The craze for microwaving portion-size dishes in a mug is only gaining steam.

Meals in a mug are a perfect solution for solo dining, and they're also quick and easy options for busy people. And they are a convenient and budget-friendly way to eat delicious and healthy meals when living in a dorm, travelling in a RV or eating at the office.

These perfect individual portion sized recipes cover morning breakfast to late afternoon snacks and satisfying suppers with just a quick trip to the microwave which speedily omits hours of stovetop simmering and/or baking. In just 2 minutes, breakfast gets a sumptuous and nutritious boost with a moist and tender Banana Blueberry Muffin. Lunch takes its inspiration from New Orleans with Red Beans and Barley. This quick mugful of deliciousness uses quick-cooking barley which stands in for traditional white rice making it a speedy and healthy makeover.

A sampling of the recipes:

Super-Fast and Easy Recipes

• Mushroom Barley Soup, Broccoli Basil Soup, Apple Pancake Puff, Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Mix, Cheese Fondue

Breakfast

• Banana Bread, Almond Flour Muffin, Green Onion Bread, Zucchini Bread, Apple Cinnamon Bread, Boston Brown Bread

Soups, Stews and Chilis

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Quinoa Minestrone, Miso and Mushroom Soup, Poblano White Chili, Koshari, Red Clam Chowder

Meatless Main Dishes

• Eggplant Parmesan Mug, Green Chile Quesadilla Mug, Chickpea Potato Masala, Curried Lentils with Yogurt and Tortilla, Korean Pajeon

Meat, Poultry and Seafood Main Dishes

• Philly Cheesesteak Mug, Cauliflower and Ham Gratin, Shrimp with Roasted Peppers and Feta, Shepherd's Pie, Teriyaki Salmon

Dessert

• Sugar Cookie, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Blueberry Dumpling, Bananas Foster, Lemon Pudding Cake, Butterscotch Blondie, Panna Cotta.

These tasty and healthy dishes move the focus off of the time- and labor-intensive oven, and reintroduce the ease and simplicity of the microwave. They take everyday meals to the next level and the handy nutritional analysis that accompanies each recipes takes all the guesswork out of planning healthy meals.