How to get healthy homemade meals on the table every night

You might have already guessed this but healthy eating does require forethought. When you get home from work exhausted and there’s nothing in the house to cook or eat chances are you’ll call for takeout.

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You don't have to plan out meals weeks ahead of time but you should always know what you're having from one meal to the next. 

Mom's action step : 

Each morning take 5 minutes as you have your morning coffee to think about what’s for dinner that night. Take a quick look at what’s already in your kitchen and make your shopping list right then and there to cut down on mindless browsing at the store. 

If you can carve out time on the weekend to plan for the week ahead even better!

BUY PRE CUT VEGGIES

Chopping veggies can be a major time-sucker. Save a slew of time by purchasing your veggies pre-chopped in the produce section at your grocery store. Many grocery stores have a salad bar that is priced per pound, and loading up a box of pre-cut veggies from the salad bar can cut down on waste and time.

Mom's action step : 

Next time you go grocery shopping check to see if there's a salad bar. Some grocery stores like Whole Foods have a salad bar that is priced per pound. Loading up on a box of pre cut veggies from the salad bar can help cut down on waste and time.

If you’re going to make the effort to cook you might as well make those meals ‘work’ for you right? For example you could roast a big pan of veggies to use with meals during the week. This saves loads of time and also allows you to re purpose the ingredients.

A large pan of roasted veggies could be your side item for one meal, the veggies could be thrown atop a plate of pasta for lunch the next day, pureed for a veggie soup, etc.

Mom's action step : 

When planning out meals make a note to triple recipes or at least part of the meal. Eat one portion fresh, freeze one portion for later and re purpose leftovers the next day. Cook once, eat 3 times. It's a huge time saver!

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The Instant Pot is a busy mom’s best friend. This remarkable piece of equipment can be a slow cooker OR a pressure cooker when time is of the essence. Say hello to delicious bone broth, stews and even homemade yogurt. 

Because Instant Pots reduce cooking time by up to 70% that means you can cook a whole chicken rotisserie style in about 45 mins! It works wonders when you come home after work and have to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

Most importantly the Instant Pot allows you to make simple healthy meals in less ‘active’ time since you don't have to stand around in the kitchen while the food is cooking.

For busy moms an Instant Pot could be that one lifesaving piece of equipment to invest in.

Make sure you always have one or two healthy back up recipes in your arsenal for those days when all does not go as planned.

My go to back up meal is pesto pasta with bacon. This meal comes together quickly with ingredients from my pantry and fridge. I usually have some frozen asparagus or broccoli in the freezer as well which can be added to further boost the nutrition of the meal. 

Mom's action step : 

Brainstorm and make a list of your family’s favourite meals which are quick and easy to prepare. Make sure you always keep those ingredients on hand.