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Summer is here and its all about entertaining and having a good time. How do we entertain healthy without blowing the budget. While it is easy to serve junk food, with a little thought and planning you can be feeding your family and guests healthy food without blowing the budget. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Plan your meals – by planning your weekly meals and snacks, you will save a lot of money by not buying on impulse, and wasting food. Buy what is on special, or buy in bulk to save more
Cook together – while not everyone enjoys cooking, it is more fun to do it as a team effort. Plan a few meals, keep the recipes simple and healthy, divie up the tasks, pour some vino, put on some groovy tunes and have fun in the kitchen. Don’t forget to bring your glass containers and label your masterful creations so you will remember what is in them when you open your freezer.
Buy local – support farmers markets, plus get the benefits of eating food grown close to home which has fewer pesticides.
Get creative – leftover chicken can be chicken stir fried rice or chicken sandwiches. Soft berries can be tomorrow’s strawberry banana smoothie. If the kids don’t finish off the smoothie, don’t throw it out, freeze it in popsicle moulds. They will be begging you for more.
Make it meatless – save some money and saturated fat, by making some of your meals meatless. Try black bean quesadillas; bean salads, veggie burgers, soups. They are filling and provide tons of fibre. One serving of beans is about a third of your daily allowance of fibre.
Forget the pop – and juice for that matter. Don’t waste money and calories on nutrient deficient food. Stick with H20 and add lemon, lime, orange slices or fresh mint to change it up. Herbal tea is naturally sweet and is delicious iced. My favourite is Vanilla Infused Rooibos.
Healthy snacks – if you want crunch without tons of calories, say goodbye to the chips. Fill up on raw veggies. Carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes are divine with a couple of tablespoons of hummus. Try different veggies for variety. I love the crunch and sweetness of jicama (pronounced Hicama), it tastes like a cross between an apple and celery. Peel away the ugly looking brown skin and indulge in the sweetness of this great Mexican veggie.
Remember summer is about having a good time and having fun with family and friends. Keep it light, keep it simple and enjoy the summer.