It is no secret that cooking from scratch is the best way to ensure that the food you're eating is whole, clean and healthy. It is also no secret that cooking takes time, and these days, time is something we all wish we could purchase in bulk.
There are some "convenience foods" that I keep on hand for when I am in a pinch & short on time. Foods that are "okay" in terms of taste, ingredients and health. Way better than hitting the drive through, but not as good as preparing it yourself. Most of these foods tend to be a bit high in sodium, but if you're not eating them all the time, it's not anything I would worry about.
Things such as:
-Amy's Organic Frozen meals. I love that most of Amy's stuff is meatless and are made with whole/natural ingredients. They taste really good too. The only downside is that they tend to not be super filling, so if I didn't have time to pack a lunch and take one of these to work, I usually eat something with it, on the side. Such as a baked sweet potato, small salad etc.
- Amy's Soup or Pacific Natural Foods Soup. Again, a bit high on the sodium and no where near as tasty as homemade soup, and, well not always a filling meal either, so sometimes I have this on the side of my organic frozen meal. ;)
- Organic Oatmeal. There are lots of varieties of organic oatmeal that are tasty. If I eat two, my hunger is satisfied. This will do in a pinch but they tend to be pretty high in added sugar so I try not to rely on it for an every day breakfast.
Then there are lots of quick & healthy snack items such as raw almonds, pistachios or other nut of choice, organic/natural tortilla chips with salsa, half of an avocado, whole wheat pita bread with hummus, half of an almond butter and jelly sandwich, a bowl of granola with almond milk, an apple, banana, or orange, Lara Bars etc.
But for meals, you can also get them to be healthy AND quick/easy/convenient. How? By preparing things that can be made in a "batch" ahead of time.
Breakfasts
Oatmeal, for instance, I sometimes cook a huge batch of (from regular, plain ol' oats) and then separate it in to 3-4 separate containers (all, still large, and are 2-3 servings each) and make each bowl a different variety. I sweeten it with different combos of the following: raisins, apples, cinnamon, maple syrup, brown sugar, stevia, bananas, almonds, walnuts, peanut butter or almond butter. Then I keep one batch /bowl in the fridge to eat from each morning and freeze the others, and take them out at as I need them. So it's all healthy & convenient and you only need to do the work once.
I also just discovered "Baked Oatmeal Bars" this weekend. I will post the recipe and pictures later, but it basically takes an oatmeal recipe, combined with some non-dairy milk and some other stuff to make your pre-made oatmeal portable as well ;) The only thing I'll do differently next time is double the batch and freeze half of it so it's even less work and more convenient... ;)
Egg Bake - I know a lot of people make "egg bakes" but the majority of them are not very healthy. Typically made with about a dozen whole eggs, bacon (and/or sausage), cheese, milk, hashed browns and who knows what else. Well I like to make a healthified version. (I know that's not a real word) I truly do enjoy the taste of veggie omelets but instead of taking the time to make one every day, I just put all the ingredients together (usually I do 6 eggs and 6 egg whites, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms and a little bit of reduced fat cheese and then bake them in an 8X8 baking dish on about 300° until done (about 30 mins). Cut in to squares and have 1-2 per day for breakfast. You can also bake these in muffin tins with the little paper muffin cups if you like.
So the key is making larger batches of something that can be eaten through out the week. You can do this with all kinds of dishes. Make a large batch of whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti and have leftovers to take to work for a couple of days, or a large batch of soup and freeze some either in to individual portions size jars, (I do this allll the time!!) or bowls that have several servings. A large Black Bean & Quinoa Salad will last 3 days in the fridge and can be your take-and-go lunch, or get-home-and-eat dinner. Bean Burritos are always fast, easy and healthy. I like to make big batches of beans on the weekends and then freeze them in to smaller portions to be used later on, but canned, organic & low-sodium beans are sufficient too.
I have more options too, but these are the ones that came to mind right away. I will post & link recipes to the dishes mentioned here too.
Question: What is your favorite thing to make ahead of time that can be eaten for several meals?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
His and Hers Dinners
One of my big struggles when it comes to eating is the vast difference between my eating preferences, and my husband's... and my toddler's. I would prefer to eat all vegan, but my diet is more like pescetarian (mostly made up of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pasta, nuts, etc... no chicken/beef/lamb/pork, only fish on occasion, dairy on occasion). My husband is a carnivore with a large appetite and my toddler would love it if he could live on macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and french fries at every meal. (although typically we can get him to eat what is served, sometimes it just takes a lot of coaxing)
We prefer to eat dinner as a family obviously, and it's just not ideal to prepare two (or three) totally separate things to serve at one meal. Even if my husband was more up for cooking his own meal (which is not typically the case) then we'd still have two cooks in the kitchen at once which is difficult, and I still have to meal plan/shop for two different meals for one night, so it's still nearly twice the work.
In our case, there are few options:
1. Have him deal with it and just eat what I cook regardless if he would prefer something else.
Pros: Easier for me, and I get to eat what I prefer while also feeding my whole family healthy foods.
Cons: Hubby likes cheap food, unhealthy/fattening food and meaty food, so in this case dinner leaves him less than satisfied.
If I am going to go this route though, the least I can do is try and make things that are more appealing to him. I am more than happy with a big fat salad for dinner, but my husband, and son.... not so much, so I won't be putting that on our weekly meal plan any time soon. If I am going to make something for the whole family, I try and make something that still tastes great and at least resembles a food that he is fond of. Some things I've made that I know he has liked are:
-*Red Lentil Enchiladas (basically just using red lentils in lieu of meat)
-*Wild Rice Pub Burgers
-*Vegetarian Chili
-*Pasta with veggies and homemade "cream" sauce. (milk, flour and seasoning)
-*Spaghetti
-Bean burritos
-Lentil Loaf. Basically a lentil version of meatloaf. :)
-Salmon or other fish. I don't mind eating fish once and a while so that is an option, and Mike can just double up on the fish portion.
2. Make a meal that is versatile/a meal that can be done both ways.
The meals above that are marked with an asterisks, I sometimes make meatless/as described, but sometimes I make them both ways. On the dishes that have meat them, I will prepare the meat separate and have Mike add it to his own plate. The others, like burgers & enchiladas, I make meat for his and a meatless variety for mine. Some other things that can be made versatile are:
-Homemade Pizzas. Veggies for mine, canadian bacon for his.
-Tacos. Ground beef/regular tacos for him and then I either make a taco salad and use Morningstar meatless crumbles, or I just use beans, salsa, green peppers, guacamole... all the mexican fixings.
-Fajitas. Have portobello mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for me and chicken or steak for him. Then all the sides & fixings can be shared.
-Stir Fry or Pad Thai. I've never made Pad Thai but I found it as a suggestion from a search result, haha. But both can be made with meat/tofu separately and we can each add it to our own meals.
-Kebobs. These are more for the summer, but I can make chicken or steak kebobs for Mike, and veggie kebobs for me and throw them on the grill.
3. Make two completely separate meals
This is the case more often than I'd like to admit. The more acceptable version of this is when I make, say a meat main course with a veggie side and a grain side. He eats some of everything while I eat the two sides and no meat.
4. Have him make his own separate meal.
I don't know why but I feel weird about making something that I know full well he doesn't like or won't be satisfied with and making him fend for himself.
Of these, I really prefer the first and second options. I am going to need to look in to more versatile meals and meals that are hearty & filling enough for him too. When I find more, I'll be sure to put them here! :)
We prefer to eat dinner as a family obviously, and it's just not ideal to prepare two (or three) totally separate things to serve at one meal. Even if my husband was more up for cooking his own meal (which is not typically the case) then we'd still have two cooks in the kitchen at once which is difficult, and I still have to meal plan/shop for two different meals for one night, so it's still nearly twice the work.
In our case, there are few options:
1. Have him deal with it and just eat what I cook regardless if he would prefer something else.
Pros: Easier for me, and I get to eat what I prefer while also feeding my whole family healthy foods.
Cons: Hubby likes cheap food, unhealthy/fattening food and meaty food, so in this case dinner leaves him less than satisfied.
If I am going to go this route though, the least I can do is try and make things that are more appealing to him. I am more than happy with a big fat salad for dinner, but my husband, and son.... not so much, so I won't be putting that on our weekly meal plan any time soon. If I am going to make something for the whole family, I try and make something that still tastes great and at least resembles a food that he is fond of. Some things I've made that I know he has liked are:
-*Red Lentil Enchiladas (basically just using red lentils in lieu of meat)
-*Wild Rice Pub Burgers
-*Vegetarian Chili
-*Pasta with veggies and homemade "cream" sauce. (milk, flour and seasoning)
-*Spaghetti
-Bean burritos
-Lentil Loaf. Basically a lentil version of meatloaf. :)
-Salmon or other fish. I don't mind eating fish once and a while so that is an option, and Mike can just double up on the fish portion.
2. Make a meal that is versatile/a meal that can be done both ways.
The meals above that are marked with an asterisks, I sometimes make meatless/as described, but sometimes I make them both ways. On the dishes that have meat them, I will prepare the meat separate and have Mike add it to his own plate. The others, like burgers & enchiladas, I make meat for his and a meatless variety for mine. Some other things that can be made versatile are:
-Homemade Pizzas. Veggies for mine, canadian bacon for his.
-Tacos. Ground beef/regular tacos for him and then I either make a taco salad and use Morningstar meatless crumbles, or I just use beans, salsa, green peppers, guacamole... all the mexican fixings.
-Fajitas. Have portobello mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for me and chicken or steak for him. Then all the sides & fixings can be shared.
-Stir Fry or Pad Thai. I've never made Pad Thai but I found it as a suggestion from a search result, haha. But both can be made with meat/tofu separately and we can each add it to our own meals.
-Kebobs. These are more for the summer, but I can make chicken or steak kebobs for Mike, and veggie kebobs for me and throw them on the grill.
3. Make two completely separate meals
This is the case more often than I'd like to admit. The more acceptable version of this is when I make, say a meat main course with a veggie side and a grain side. He eats some of everything while I eat the two sides and no meat.
4. Have him make his own separate meal.
I don't know why but I feel weird about making something that I know full well he doesn't like or won't be satisfied with and making him fend for himself.
Of these, I really prefer the first and second options. I am going to need to look in to more versatile meals and meals that are hearty & filling enough for him too. When I find more, I'll be sure to put them here! :)
Monday, March 5, 2012
The good, the bad and the ugly
Today I have a few things on my mind, all very different. One is good, one is bad and one is ugly.
On the good news - I have a co-worker who has been trying to conceive for several years. Clomid was unsuccessful, as was IUI and they are now undergoing IVF. On Saturday they were able to retrieve 6 eggs from her and today, she let me know that 4 of the 6 eggs "took" and are now embryos. They just have to wait a couple more days and they will implant the two best embryos. I am so so happy for her. What a wonderful answer to a prayer. Now just hoping and continuing to pray that all goes well with implantation and that they are able to become parents. She is 39 and this would be their first pregnancy/child.
The bad news, (much more trivial than the good news) is that on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend, when Tyler was napping and I had a choice to either work out or nap myself.... I chose to nap, both days. I feel like such a lazy bum and super disappointed in myself. I have two months to get my body in as good of shape as I can in that time and I am not using the time as good as I could/should be. Also, if I don't, there's a chance I will lose $100 to a friend I am in a weight loss bet with.
And for the ugly. My dad has been struggling with some health issues for a while - he has had this awful cough that sounds as if he is about to gag/throw up, I think it's related to asthma and he has an inhaler for that. But about a month ago he let me know he is on oxygen and needs a biopsy on his lung. Last night, he let us know that he has lung disease and that he needs a lung transplant. I didn't get much more out of him than that and when I tried to google "lung disease" about 10 different kinds of lung disease came up in the suggested search, so I don't even know what kind, or how long the wait is or how he'll do in the mean time etc. Just that he needs one. And that is scary. He is only 55. My mom died when she was 49. I am only 29 and feel like it's way too soon for me to lose both of my parents. I just want him to be healthy and to have lots of years left.
On the good news - I have a co-worker who has been trying to conceive for several years. Clomid was unsuccessful, as was IUI and they are now undergoing IVF. On Saturday they were able to retrieve 6 eggs from her and today, she let me know that 4 of the 6 eggs "took" and are now embryos. They just have to wait a couple more days and they will implant the two best embryos. I am so so happy for her. What a wonderful answer to a prayer. Now just hoping and continuing to pray that all goes well with implantation and that they are able to become parents. She is 39 and this would be their first pregnancy/child.
The bad news, (much more trivial than the good news) is that on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend, when Tyler was napping and I had a choice to either work out or nap myself.... I chose to nap, both days. I feel like such a lazy bum and super disappointed in myself. I have two months to get my body in as good of shape as I can in that time and I am not using the time as good as I could/should be. Also, if I don't, there's a chance I will lose $100 to a friend I am in a weight loss bet with.
And for the ugly. My dad has been struggling with some health issues for a while - he has had this awful cough that sounds as if he is about to gag/throw up, I think it's related to asthma and he has an inhaler for that. But about a month ago he let me know he is on oxygen and needs a biopsy on his lung. Last night, he let us know that he has lung disease and that he needs a lung transplant. I didn't get much more out of him than that and when I tried to google "lung disease" about 10 different kinds of lung disease came up in the suggested search, so I don't even know what kind, or how long the wait is or how he'll do in the mean time etc. Just that he needs one. And that is scary. He is only 55. My mom died when she was 49. I am only 29 and feel like it's way too soon for me to lose both of my parents. I just want him to be healthy and to have lots of years left.
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