By CASEY JUNKINS

Staff Writer

Whether you are in the mood to cook yourself or would prefer to let a professional do it, a BLT sandwich can hit the spot when one is short on time.

In only a few minutes, the salty, crunchy bacon can meet with the sweet tomato and the crisp lettuce. These items combine with toast slathered in mayonnaise to make a tasty meal in a snap.

“It only takes about five minutes, really,” Alicia Manning, manager of Market Vines Bar & Grille in Wheeling’s Centre Market area, said of the BLT. “It’s very simple and still very popular.”

Another popular item to prepare on the go is a Philadelphia-style chicken sandwich. Manning said this endeavor, featuring grilled chicken, onions and cheese on bread, may take seven or eight minutes to prepare.

If one is looking for something a little more sweet, a crepe featuring chocolate, graham crackers and toasted marshmallows in the style of a s’mores item may work. This is one of the many unique menu items available at Later Alligator in Center Wheeling.

“It’s sort of sweet fun,” kitchen manager Heidi Porter said while making the crepe.

Undoubtedly, though, these sweet and savory foods can stretch one’s waistline because of the high calorie, fat, carbohydrate and sugar content.

For those who would like a quick meal that is less likely to pack on the pounds, the American Diabetes Association recommends a dish of fish fillets with lemon parsley topping that can be finished in 15 minutes. Per serving, this dish yields 285 calories, one gram of carbohydrates, 33 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat and no sugar.

A 10-minute dish known as “sloppy janes” uses ground turkey in place of the beef used in a traditional “sloppy joe” recipe. The nutritional numbers for this dish are 250 calories, 31 grams of carbohydrates (almost all of which come from the bread), 16 grams of protein, seven grams of fat and 10 grams of sugar.

No matter the dietary needs of the diner, delicious meals can be prepared in a hurry. Doing so requires just a bit of knowledge and skill, and the ability to plan ahead so ingredients will always be on hand when the time is right.