DEAR FRIENDS,
December is a busy month, to say the least. In addition to our “normal” lives, we are preparing for the holidays... decorating our homes, making plans for traditional dinners, buying gifts for family and friends. When we get too busy and stretched for time, we have a tendency to stray from a healthy diet. Speaking from personal experience, it becomes too easy to order take-out meals, snack on processed/convenience foods, eat on-the-run, or even skip breakfast or lunch. Our personal health gets put on the back-burner. It can happen to any of us!
Let me let you in on a trick to help keep us on track.
Batch cooking - preparing a lot of healthy, whole foods at one time to last for many meals. This does not necessarily mean making extra portions of dinner for future, often boring, leftovers. Think of it more as making your own “convenience foods” to enhance and add to throughout the week. Batch cooking can help make meal planning easier and more fun - while resisting the urge to turn to packaged/processed foods or take out.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Make sure you have enough storage containers for the food you will be preparing. You might need several different sizes.
Decide what you may be in the mood to eat in the coming week, or choose some of your family’s favorite foods. Some ideas might be rice or quinoa bowls, soups, hearty salads, pasta dishes, or stir-fry.
Choose your “batch cooking” day. When will it be easiest to shop (or order) your groceries? When will you have a couple of hours to prepare and cook?
Now prepare your food!
Proteins: simply roast or grill one or two types of lean meats, fish, or plant-based options. Try chicken thighs, grass-fed beef steak, salmon or halibut filets, tofu, and tempeh.
Vegetables: roast a variety of colorful starchy and non-starchy vegetables. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, onions, parsnips, beets, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, Brussels sprouts… the list goes on and on!
Whole grains, beans, and lentils: prepare one or two types. Brown rice and quinoa are great choices. If you don’t want to start with dried beans, have canned beans on hand (just make sure the cans are BPA free). Lentils are also a wonderful tasty option.
Assemble your meals: now you have the building blocks for some delicious, home-cooked, healthy meals at your fingertips. From your basic prepared foods you can make:
Bowls: using a base of brown rice or quinoa, top with the roasted vegetables and protein, add a drizzle of olive oil or tahini. You can also add fresh spinach or kale to your bowl.
Tacos: fill corn or flour tortillas with the protein, vegetables, and some black beans. Sprinkle with cheese and top with avocado and salsa for a great dinner.
Stir fry: Warm ingredients of your choice - protein and vegetables in a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and ¼ - ½ cup water. Serve over warmed grains.
Pasta: top your favorite pasta with your choice of protein and vegetables, plus a drizzle of olive oil. My favorite pasta right now is Banza pasta - made from chickpeas. This is absolutely the best gluten-free pasta I’ve had!!
Soup: chop your protein of choice and vegetables into bite-size pieces. Combine with chicken or vegetable stock and warm over medium heat. Add grains, beans, and chopped fresh greens for a hearty winter meal.
By eating healthy, whole foods - lean proteins, colorful vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats - we can stay as healthy as possible during this winter season. Hopefully, batch cooking can help make healthy meal planning and preparation a bit easier.
Wishing you a healthy, happy holiday season,