Give yourself the gift of home-cooked healthy meals, regular exercise and the ease and simplicity of shopping. Rather than a recipe this month, I’ll outline a whole routine for you to surround yourself and your family with nutritious food and wholesome recipes. Here’s how to make it simple during this month of love:
1. Find recipes.
Google a recipe website such as: http://allrecipes.com, http://recipe.com, http://countryliving.com
Pick out a variety of recipes that you think you and your family will enjoy. (I usually pick 3-4 at a time so that my grocery shopping trip covers 4-5 days). A simple Google search for something like, “healthy chicken dinner recipes,” will deliver more delicious recipes than you can imagine. Be brave and step out of your comfort zone. If you’re a newbie in the kitchen, you’re going to have to experiment. Don’t fret. Throw in a new recipe every week to keep you and your family excited about coming to dinner each night.
2. Plan your week.
Usually, I eat simple meals for breakfast (oatmeal with fruit, toast with avocado) and leftovers for lunch. Dinner is where the magic happens in the kitchen. Cooking double batches of stews, soups, and sauces is a major time-saver, freezing the leftovers. Having meals in the freezer is a gift to me on those busy days. Knowing I can defrost a soup or stew in the interest of not wearing myself out is great. I rarely cook two nights in a row.
3. Make a grocery list.
Use your meal plan as your guide. After you’ve filled in your whole week make a list based on the recipes you’ve chosen. Often, I already have more than half the ingredients in my kitchen.
4. Get cooking & prep your ingredients.
Now it’s time to prep and cook. If possible, get ahead of the game over the weekend. Cook extra meals on Saturday or Sunday and you’ll have a couple of weeknight dinners taken care of! Maybe you need to take that chili out of the freezer so that it’s defrosted just in time for dinner. Make cooking a family event. Even younger children can help with meal prep and are more likely to eat the meal if they helped prepare the meal.
5. Sit down for a mindful meal.
Light a candle, turn off the electronic devices and tune in to each other or yourself. Experience the flavors on your plate. Have gratitude for the good things that entered your life that day. Pat yourself on the back for putting a nourishing meal together.
6. Start moving!
It’s been cloudy, gray, rainy and cold this winter, but you can begin walking indoors anytime on a treadmill or even at the mall.
Here’s to the month of love! Please contact me for added restorative and therapeutic yoga classes.
