Before the onset of the global pandemic, most people enjoyed eating out at restaurants, grabbing food-to-go, and ordering take-out. While it’s still possible to enjoy many of your favorite restaurants from the safety of your home, it is crucial nowadays to eat nutritious meals. More than ever, we need to look after our health and wellness, and to keep our immune systems strong, so we can be prepared to fight off any infection.
Deciding what to eat and preparing fresh meals can be a stressful task even under normal circumstances. Though many of us spend time at home, it can be challenging to make healthy choices, especially when you have work demands. If you want to make better food choices while at home, here are a few ideas to help you:
-
Write out a weekly meal plan
When we are hungry, but we are pressed for time, we reach for unhealthy processed foods out of convenience. It might be a quick fix, but it definitely won’t keep you satisfied for long, and it won’t be right for you in the long run. Start the week right and check one major thing off your to-do list by setting time aside on weekends to decide your breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes for the rest of the week. Once you know what your meal plan contains, it will be easier to go to the grocery store to pick out what you need.
-
Meal prep at the start of the week
Studies show that making your meals ahead of time can not only save you time and money, but it can also help you lose weight as well. Meal prepping can help you with portion control by limiting the amount of food you have per serving. You make sure to get your fill from healthy home-cooked food sources rather than reaching for instant ones. It also stops you from ordering take-out, which is usually high in fat, sugar, and salt. Lastly, it reduces your stress by relieving you of the pressure of deciding what to eat and having to make everything from scratch each time.
-
Use the same recipe, different protein
If you are running out of ideas for meals, you can make the same recipe, but just switch out the main protein. Salmon and chicken breast can be interchanged for many dishes. You can also try plant-based alternatives like tofu, tempeh, or mushroom patties to make sure you get a substantial amount of protein to leave you feeling full and satisfied.
-
Go to the grocery store only once a week
This tip can not only save you time and money, as well as keep you from running to the corner store to pick up a bag of potato chips or ordering a box of doughnuts. Make it a point to only visit the shops once every week. Have your meal plan ready, and buy enough raw ingredients and snacks for the next six to seven days. If you can stick to one grocery trip per week, you will be more increasingly conscious about the food you eat and how often you eat it.
Developing healthy and nutritious eating habits does not mean having to deprive yourself of delicious food. Feel free to indulge your cravings once a week for a “cheat” day. The critical thing to remember is that putting more thought and foresight into your daily meals is not only an excellent way to save, but it puts you in a position to make better choices and consume nutritious food.
For more free health care news, subscribe to our newsletter. We share a round-up of the week’s top health and wellness advice, fitness tips, and more. Sign up for The Skinny today!
