Selling a house is a new one on me. I wasn’t quite prepared for the moving squared effect of buying a house, packing, moving, and prepping a house to sell. So far, it’s been one heck of a ride, to put it mildly.

While I still haven’t unpacked all of my pots and pans — honestly, most of our possessions are still in boxes — I have been able to keep Charles and I fed on more than just burritos from the local taco joint. Though, those burritos have been the saving grace on many a night. Never underestimate the draw of a good burrito, people.

Here are my tips to having a healthy dinner, even if you’re so exhausted, you feel like you’re going to dissolve into a puddle of goop and pain.

Always have vegetables on hand.
Vegetables can be turned into a salad, a stir-fry, combined with a cheese plate, tossed in an omelet, or added to pasta. Keep in mind, bags of frozen veggies won’t go bad, so it’s always a good idea to have a few bags in your freezer.

Speaking of pasta…

Always have a package of pasta available.
Carbohydrates are good when you’re clocking in tens of thousands of steps a day, carrying boxes up long staircases, or painting walls. I’ve been using dried cheese-stuffed tortellini a lot. It’s available in the bulk department and has so many uses. Toss those aforementioned veggies in your colander, so they get a hot water bath as you drain your pasta — instant soft vegetables. Pasta is also nice to toss into a green salad, or just stir in some cheese with your noodles. Carbs!

Have a couple types of cheese.
I always have a Parmesan in the fridge to dress up pasta, sprinkle on salad, grill into a sandwich. Plus, there’s always the cheese plate! Along with the Parm, I also have one or two soft cheeses on hand at any given time.

Eggs are a must.
Easy protein that can be scrambled, hard boiled (add to your salad), made into an omelette, etc.

Have sandwich fixin’s.
Rarely am I too exhausted to slap some fillings into two pieces of bread. Roasted red peppers and goat cheese? Bread? Boom — sandwich. Scramble an egg, cook it flat, flip, add to bread — egg sandwich. Some tuna with mayo and topped with salad greens and sandwiched between two slices of bread … you get the idea.

This is how I’ve been surviving the chaos of the past two months — a lot of salad, some pasta, a cheese plate or two, sandwiches galore, and honestly, a weekly burrito. Now to get that house sold so we can focus on the new one, and get back to creating recipes!