill tonight will make a delicious dinner and a great vegetable sandwich tomorrow."

What are your dinner-in-a-flash tips and tricks? Share them with us — we'd love to hear from you!

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