Make a big pot of beans and a big batch of whole grains every week and keep them in the refrigerator. It takes the same amount of time and not much more energy to cook a big batch as a small batch, and reheating them takes only a few minutes. Plus, if you have them in your fridge, you’re far more likely to actually eat them.

Find more cooking tips and recipes visit MarkBittman.com, and catch his column and videos as The Minimalist on NYTimes.com