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Today’s women are literally on the run. So much so that they sprint out of their homes, cell phone in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, but nothing in the powerhouse of their bodies…their stomachs. Little more than grabbing a sugar-ladden granola bar goes into planning a breakfast- the meal that is supposed to be for champions. Most women complain that they don’t eat healthfully because it takes so much time. Time that is otherwise spent working themselves to death or shopping to find the next diet book to counteract their not taking care of themselves. Yes, eating for health does take some effort, but working smart rather than working hard to prepare food can minimize your food preparation time and increase your time feeling good about yourself.
Taking care of yourself with food takes carving out a block of time weekly to prepare food in bulk for the upcoming days. I choose Sunday afternoons, when the kitchen is empty and I can spread out my Tupperware to fill with my lunches for weekdays in the upcoming week. The first tip is think quantity. Rather than grilling one chicken breast or piece of salmon one at a time, lay out cookie sheets or pans and place as many pieces as possible to fill both racks of the oven. Add minced garlic available in jars, lemon juice, and some soy or tamari sauce, and bake or broil. In 20-30 minutes you’ll have a lean protein source, the focus of your meal, for 2-3 weeks. Cut the cooked meat into individual pieces, place in Ziploc baggies, and freeze the meat you won’t be using in the upcoming week. If you can’t stand the smell of fish cooking, opt for the tuna or salmon in the pouches, or buy chicken in the can. These can be taken to work and eaten straight out of the containers.
For those who are vegetarians, buy a container of tempeh or tofu. Both are excellent sources of protein, are reasonably priced, and can be eaten straight from the package if you don’t have time for stir frying. A one-half cup serving of roasted soy nuts, or a cup of black beans are other hearty alternatives to animal protein. Again, you can cook up a pot of beans or make a blender full of hummus and store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Rather than adding fries or chips to your main course, cook up a large pot of brown rice and scoop a cup into each container. Vegetables are always encouraged to round out your meal, and the good news is that frozen still maintain many of the salient nutrients in them. Pull out frozen broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower if you’d rather not cook a pot of fresh. Add a cup of cooked vegetables and buy chopped or already rinsed salad and add it to the mix. With a tablespoon of salad dressing, you now have a week’s worth of satisfying, nutritious, and reasonably priced meals.
Rather than making a run for vending machine at work, take advantage of the convenience of healthy snacks available to take on the go. Apples, almonds, and other nuts are non-perishable and easily accessible. Individually packaged yogurts or mozzarella cheese sticks are nice protein sources as well as keeping a container of natural peanut butter in your desk drawer to spread on rice cakes for a mid afternoon snack.
If you have kids, you’re probably the last one to eat. Preparing your food ahead of time, once a week, insures that you will always have a healthy choice on hand so that you won’t have to grab your child’s chicken nuggets in a frenzy of perceived starvation. You may find that preparing ahead will work for feeding your entire family. Remember-when cooking is concerned, think BIG…if one serving is good, six is better. You can always pop a healthy meal out of the freezer instead of grabbing the quickest source of fuel available, which is usually laden with fat and sugar.
The next time you are about to say you want to eat healthfully but don’t have enough time, ask yourself if you could have made a healthful meal in the minutes it took driving to and from the fast food restaurant. Besides you’ll spend half the price and you won’t even miss the McPrize.
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