If you don’t have—or want to spend—much time for food prep and cooking, or you think following the Mediterranean diet will cost a lot, here are some tips.

Buy frozen or canned. Frozen or canned seafood is often more affordable than fresh—and isn’t as perishable. Frozen vegetables and fruit keep longer than fresh produce and cook quickly. Frozen fruit can be a quick addition to a smoothie. When shopping in the canned aisles, check nutrition facts on labels so you can pick items that are low in sodium or have no added sugar or salt, says Jennifer Ventrelle, MS, RDN, CPT, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Rush University, a MIND diet researcher, and co-author of The Official MIND Diet: A Scientifically Based Program to Lose Weight and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease.

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Save on protein. Dry beans usually cost less than canned, but most types of beans require soaking and at least a couple of hours on the stove. You don’t have to soak lentils and peas, and they cook faster than many other legumes, says Elena Paravantes, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Athens, Greece, and author of The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners.

Keep vegetables on hand. Buy precut veggies or prepare containers of salad bar fixings—such as sliced peppers and diced carrots—in advance, says Ventrelle. Then they’re all ready to be tossed into a salad or other dish. Try to keep your refrigerator or freezer stocked with vegetables. “Even if your dinner plan falls through or you forgot to plan one with a veggie, you can quickly add one,” says Krista Linares, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Los Angeles.

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Make restaurant meals healthier. Ask for vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, onions, spinach, peppers) with your sandwiches or burgers, order a side salad instead of French fries, and consider a lettuce wrap instead of a hamburger bun. Think about ordering salmon or another fish instead of meat, suggests Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Atlanta, GA, and author of The Plant Love Kitchen. Request whole-grain bread for sandwiches. Even at fast-food chains, you can find healthier options such as a mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, a veggie burger, or a fruit cup, says Maya Feller, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Brooklyn, NY, and author of Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World. Quench your thirst with water, unsweetened iced tea with lemon, or coffee, she adds.