A common question I’ve been hearing is, ‘What can I eat that’s quick and easy?’ There is no right or wrong answer to this question The answer depends on what you value most. Do you value health or convenience, you can’t always combine the 2. If your goal is to lose weight, then you need to plan ahead in order to succeed with your goals. Lack of preparation is why so many people fail to achieve their weight loss goals.
Food that is good for us, is best home made and often requires preparation. The best practice then is organization. Plan ahead. Buy food in bulk (saves money too). Buy your meat, chicken and fish in bulk, chop it and season it, then place on trays with freezer paper and freeze. That way when it’s time to cook it, all you have to do is defrost it and cook it- Chicken schnitzel is a perfect example. Time consuming if you have to whip it up on the spot, but how easy would it be if all you have to do is let it defrost and cook it?!
Have all your vegetables chopped and ready to use, in containers in the fridge. Items such as chopped onions, peas, garlic, parsley, spring onion, basil, time and chives are best kept frozen, so chop and freeze. Freezing them also maintains their nutritional value. You will be able to use them straight from the freezer, so you can enjoy fresh herbs!
By having all the vegetables prepared it will save you time and energy when it comes to cooking it, and you will be less likely to go for processed ready-to-go foods. So when breakfast time comes, you just take out your chopped veggies, a couple of eggs and your omelet will take but a few minutes!
You can even bake a heap of fresh chicken, or roast a beef, and shred/slice it and freeze it, so it’s ready to go when you need it. Chicken and salad is therefore only moments away! Don’t wait til you’re hungry to decide what to eat, plan ahead. This will prevent you from reaching for the quickest most convenient option, which is often laden with sugar, preservatives and additives, and does nothing but leave you craving more and, more crap!!
Often people say to me, “I don’t have time to cook”. Last I checked we were all given 24 hours in the day. If you value your health you need to make time. And if you are organized you will need less time for cooking than last minute preparation.
So for a healthy lifestyle get organized! You practice time management at work, so why not practice it with your healthy lifestyle too!? If you health is a priority then you owe it to your health.
Terri Batsakis
