Or cook an entire meal ahead. Many single people who love to cook spend weekends whipping up a fridgeful of delicious meals to eat throughout the week. Families might not have as much time on weekends to devote to cooking, but if you know you have a meeting and batting practice on Monday night, cook a pot of chili on Sunday. It'll be better heated up anyway. Any time you can spend on weekday meal prep, even if it's just slicing melon for weekday breakfasts, puts you way ahead of the stress devils that are bound to chase you later in the week.
Good containers are worth their price when they can keep foods fresh for several extra days.
One clever cook we know looks up the recipe in the morning for what she's making that evening. When she gets home from work, the cookbook is out on the counter with the recipe marked. Start the water boiling for pasta or rice, or throw the baked potatoes in the oven. THEN take off your coat, change clothes, get the kids settled down to homework. Take a deep breath and get the main thing started.