Congratulations!! It is 5:00pm and you have made it thru another work day. As you walk to the car you contemplate what to cook for dinner. You already know once you get home your household will be wanting something good to eat, but you have not even considered food options for the evening. You consider cooking, but you are tired and don’t have the energy or desire to stand in front of a stove for the next two hours preparing a healthy and balanced meal for your family. Besides, you don’t have the time with homework, baths, and preparing for the next day. There is not enough time to cook……..or is there?
Eating healthy and balanced meals throughout the week is not as difficult as you think. With the proper amount of preplanning and a few tricks you can create gourmet meals for your family in record time. Here are 6 simple tips for creating healthy delicious meals for you and your family during the week.
1.Purchase Quality Ingredients
The average family of 4 has a minimum 4 packages of frozen or canned vegetables within their home. I am the first person who believes in frozen items however, you shouldn’t depend on them. When you go to the grocery store make sure you know where your ingredients come from. We have all seen horror stories on social media regarding fake and artificial foods. Why trust your families’ health to something that can sit on a shelf for the next 10 years without spoiling?
2.Purchase Pre-Prepped Items When Possible
There is nothing I love more than pre-prepped items. Something as simple as pre-chopped lettuce can save you valuable minutes within the kitchen. During the past 10 years the food industry has increased the quality of pre-prepped items. Next time you are in the grocery store check-out some of the selections you have. They might surprise you.
3.Get a Crock-Pot
I have had a Crock-Pot for almost my entire adult life, but it was not until the last three years I started to appreciate its simplicity. This one kitchen appliance allows you to prepare meals with little effort. Simply prep your food before you leave for the day and come back to a homemade, delicious meal. Trust me. Your family will love you for it. Do you have a Crock-Pot and if so do you use it?
4.Plan Ahead
Prior planning is critical to providing healthy meals. With the typical busy schedule of most families it is almost impossible to plan every aspect of the day. However, meals are an area that should be priority. Dedicate one day to identify your families’ meals for the week and figure out what you can prep ahead. For example: if you are doing a roasted chicken with root vegetables on Tuesday you can season the chicken & prep the vegetables two days before. All you would have to do Tuesday morning would be to throw everything into a Crock-Pot and set the time. You will come home to the wonderful smell of success (not to mention an amazing chicken and side dish).
5. Make Cooking Is Reinforcing for You!
If you are like me, you love cooking but hate cleaning up. I stopped cooking for about a year because I “didn’t have the time” when in actuality the act of washing dishes was super aversive to me. In the recent months I started to make cooking more reinforcing for me by adding in a glass of wine and some amazing music. With the introduction of pre-prepped items, wine, and some great tunes, I have my love for cooking back. What do you think you can do to make cooking more reinforcing for you?
6.Try New Things
Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. The worst thing that will happen is you don’t like it. A friend of mine had never eaten curry chicken. After about three months of conversing he now loves it. Yes, kids can be super picky but exposing them to new food selections will produce a new generation of foodies.
Author: Shawn T. Capell. M.S., BCBA