Getting dinner on the table is one of the hardest parts of the day! I don’t know about you, but by dinner time I am exhausted from the day. It takes a lot of effort to decide what to eat, cook it, hope your little people actually eat it, and then clean it up! Phew. Trying to eat healthy meals on top of all that make it even more of a challenge. Here are 5 tips I try to implement to help ease the load, save time, and still make healthy, nutrient-dense meals for dinner:

5 Tips for Saving Time in the Kitchen:

1. Prep Food: No matter how much you like or dislike planning, we’ve all likely learned by now that it takes some level of planning to feed a busy family nourishing meals. Meal prepping made simple is basically what is also known as “batch cooking”. Rather than following a selection of recipes, I just cook a variety of vegetables and proteins individually. Then at each meal, I have a selection of already prepared healthy foods to assemble some colorful, nutrient-dense plates with. Simple meal planning is the best for the busiest weeks, because it does not require spending time following any recipes and saves time from cooking and cleaning each night. Ready to try it out? Download my FREE guide here.

2. Double recipes: On any night you are cooking dinner, just double the recipe and save half. You can either eat the leftovers the following day, or store them in the freezer for a longer time. Putting the leftovers directly in the freezer may help ease histamine reaction, if necessary (Kresser, 2019). Some of my favorite recipes to double are chili, enchilada casserole, or meatballs.

3. Plan Ahead: I find this step to be crucial when it comes to saving time and eating well. Without a plan we end up eating take-out or something like frozen chicken nuggets (hey mama, these aren’t my proudest choices either, but they do happen and it's okay)! Sometimes, knowing what meals are coming up, allows me to prepare some of the food earlier to make dinner a breeze. 

4. Stock your pantry with whole food basics in bulk: Keeping a stocked pantry saves a ton of time from planning and shopping. If you know you always have rice, beans and healthy oils on hand, you will always be ready to create some easy, well-balanced meals. Some ideas for items I like to keep on hand are rice, quinoa, black beans, chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil, ghee, tuna, sardines, oysters, lentils...there is so much you can do here! Additionally, I like to keep our baking items stocked as well. Various grain-free flours, honey, coconut sugar, and maple syrup, allergen-friendly chocolate chips, etc. Baked goods aren’t exactly health foods, but whipping up a large homemade batch with quality ingredients can be a great substitute for those Starbucks muffins when there is nothing else to grab, and baked goods typically freeze delightfully, so make double while you’re at it! 

5. Frozen Vegetables: Vegetables begin to lose nutrient content as soon as they are harvested and contain the most nutrient content when harvested ripe and in-season (NTA, 2020). Vegetables at the grocery store have often been harvested off-season and very prematurely so they can survive sitting in a truck to be shipped across the country and then sit on a grocery store shelf for a while. Frozen vegetables can be picked at peak ripeness and in-season and frozen immediately, so some frozen produce may be more nutrient-dense and better tasting than its fresh counterparts. Frozen vegetables can save tons of time because they do not need to be washed or cut, and preparation is a breeze. Just be sure to check the ingredient label to avoid any additives. 

Sources

Chris Kresser (2018). What You Should Know About Histamine Intolerance. Retrieved from https://chriskresser.com/what-you-should-know-about-histamine-intolerance/.

Nutritional Therapy Association (2020). Culinary Wellness Part 1 Student Guide [PDF Document]. Retrieved from https://nutritionaltherapy.instructure.com/courses/155/pages/1-dot-5-%7C-culinary-wellness-pt-1-module-materials?module_item_id=3968