Some meals can be prepped in downtime and frozen for later use. In the colder months, for example, I always have several small containers of frozen home made lentil or split pea soup (my faves). It's never more than 10 minutes away from ready and it's home made. Soups are always better the next day, or after frozen and thawed.
Same for me - only I'm partial to 10 bean soup. I make my own mix and include pearl barley to thicken it. I have homemade soup almost every day for lunch with some sharp cheddar and saltines.
Here's a good combo for 10 bean soup: 1/2 cup each - reg. lentils, yellow lentils, green split peas, baby limas, reg. limas, black eyed peas, kidney beans, pearl barley, navy or great northern beans, pintos. Soak overnight with salt. Next day, add ham hock (or not) and simmer for 1 hour. Remove ham hock and cut off meat. Add 1 can tomatoes, 1-2 tsp. chili powder, ham meat and 2 T. lemon juice and simmer for one more hour or until beans are soft.
And pasta sauces.
Excellent point...and one other reason for making your own soups..the vast majority of prepared soups are sooooooooo over salted that it’s unhealthy, especially for anyone with any type of heart condition...even the so called low-sodium soups have far too much...