With our busy lives, cooking often seems beyond challenging. But as I tell my clients, not cooking is not an option. In order to be healthy, we have to cook. Let’s be successful and create a plan that works. I believe planning and being “ahead of the game” is the key to success. Here are some tips to consider:
- Pick a day. Routine allows us to take action with less thinking. Pick one day where you plan and shop. Make this consistent.
- Use your calendar. Plan ahead knowing how busy you are, when you’ll be home, are there visitors or family activities. Use a crock pot for those busy days where you’ll be home late, for example.
- Get input. Let everyone have a say in what they eat. There’s nothing more defeating than working hard on a meal just to have no one touch it. Solicit ideas. More participation equals less work on your part.
- Create balanced meals. I always think what’s my protein, whole grain carb, and vegetables. I start with protein. Is it chicken, turkey, fish, other seafood, tofu, beans, etc., then I know what carbs I want to add. Finally, I load it up with a rainbow of vegetable colors.
- Create themes. I don’t always do this but any time we can skip thinking, do it. We make too many decisions in one day as it is. For example, Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Crock Pot Wednesdays, Friday Fish, etc. Don’t forget about the weekends too.
- Pre-prep. I like to at least think about what I’m doing the next day so I know if I need to pull out some meat or fish from the freezer to the fridge. Do I need to pre-cut some things if I won’t have time tomorrow? Looking ahead is so valuable.
- Only plan one meal a day. We keep it simple in my house. We rotate between eggs and oatmeal for breakfast (with the occasional variety on the weekends). For lunch, we eat leftover dinners. So…I really only have to think about one meal a day.
If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
