How To Have Healthier And Happier Meals
JILL THISTLE
Wouldn’t it be great to have someone do our food shopping, cook our meals and clean up afterwards? In today’s hectic world, we are often rushed, tired, stressed or don’t have the time to prepare and enjoy a healthy meal. Instead of eating to nourish our bodies, we grab whatever we can and quickly devour the food, sometimes barely tasting it. Unfortunately, hiring a personal chef isn’t a viable option. We have to do the work ourselves but there are ways to make the job a little easier -- and definitely healthier, which in turn, makes us happier.
Plan Your Menu For The Week
Planning ahead of time will save time later. Just knowing what you are going to cook makes the daily dinner grind less overwhelming. There’s nothing worse than coming home from work tired and hungry and having to think about what to make for dinner. You could jot it on a big chalkboard hanging in your kitchen, or schedule it on your phone calendar. A sunday is usually a good time to do this when there’s some down time. Look at the family’s schedule and see which meals work best on certain days. If everyone will be home late on Tuesday, then plan a meal like a stir fry that can be cooked quickly.
Shop For The Food Ahead Of Time
Don’t you hate it when you are in the mood to have a particular dish and you don’t have all the ingredients in the house? Once your meals are planned, make a list and go to the grocery store to buy what you need for the week. How many times do you run to the grocery store during the week? If the answer is a few, then your time is being sapped by these frequent trips. By planning and taking a little extra time on one day, it will save you time, money and frustration -- not to mention assisting in stopping those impulse buys when you’re hungry and rushed at the store.
Prep The Foods
You’ve planned, you’ve shopped, now it’s time to actually start preparing the foods. Food preparation is an important part of eating healthy. Take the time to wash and chop veggies for various meals. Cook a big batch of chicken and use it for a few recipes during the week. Make quinoa or farro and separate it into small portions to have with your dinners. Some meals, like soups or stews, can even be made ahead of time and then just reheated on those nights where you need to grab something quick. It’s a better option than running to the nearest fast food place. The idea is to prepare as much as you can ahead of time so you can relax and relish the meal.
Although we still have to do all the work, there are ways to make it easier, healthier and less stressful. And this makes us happier. By taking a few moments at the beginning of the week for some planning and preparing, the task of cooking meals will be less daunting and more relaxed. And who knows, maybe someday there will be a robot who can do it all for us.
How Do You Get Prepared For The Week Ahead?
Jill Thistle is the author of Mommy Muscles: A Practical Guide to Building your Physical and Mental Muscles. This book is for every woman who wants to improve herself and change her life forever. Jill is a group exercise instructor certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She holds certifications for Dance it Out (DIOÂŽ) Pop Pilates and Personal Nutrition. She is an avid weight lifter and loves teaching many different types of fitness classes. She has an English Education degree and has worked in a special education high school for over 17 years while managing an English as a Second Language tutoring business.