The most common barrier to eating healthy that we hear
from friends, family and clients are “there’s not enough time during the week
to cook”. The truth is that
everyone can benefit from better time-management strategies in the kitchen.
It happens to all of us…you come home from work and NOTHING is
defrosted, nothing is prepped and you are starving. Do you grab
take-out? Hopefully not, but did you
know that you could actually save time and energy during the week by knocking
out 2-3 hours of prep-work on a Sunday?!
Plus, using the stove
continuously for hours, and using the burners as they’re still hot can save
energy costs. And if you clean and slice everything when you first get
home you don’t have to constantly clean the cutting board, knives, and
colander, and the fresh fruits and vegetables are easier to snack on since they
are ready to eat! In a couple of hours you can easily make
enough protein, side dishes and veggie options to create an endless amount of
dinners, lunches, soups, salads, stir fries etc. this week (plus a few sweet
treats). Less cooking, less dishes, less mess, less stress during the week =
awesome.
There is nothing easy about making most of your meals
from scratch either. I don’t care who you are, or how long you’ve been
cooking or how much you love it, at the end of the day we all would love to put
our feet up and have food delivered to our doorstep or swing through the
drive-thru. You can always take that option, but who wants processed
garbage full of artificial ingredients linked to diabetes, obesity, heart
conditions, and more, when you can provide your family with wholesome, healthy,
home cooked meals? And the best part, for my family at least, is spending
valuable time with my kids by giving them small tasks to help me, and teaching
them about healthy foods and why it’s important to eat them. The worst
part — clean up, but thank goodness for husbands and dishwashers!!
REFRIGERATOR AND
PANTRY CLEAN OUT:
·
Before heading to the store, clean everything
out Anything over one year old should go
plus anything with artificial ingredients
·
Check to see what you have left
·
Renew your pantry staples - EVOO, Grapeseed or
Coconut oil, Beans, Legumes, Brown Rice, Low Sodium Broths, Popcorn, Liquid
Condiments, Herbs & Spices, Pasta, Nut, Nut Butters, Pouched Tuna or
salmon, and Dried fruit
·
Plan your meals for the week (if you have kids,
I like to post our week of meals so they know what to expect)
·
Make a list
NAVIGATING THE
GROCERY STORE:
·
STICK TO THE LIST
·
Shop the perimeter of the grocery
store where fresh foods like fruits,
veggies, dairy, meat and fish are located.
Avoid the center aisle where junk
foods lurk, unless you need a condiment
·
Stay
clear of foods with cartoons on the label
·
Avoid foods
that contain more than five
ingredients and artificial ingredients
you
can’t pronounce
·
DON’T SHOP HUNGRY – On average we buy 2/3 more
when shopping hungry
·
Supermarket layouts encourage us to buy and eat
more
·
If you are on a budget, prepared foods such as
cut and peeled veggies, sliced cheeses, etc will cost more. It will take more prep time but if you make
it happen you will have the time
·
A
rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables are always the best option. Check out
what's local and seasonal in your area—they're likely the least expensive,
freshest and tastiest produce selections around.
·
Choose
locally grown when possible, summer markets are better than the grocery store
·
Choose
fruits and veggies that are in season, which will cost less. You can see up a list of seasonal produce
here http://www.projectfresh.msu.edu/uploads/files/32/MI_Availability_Guide.pdf
·
Opt for frozen vegetables and fruits when fresh
isn’t available
·
Choose a variety of foods each week, if you
normally buy white potatoes try sweet potatoes; spinach instead of romaine; Or
try a fruit or vegetable you have never had before and showcase it in a meal
·
Buy as much Organic as possible but if you are
on a budget choose these, which have the highest pesticide residue - Apples, bell peppers,
celery, cherries, grapes,
nectarines, peaches, pears,
potatoes, raspberries, spinach,
strawberries, lettuce and
greens
·
Save money and buy these conventionally grown,
which have the lowest pesticide residue - Asparagus, avocado,
bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions,
papaya, pineapple, sweet
peas
·
Limit canned foods - most have BPA or similar in
the can linings. Look for tuna, soups,
tomatoes and broth in tetra pack containers, which are BPA free.
·
Try seafood once per week, always choose wild
caught, never buy farm raised. Stay away
from high mercury varieties such as, Mackerel (King), Marlin, Orange Roughy, Shark,
Swordfish, Tilefish, Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)
·
Choose lean cuts of red meat
- round, top sirloin, and tenderloin;
All white meat chicken, turkey and pork
·
Breads, Cereals, and Pasta-choose the least
processed foods that are made with 100% whole flours (not enriched flours) - whole
wheat bread and pastas, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, rye, barley)
·
Beans and lentils are a great source of protein,
incorporate these
PUTTING AWAY
GROCERIES:
·
To clean fruits and veggies, fill the sink with
water and distilled white vinegar mixture (about 10 parts water to 1 part
vinegar) and rinse all the fruit and vegetables, then rinse everything in plain
water, set on a towel to dry.
·
Rinse berries in a colander separate since they
are soft.
· Tear and wash lettuce(or rinse precut) and let
air dry on a towel, store in a ziploc with a dry paper towel·
Slice and chop anything that will keep (firm
veggies -carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) and place them all in
separate bowls so they are easy to grab for snacks, salad, or to throw in the
juicer or blender.
·
Cut celery into 4″ sticks and place it in some
water so it stays crisp
·
Chop an onion for the week, dice half and slice
the rest.
·
Breaking down garlic will save to lots of time
throughout the week as it is easier to use when the cloves are separated and
cleaned (or you can try Gourmet Garden garlic in a tube or pre-diced garlic in
oil).
IDEAS FOR THE WEEK:
Protein:
*
Hard boil 4 cage-free organic eggs (to grab in
the morning or to add on salads – great for after a workout)
*
Sauteed shrimp (1 lb, cooked in butter, olive
oil, paprika, salt) …top salads, eat with rice or over spaghetti squash!
*
Sauteed organic tofu (cooked immediately after
shrimp in those juices/oil) stir fry, over rice…
*
Roasted whole organic chicken- Re-heat, or use
in any dish: sandwiches, soups, tacos, quesadillas, stir fry, and of course
atop a big colorful salad!)
*
Slow cook a pork tenderloin and have shredded
pork for numerous dishes throughout the week.
*
Cooked white beans (boiled, for hummus, salad
toppings)
*
Tuna salad (2 packages tuna, 1 T organic mayo
(vegannaise or greek yogurt), red peppers, white onions, celery)
*
Keep
pre-made protein shakes on hand for days when there’s no time for a meal. We love About Time Shake and Go or Arbonne’s
Chocolate
*
Slice cheeses or pre-portion shredded cheese
into containers or baggies
Veggies:
*
Use fresh veggies early in the week and save the
frozen for later in the week
*
Grill or Roast seasonal vegetables for wraps,
quesadillas, or side dishes
*
Sweet Potato & Apple Bake
Fruit:
*
Keep varieties of grab and go fruits such as
bananas, apples and oranges
*
Keep frozen varieties on hand for smoothies or
make fruit water (fill pitcher with sparkling water add frozen fruit and viola
– a carbonated refreshing fruity drink
*
Jarred and Frozen Varieties only, no canned
fruits or pie fillings
*
Cut up a whole pineapple for smoothies, stir
fries, salads, etc.
*
Make your own fruit salad or add grapes,
oranges, berries etc to lunchtime salads
for added sweetness
Starches/Carbs:
*
Rice Pilaf, Barilla Protein Plus Pasta, Quinoa,
etc can be boiled ahead and reheated to serve with chicken or stir fry or
shrimp or on salads later.
*
Blueberry Pancakes take just minutes to make.
Make a double batch Sunday morning to use for breakfast, snacks, or dinner
throughout the week.
*
Homemade bars, muffins or breads are easy to
make and are a great breakfast or snack. You can even add protein powder, flax
seeds, chia seeds and more for a nutrient boost
Grab & Go
Snacks:
*
Don't make a
habit of snacking on 100-calorie packs of crackers and cookies, which are
mainly made with refined flour. These snack packs may be low in calories, but
they're also low in nutrients. It's
better to make your snacks work for you by delivering protein, fiber, or
antioxidants. Make your own snack bags with cereal, nuts, dried fruit,
chocolate chips, granola, seeds, pretzels and more!
*
Stash an assortment of these in your purse, desk
or car:
o High
protein and fiber bars (We love Quest, Larabars)
o About
Time Shake and Go protein shakes for after workouts
o Homemade
Trail Mix
o Almond
Milk singles
o Krave
Turkey and Beef Jerky
Other:
*
Make Salad Dressing (Olive Oil, Garlic, olive
oil, red wine vinegar)
*
Make a couple of days of school lunches (get
the kids to help). It’ll save you so much trouble throughout the week if
you take care of 2-3 days at once!
*
Have
a portable cooler or decent-sized lunch bag on call at all times
*
Keep
a stash of napkins and plasticware in your car, backpack, purse and desk
*
Make one salad (pasta, tuna, quinoa, etc) that
keeps well so you can have it all week
*
Most
recipes can be made ahead and frozen. You can make one batch per week -
try healthy spinach lasagna, burritos, soups, muffins, breads - freeze
individual sized portions, place in freezer and VIOLA , instant grab and go
healthy frozen meal
*
Homemade pesto, hummus, tabouli and guacamole are things
that you can easily make yourself. They take minutes and it’s all
done in the food processor! You can use them on wraps, pasta, dipping
sauces, and salads.
Hope this gives you more ideas for how to eat clean,
healthy, and quickly!
May your kitchen & healthy meals flow with ease this
week! xo
