Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants. – Michael Pollan
I completely understand that this isn’t always the case. First rule, don’t beat yourself up over your food choices. You’re simply doing the best you can. We’ve got a lot of obstacles to navigate our way around in this modern day world: limited time, families, work. It can be overwhelming to say the least. Here’s a few things to take into consideration when time is limited, but you still want to eat well.
START SMALL
One of the biggest lessons for me when I was embarking on my health journey, was to set small, achievable goals. It’s all about making it as easy as possible for yourself to take the first step.
The same applies to cooking for yourself. Its so much easier to start with one night a week and build from there. Making it achievable also means you’re less likely to end up with a fridge full of vegetables that make you feel guilty when they go bad and you throw them out.
LEARN A FEW QUICK EASY RECIPES
Having a little collection of easy recipes that focus on speedy cooking techniques is half the battle. Especially when you’re just getting into cooking real food.
If a recipe has an ingredients list as long as your arm, or has instructions like ‘simmer for 30 minutes’ it’s best to save them for weekend cooking when you have more time.
Look for simple stir-frys, hearty salads or one pot meals.
FOOD PREP FOOD PREP FOOD PREP
If you can set aside a bit of time each week to prep a meal or two, it can be a real life saver. Weekends are good times to fit this in. Simply make a big pot of rolled or steel cut oats, and re-heat individual servings in the morning before work. Make enough brown rice to last you and the family a few days, and/or chop lots of veggies and stash them in glass tupperware to add to stir-fry’s, salads, or snacks. One of my favourite’s is sugar snaps peas, red bell peppers slices, and broccoli florets with crunchy almond butter for dipping.
Another mega time saver is making individual smoothie packs. Simply peel a bunch of bananas, break them in half, and add to a medium ziplock bag. Add a handful of your favourite berries, seeds (chia, ground flax, hemp), greens (kale, spinach, romaine), and anything else you love to each bag. Pop ’em in the freezer. Then, in the midst of your busy morning, you can simply grab a smoothie pack, blend it up with your choice of liquid, and voila. Fast (whole!) food to go.
INVEST IN A CROCK POT, OR SLOW COOKER
These save lives. You can literally place all ingredients in the pot, set to low, and leave it for the day. Instant dinner when you get home. Here is a site with some health crock pot inspiration: healthy slow cooker recipes.
ORGANIC MEAL DELIVERY
If you’re days are just to jam packed, try a healthy delivery service. Most major cities have awesome options for organic foods delivered right to your office door. The girls at Sakara Life have done just that.
