A healthy and savory meal is the true form of bliss (for some of us at least), but even if it’s not, your body still relishes it.
Although, the thought of cooking after a hard and stressful day at work, or maybe a fight with your noisy neighbors, is a mood dampener and it often makes a lot of people settle for much less.
Sometimes, you just don’t have anything to cook! If this settling for less happens several times a week for you, some change in your planning habits is required.
There are numerous things that can be done to ensure that cooking is not a chore. You can be stressed out but still have a nutritious and pleasurable meal.
Compromise is the last thing that you should do with your health, and there is no need for it. All you need is some planning. Plan your meals ahead of time. Some might prefer a week ahead, some a few days, and some a few meals.
Efficiently planned meal schedules will save you a lot of labor, keep your body healthy, and your spirits glowing. Read the following tips to learn how you can plan ahead to have healthy meals with minimum fuss.
The Pantry
Keep your pantry stocked, but stocking it with some thought of the future will make you thank your past self several times over. Having food on hand that is healthy and can be eaten quickly is essential. Eggs, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, spices, herbs and condiments – keep these things in sufficient quantity. Eating a little extra fruit so it doesn’t waste will not hurt you at all, but fast food will. Stock up on good food!
The Freezer
There are a lot of food items that freeze well, cooked and uncooked. Frozen vegetables like peas, carrots, broccoli and others do well – as so do some frozen fruits. They can last several weeks and/or months and you have no excuse for not having a variety there, unless of course, there is no room left in your freezer.
Big Batches
It is a lovely and tranquil weekend, cooking feels easy and relaxing. How about cooking a big batch and freezing it? This way you can have some of that tranquility later on in the week too. A lot of cooked dishes like stews, loaves, soups, casseroles, etc. freeze well. You can also cook a really big batch of tomato sauce and freeze it; it can serve as a base for other dishes in the future.
Not only will you be saving time, you will also be saving energy. Put the cooked tomato sauce in an ice bath to cool it quickly, and then pop it into the freezer in freezer safe plastic bags or containers. Don’t forget to label them! Frozen foods often last a long time, but they are susceptible to freezer burn. A fresh fruit homemade sorbet will be a nutritious and delicious dessert, making large quantities will help again.
The Extra Mile
How about cutting up a few extra vegetables which can be used as snacks with some mustard, yogurt or anything else that you like? Sounds like a good idea, so try it. You can also make extra rice which can be used in the next meal or stir-fried the next day. You can also hard boil a few extra eggs; with their shell intact, they remain fresh for a week in the fridge. Make some extra chicken and use the leftovers for another dish which requires cooked chicken.
Doing some extra work when you are free and have ample energy will save you a lot of hassle when you don’t. Plan ahead so that you can always have a healthy meal in a few minutes.
