Conveyor belt meals: how to eat well when you’ve got no time

I love being efficient. Anyone with kids knows that time isn’t a luxury: it’s a resource we guard, stretch, and juggle every single day. Every second counts.

I’ve talked before about stacking tasks and spotting those small gaps to squeeze in a bit of food prep. It fits with the reality of our agile and busy lives. I for one drive myself crazy with little piles of “almost dones” around the house. And whilst I can live with a bit of chaos, food is one area where I like to have a plan, or better still, a system that works.

Introducing my conveyor belt approach to food prep.

From chaos to conveyor belt efficiency

Before you imagine factory lines and processed ready meals rolling off the belt, I’m talking about borrowing that efficiency and applying it to how we eat at home.

A metaphorical conveyor belt brings a bit of process to meal prep - a sense of calm and control in our busy days when we want food now, whether that’s packing a lunchbox or throwing together a WFH meal between meetings. It’s simple, flexible, and realistic — healthy eating without the overwhelm.

How it works

First up, your cornerstones: the staple foods you enjoy, that keep you full, nourish you well, and are easy to keep on hand.

Then come the grab-and-go extras — quick, tasty additions that turn something simple into something satisfying.

The magic happens when those two categories are always within reach. You can grab, combine, and eat in minutes without ever compromising on nourishment or flavour.

The beauty of this approach is that there’s no morning meal-planning or fridge rummaging required. You simply open your cupboards and follow the visual cues you’ve already set up the yoghurt, oats, grains, tins, nuts, seeds, jars, and greens that form your everyday building blocks. Everything’s ready to be mixed, matched, and thrown together for variety without thought or fuss.

Conveyor prep removes friction, decision fatigue, and that fridge-door-opening, eye-rolling, closing-again deflation by creating a rolling base of ready-to-assemble ingredients - a kitchen ecosystem stocked for speed, flexibility, and flavour.

Breakfast Conveyor

Breakfast is a good one to start with. It’s often our most predictable meal of the day and the one we can influence best, but getting it right sets the tone for everything that follows. This is where those staple cornerstones really matter. Once you’ve got these nailed, breakfast is quicker than a Lidl checkout, AND without the sugary cereals and croissants!

Your cornerstones might be Greek yoghurt, milk-soaked oats, or a couple of eggs.

Then, your conveyor options:

·       Frozen berries

·       Flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, chia

·       Walnuts, cashews, almonds

·       Tahini or nut butter

·       A sprinkle of cinnamon

·       Tomatoes/spinach/mushrooms

Every morning, you can roll something slightly different off the same belt that's quick, wholesome and delicious every time.

Lunch Conveyor

Lunch can be just as easy to assemble. This is where the ease, agility in prep and variety comes into its own.

Your cornerstones might be sourdough, cooked grains, a tin of pulses or pre-boiled eggs.

Then, conveyor options:

• Tinned tuna, anchovies, sweetcorn

• A bag of mixed salad

• Jars of olives, gherkins, roasted peppers

• Feta or halloumi cubes

• A quick dressing (olive oil, balsamic, mustard, lemon)

• A handful of nuts or seeds for crunch

  
  

You can prep directly on a plate or compile it earlier and place in a lunchbox to pop open between emails or whilst triaging emails. The point is: you’ve built a system, not a recipe, one that can be tweaked and respond to what’s in your cupboards and/or quite simply, what you fancy!

The “just add” principle

This is where the conveyor belt method really shines. If you want to try something new - a different seed mix, a new dressing, or tinned lentils - you don’t need to start from scratch or replan your week. You can just add it to your system and see if it works.

A great example is adding kimchi or sauerkraut - really topical add-ons at the moment. Buy a jar, try it within a few different combos and see how it lands. Embrace the small tweaks, no disruption, and plenty of gain.

Over time, your conveyor naturally evolves to reflect the seasons, your tastes, and your health goals. It becomes a living rhythm: an easy, joyful way to keep your meals feeling fresh and aligned with your long-term wellbeing.

Keep the conveyor moving

Once a week, do a mini “belt check” and top up your shopping list. Essentially you’re checking your cupboards, fridge and freezer to make sure you’ve got the staples you need.

• Restock your staples

• Boil a batch of eggs

• Rotate what’s running low

• Perhaps even add one new thing (your “just add” item of the week)

  
  

You’ll soon find yourself assembling meals without thinking.The conveyor becomes second nature, like brushing your teeth or packing the school bag.

The real win

The beauty of the conveyor belt method isn’t just in the time it saves, it’s the calm that comes from knowing you can still eat well, even on the busiest of days. It's the saviour when you want something NOW that isn't a convenient grab-and-go in a packet.

We all know that moment when we open the fridge, stare blankly for a second, and then shut it again because there’s nothing to eat. This fixes it. Instead, you open the door and see options: real food, ready to go - things you can throw together in minutes and actually look forward to eating.

There’s no complicated prep or rigid plan here. Just small, smart systems that make the right choice the easy one - uncomplicated, nourishing and tasty.

Healthy eating will always take a bit of time, but it’s time well spent. If you need some help designing and arranging your own personal food conveyor belt then give me a shout! If not, try it!

Sarah x

sarah@nutritionwithsarah.co.uk