7 tips to make healthy eating less stressful
Preparing healthy meals for yourself or your family can feel overwhelming. It's one reason many people give up so quickly. All you have to do is give yourself 30 minutes over the weekend to plan and prep with these tips.
It's common knowledge that "a little planning goes a long way" — and the concept, though elusive to many, applies to healthy living habits. As a busy working mom, I am all too familiar with the day-to-day chaos many of us call "life" and completely understand how preparing healthy meals for yourself or your family can feel overwhelming.
Here's a peek at my weekly routine to give you some inspiration for planning your own healthy meals. All you have to do is give yourself 30 minutes over the weekend to plan and prep with these tips:
1. Plan Your Meals. This can be as basic as choosing the main component of each meal you intend on preparing or as specific as picking out recipes. Keep it simple and choose two or three breakfast and lunch options you can use throughout the week. Save money at the grocery store by taking an inventory of your pantry and fridge and planning meals around items you have on hand like beans, grains and excess produce. If you store fruits, vegetables and animal proteins in the freezer, plan to use a few of those items, as frozen foods do not have an unlimited shelf life.
2. Make a Grain. At the beginning of each week I choose a grain like wild rice, quinoa, millet or farro and make a large batch for use later in the week. Cooked grains can be used for every meal. To make a breakfast cereal, just heat the grain with your milk of choice and some cinnamon, then add fruits, nuts, seeds and more. For lunch or a snack, combine vegetables, beans and herbs with a grain to make a savory salad. Come dinnertime, you can substitute cooked grains for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf or use them to create a simple side dish.
3. Prep Produce. Pre-cut fruit makes for simple mealtime inclusion; plus, an inviting healthy snack. Pre-portion smoothie ingredients into individual bags to be stored in the freezer for morning ease. Cut down on weeknight prep but pre-cutting frequently used vegetables like onions, peppers, broccoli, zucchini and more. You can even take it a step further and roast a batch of vegetables so they are ready to go for anytime eating.
4. Boil Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are an easy, on-the-go protein source. You can eat them as is, add them to a salad, or even make a yogurt-based egg salad for simple lunches and dinners.
5. Whisk Up a Dressing. I like to keep homemade vinaigrettes on hand to use on salads or as a marinade, a finishing dressing or even a dip for raw and cooked vegetables. Try this lemon vinaigrette: Combine ¼ cup lemon juice with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
6. DIY Lunchmeat.
Fresh chicken or turkey is always a healthier option than even the best lunchmeats available, which are loaded with sodium (yes, even the organic versions). Over the weekend, grill off a few chicken breasts for use on salads and sandwiches; or roast a fresh turkey breast and slice it thinly like lunchmeat. You can even roast a whole chicken and use the meat for chicken salad.
7. Stock Up on Snacks. By making your own sweets you can control the ingredients you use and keep the added fats and sugars in check. Make a batch of your favorite healthy muffins, granola, granola bars or other sweet treats at the beginning of the week. You can freeze some and use the rest for an on-the-go breakfast option or simple snack.
----------
Read more Goal Getter for healthy eating, weight loss and more.
