I’ve tried to keep my latest blogs with quick and easy suggestions that I implement myself. So here are ideas I use with my own family-me running my own company and eating meals on the road, a full-time soccer coach for a husband, and an active 20-month old.
1. Make meals in bulk to “recreate” for a 2nd meal. Example: I made a rotisserie chicken and served it with roasted veggies for dinner. The next night, I simply took all of the ingredients and combined them with chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and spices for a delicious chicken vegetable soup.
2. Make a casserole! For those of us in Oklahoma, casseroles are a common meal that are often laden with cheese, creamed soups, and other questionable additions. All casseroles aren’t unhealthy though! Example: I made an egg casserole with tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onion, zucchini, and green peppers. I used 8 eggs, about 1/2 carton of egg whites, basil, salt, and pepper. Lastly, I added 1/2 cup of organic colby cheese. I simply mixed everything together and baked the casserole at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Delicious! And we’ll have leftovers for 3 days.
3. Make a smoothie! I can’t support smoothies enough-they are so good and easy to make, especially if you have a Magic Bullet! (No, I’m not an official endorser, but what a great machine!) Example: My typical smoothie that the entire family loves includes a handful of any mix of berries, a banana, handful of spinach, 1/2-1 cup apple or any type of organic juice, a tbsp of flaxseed oil, 1 cup non-fat organic yogurt, Greek yogurt, or Kefir. Mix 30 seconds, drink and enjoy!
4. Pick 1 day as a “prep” day. I typically use Sunday afternoons to chop veggies to have handy for the week. I may use those veggies to snack on or may use them to throw into a stir-fry or soup. I also usually boil a few eggs to have handy to take with me on the road.
5. Plan your meals and post them somewhere you can see them. I receive my co-op bags every Saturday from Natural Farms. After asking my husband his coaching schedule, I write down our dinners for the week and post them near our scheduling calendar. Sometimes we veer off the schedule and eat leftovers or eat out. But the planning helps me avoid the “Oh no; what’s for dinner?” syndrome and we eat at home an average of 6 dinners/week. Consequently, my family eats better and we save money.
Lastly, if you’re busy like we are (and like most people are), buy quick easy items at the store. We nearly always have cartons of organic yogurt, string mozzarella cheese, fresh fruit, packets of salmon or tuna, oatmeal, and nuts on hand.
With planning, cooking and eating well is not nearly as hard as it seems. Good luck, and as always, please feel free to share your ideas!
Yours in Health,
Alana
