Plan Meals Wisely
Dear Friends,
Do you ever feel this way?
My life is hectic! No time to prepare anything else whatsoever! I can’t stand cooking! Work, family, home obligations….Can I really prepare something healthy and simple without too much hassle?
Five Steps to Planning Simple, Healthy and Delicious
Step 1
Grab a notepad and prepare your weekly menu. By jotting down your meals, you can manage the rest of your days wisely and efficiently. We tend to eat unhealthy meals when we are in a rush and we don’t have time to plan ahead.
Step 2
In our home, we prepare our meals according to what’s in season. So, in winter, when we harvest such a variety of greens, we make sure to include them at every meal – whether its salad, steamed kale with garlic or a stir fry with tatsoi! If you know what you’ll be getting in your weekly produce bags, then you can transform your kitchen into a creative laboratory!
By eating fresh, getting organized and consuming what’s in season, you’ll feel re-energized every day. After all, who wants to come home in the evening to hear your family ask, “What’s for dinner?” and you have no clue.
Ready to get healthy?
Contact Debbie today for a Nutrition Consultation!
Step 3
Choose ingredients that you can use several times – in a variety of ways! Protein sources, such as lean cuts of meat, chicken without the skin, fish, tofu or beans can be combined with a variety of vegetables.
How about making lentil soup with grilled vegetables for one meal, lentil loaf (instead of meat loaf) with steamed greens in another and lentil salad with stir fry mushrooms and bok choy as a third option?
Step 4
Weekends can be the days you might use to clean the house, wash clothes and hopefully rest! Although cooking might not be your first choice, preparing and freezing some meals in advance, can save you time during the week. For example, in our household, we tend to prepare fresh tomato sauce with our own tomatoes and herbs, minced onion and garlic, oregano and pepper and make a large batch ahead of time. Then freeze it in smaller portions.
If Tuesday comes along and we’re not sure what to do, we can easily unfreeze our sauce, prepare some polenta or whole grain spaghetti. Enjoy the freshness of our tasty pre-made sauce without any stress.
Step 5
Talk to your neighbors, friends and relatives for different recipes or substitute your traditional recipes for seasonal ingredients. Watching cooking programs can also provide you with simple tips for nutritious meals.
Take notes and add or modify a recipe once a week. Browse through the bookstores for new menu planning. Get together with a local chef for different ideas.
Share your Comments:
How do you plan your meals?
