Eating Healthy, Home-cooked Meals: Problem, Solved!
A common problem when it comes to diet is that, with our busy schedules, it can be difficult to make sure that every single meal is homemade and contains a diverse range of unprocessed ingredients. Processed, prepackaged foods are a common alternative to daily home cooking but usually contain way too much sugar and don’t offer a wide variety of nutrients. On top of the time required, another issue with daily home cooking is that it can be difficult to always have the right ingredients in stock on a daily basis.
The solution to this problem is simple and can even be fun: Meal Prep!
Rather than rushing to prepare dinner after a busy day, several days in a row, I like to prepare meals in advance. When I Meal Prep, usually on Sunday afternoon for the week ahead, it gives me the time to be intentional and stress-free when I cook. With a bit of planning, I can find balanced, diverse, healthy recipes, make sure I have all of the ingredients by doing one intentional grocery trip, and efficiently prepare loads of healthy, home cooked food for the days ahead. This process gets even better when done in a group! It feels good to socialize and work together. Many hands make light work!
Remember the Rule of P’s: “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance”.
Of course, I can still cook during the week when I want to, but the pressure is off because I know that there are healthy, home cooked, diverse meals waiting in the fridge or freezer.
How to choose a healthy recipe?
Every day, it seems like we hear more and more about the benefits of diversity. Diversity in the workplace. Diversity of ideas. Even the diversity of bacteria in our gut! One of the most important times to remember the benefits of diversity is when we decide what to eat. A diverse variety of foods helps to ensure that you’re getting all of the nutrients that are essential to living a happy, healthy life!
A good rule of thumb for judging if a meal is healthy is to check how many different colours are on the plate. Each colour of vegetable is rich in unique and important micronutrients that are comprised of phytonutrients (plant compounds), vitamins and minerals that fuel your body to function optimally.
Another good rule is to balance your plate. You should aim to get protein, fat, unrefined carbohydrates, and veggies at every meal.
Some examples of great protein sources include grass fed-meat, fish, tempeh, and legumes. Great fat options are avocado olive oil, nuts and seeds. Try whole grains, like farro, brown rice. Great vegetables, like sweet potato, Brussel sprouts, or artichokes.
Whole foods fill you up and fuel you, whereas empty calories like those found in processed foods, gives you a quick boost of energy but often lead to a crash and hunger shortly after. Don’t believe me? Try eating several apples in a row! Much more difficult than eating a bag of chips or an entire row of cookies!
Nutrition is the Foundation of a Healthy Life
The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. If you take care of yourself by eating clean food, you may find it easier to engage in self care such as exercise, meditation, massage and other things that help make your life better.
Bonus tip!
Don’t forget that you can also drink your nutrients! Homemade plant-based milks are a healthy, dairy-free, and delicious source of nutrition. You can use any plant base you prefer, including rice, oat, coconut, almond, hazelnut, macadamia, or even pistachio! Here is my favorite go-to nut milk recipe:
Homemade Plant-based Milk
3 cups of water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup soaked nuts (soak overnight)
1 banana
4 dates
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
lots of love
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
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