Family Health & Wellness Blogs — Meals

What Is Intuitive Eating?

Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is important for the busy person (especially working moms and dads) that are trying to eat healthy. Here are a few tips to make meal prep day a little easier not only for you but for the entire family.

1. Have your containers ready. Glass containers are our my favorite to use.  If you have room in your budget, I highly recommend investing in them. There are other options as well, such as BPA free, dishwasher safe plastic containers.
2. Schedule your prep day.  For my family, Sunday is the big cooking day.  My husband is the “chef” of the house, and will have several pots, pressure cooker and slow cooker all going at the same time.  Pick what day will work out best for you and try to stick with it.
3. Focus on meals that are full of nutrients, easy to digest and perfect to store in the fridge after cooked. Beans and grains are a great example of this. Beans are full of fiber and antioxidants.  Cooking a pot of black beans (add in disease fighting onions, garlic, and cumin) as well as a pot of brown or white rice, will give you enough servings for 4-5 people (2-3 meals week). Grains and beans are a perfect protein when combined, and easy to add to any meal.  Think tacos, burritos, brown-rice bowels, even salads.
4. Begin with foods that need the longest time to cook.  While these are cooking, you can start with prepping the veggies and fruits.
5. Wash and chop up your leafy greens. Spinach, kale, broccoli and cabbage are some of our favorites.  Add these healthy vegetables to any lunch or dinner.
6. Wash and peel fruits.  Gather your smoothie fruits in containers for use later in the week.  Or use portion control containers for fruits that you like snacking on such as grapes, berries, and melon.
7. Have fun!  Always remember, how you cook these meals, is much better than any meal you can order at your closest restaurant in town. Nobody is going to put the love you put into creating meals with valuable ingredients you personally selected based on your family’s needs.

Inexpensive Superfoods

Unfortunately eating healthy can be more expensive but there are exceptions. Here is a list of tasty, superfoods that have a low cost per serving.

Lentils: High in fiber, plant-based protein and minerals like iron, magnesium and zinc. Also may help with digestion and gut bacteria. Easily add lentils to a salad or make a hearty lentil soup.

Kale: High in vitamin K and A, lutein and zeaxanthin. Besides using kale in soups and salads, you can add kale to your smoothie. Or sauté with vegetables as a side dish.

Red Cabbage: Part of the family of awesome cruciferous vegetable. Full of vitamins C and K, fiber, and detoxifying compounds. Contains anthocyanin, an antioxidant for heart and brain health. Great to add to a detox salad.

Chia seeds: Contains fiber, antioxidants, calcium, iron, a complete protein, high in omega 3 fatty acids. You must try chia seed pudding. You can also add them to yogurt or your favorite smoothie.

Broccoli: Similar benefits of red cabbage. Full of B vitamins, vitamin C and calcium as well as glucoraphanin – an antioxidant that supports your body’s detoxification pathway. You can buy frozen broccoli for extra cost savings. Easily add to any lunch or dinner, raw, steam or sauté.

Green tea: Delivers potent antioxidants, like EGCG. Also a natural source of l-theanine an amino acid. Sip on hot or cold green tea during the day.

Oats: Rich in thiamine, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese. The fiber in oats may also reduce your hunger by making you feel fuller longer and stabilize sugar levels. Easy to make for breakfast. Try to stay away from instant oats which are the most highly processed variety.

Sweet potatoes: Packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. One of the healthiest starches to include in your diet. There are lots of different sweet potato healthy recipes: oven roasted, soups, pancakes, and mash, to name a few.

Carrots: Rich in vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin K, vitamin A. Easy to add to any meal raw, steamed or cooked.

Black beans: Like lentils, high in fiber and protein, black beans help with digestion and gut health. Also packed with antioxidants. Combine with brown rice for a complete protein meal. Can also be added to salads, and taste wonderful as a soup or bean dip.

Bananas: Provide not only potassium but a variety of vitamins and minerals. Great as a snack or an addition to a healthy dessert.