| With more time spent away from home working | | | | dressing (make it low fat to save your waist) and |
| to make ends meet, there seems to be less time | | | | check out the range of sizes of storage |
| to give any conscious thought to our menus | | | | containers out there today. Prep your snacks on |
| throughout the day. Coffee for breakfast, snack | | | | Sunday and you are good to go for the week. |
| at the desk, lunch...maybe, then something | | | | Think Healthy |
| drive-through on the way home. This kind of diet | | | | What are you more likely to grab on your way |
| not only takes its toll on your waist, but your | | | | out the door, a banana and bran muffin or an |
| wallet as well. With just a little planning you can | | | | icing-topped toaster pastry? We seem to choose |
| eliminate meal-time stress and have healthier | | | | the quickest item, and that is not always the |
| quicker meals. | | | | healthiest. Make your healthy decisions at the |
| Think Simple and Easy | | | | store, and then the pressure is off when you are |
| Your meals for the week should contain basic | | | | at home. There is such a variety of healthy |
| ingredients that most people have on hand. Are | | | | organic foods and snacks on the shelves these |
| you at a loss for quick and easy recipes? A great | | | | days. Take a few extra minutes at the store to |
| way to find easy meal ideas is online. Many sites | | | | see what is new and add it to your list. |
| allow you to type in your main ingredient (like | | | | Think Variety |
| chicken, steak, etc) and up pops a plethora of | | | | Variety is the spice of life. Are you tired of the |
| food ideas. You can then sort by degree of | | | | same sandwich from home three days a week? |
| difficulty and prep time, and before you know it | | | | Try switching between bread, croissant and sub |
| you have a week's worth of meal ideas. So that | | | | roll. Use sprouts in place of lettuce. Precook some |
| nothing is wasted, group together recipes that | | | | chicken and make your own chicken salad, or slice |
| have common ingredients. We've all tossed that | | | | it and add to your tossed green salad. |
| big bag of parsley or have had some sauce sitting | | | | Reduce, Reuse, Recycle |
| on the shelf for a year just because it was used | | | | That applies not just to your garbage. Reduce |
| it once. | | | | how much you throw away by planning ahead |
| This should not take a lot of time. That's why I | | | | and using common ingredients that can be used |
| prefer the internet to traditional cookbooks. Save | | | | for your lunch one day, and dinner the next. |
| your cookbooks for special meals, weekend | | | | Reuse ingredients by combining them to make a |
| gatherings, or just when you have a little more | | | | stew or soup. Recycle, as in eat your leftovers. |
| time to try something new. | | | | When dinner is done place any leftovers |
| Think Basics | | | | immediately into a lunch-size storage container, |
| When you make your eating habits simple, you | | | | mark it clearly with the date and contents and |
| will cut down on the time and cost of meal | | | | plan on taking it as your lunch within the next day |
| preparation. Processed foods cost a lot, so try to | | | | or two. |
| limit pre-made foods where you can. Sure the | | | | Yes, these are basic ideas, but when we are in a |
| little container of carrots and ranch dip are easy, | | | | hurry, tired and stressed, it seems like the basics |
| but costly if you have a big family, or if that is | | | | are forgotten. As a consequence, we not only |
| your favorite mid-day snack the entire week. | | | | pay financially, but our health suffers as well. |
| Better to buy the bulk mini carrots and your own | | | | |