Healthy eating requires planning ahead.
Though this does take some time, it doesn‘t have to be so time intensive.
In this blog, I share some time-saving tips that help my family eat better and healthier.
1 – Try Convenient Apps for Shopping
No time to go to the grocery store?
Check out your neighborhood for the most convenient way to do online ordering.
In our home, we use Target for some food staples that help us eat healthier; this may include cottage cheese, eggs, yogurts, oatmeal, berries and other fruits, fresh vegetables, packaged salads, olive oil, nuts and tofu.
These shopping trips are quick (we don’t even have to get out of the car) and have less impulse buys.
We also keep chicken, fish and seafood on hand, which can be bought in bulk, and kept portion controlled in the freezer.
Certainly, during weeks when you have more time, you can enjoy picking out your own produce, but some weeks you just may be too busy.
2-Use New Meal Prep Tools
In our home, we’ve recently learned how well frozen vegetables cook in an air fryer.
By spraying vegetables with olive oil and adding seasoning, they cook up quick and flavorful.
We’ve especially enjoyed frozen cauliflower, broccoli, green beans and cut up peppers.
These can be added to stir fry dishes, used as salad toppers or as a side dish.
We also use an air fryer for making fish, seafood, chicken, tofu and even fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, eggplant and zucchini.
3-Cook Once, Enjoy throughout the Week
Vegetables can be cooked in an air fryer or oven roasted in big batches and then used throughout the week – on an entrée or side salad, as a topping to a thin veggie pizza dinner, an addition to a burrito bowl, sandwich wrap or a breakfast anytime egg scrambler.
You can also batch cook lentil or bean soup that can be frozen and enjoyed many times over.
Be patient as you try new dishes to find your favorites.
If you would like more ideas on how to build your own healthy eating meal plan in your quest to get healthier and better manage weight, check out my self-help book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works for You!
Healthy cooking and eating is a journey; enjoy the ride!
RK
Robert Kushner, MD
