When you work for yourself it’s easy to put great, healthy meals on the table; drive two kids around to all their activities 5-6 times per week; keep the house tidy and somehow try to remember that your husband still exists in this equation - right?
WRONG! Often when I look at all I have to get done on my weekly to do list, it does not seem physically possible to achieve. Somehow though with various timesaving measures and coping strategies - it always gets done.
Top priority on my list is ensuring my family has home-cooked, balanced meals that they enjoy as often as possible. Being a marketing consultant in the food and beverage industry, I understand very well how tempting it can be to buy all those ready to serve products - but at what cost? Often these products are too high in saturated fats, sodium and calories - OK for the occasional meal but not something you want to grab every day no matter how rushed you are.
It is possible to cook fast, easy to prepare, healthy meals - here’s how:
Invest in Some Key Kitchen Appliances & Tools - Having a crock-pot and programmable rice cooker are essential to prepare meals in advance.
Plan Meals Weekly Using The Web Or What You Have Stocked for Inspiration - Shop weekly but map out what you will serve daily on a chart stuck to your fridge, then categorize the ingredients needed.
Use Down Time to Prepare Meals in Advance - Use free time on the weekend or an evening to make a few dinners or snacks for the week.
Enlist The Family for Help - Include your kids to help in the preparation by getting ingredients and washing them, stirring, pulling things together etc. - My kids especially like making fresh spring rolls or banana bread.
Double Up On Recipes to Allow for Leftovers - Double recipes where possible to have a second meal or lunch packed for the week - Or just double up on the meat and reserve to make a completely different meal later.
Freeze - Freeze some key items for full meals to pull from when you have no time to cook - I often have homemade spaghetti sauce, taco meat, cooked chicken and a casserole frozen. Also ensure I have pasta, wraps and some rice on hand.
Swap Recipes or Even Better, Food With Friends - When you discover a great new dish, share the recipe and if enough – pass on some food - Soup is an easy meal to prepare a large portion and swap.
Organize Your Favourite Recipes So You Can Grab Quickly for Future Reference - I have a file storage system by meal type (appetizer, main, soups and salads, baked, desserts etc.) that I place my favourite recipes in once I have tested them. Place on computer as well for even quicker reference.
Printer-friendly version