Today I will share with you three methods you can use to reduce this barrier and make the transition to eating whole, minimally processed foods easy.
#1 - LEFTOVERS ARE YOUR FRIEND
One of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of time you spend in the kitchen is to make leftovers every time you cook. This could mean you will need to at least double any recipe you make depending on how many people you will be cooking for and how many meals you’ll want to cover with the extra food.
Leftovers work great for lunch the next day or even a quick dinner when you know you won’t have time to cook or you're tired after a long day and don’t feel like cooking.
#2 - MIX AND MATCH WITH A SINGLE PROTEIN
Craving a bit more variety throughout the week. A simple way to do this is cook up a large amount of one or two proteins and then mix and match them over the week. You could pick your favorite poultry, some grass-fed ground beef, or even a selection of beans or legumes.
The idea here is to have them ready to eat or re-heat for multiple meals throughout the week. Be sure to pair with a variety of vegetables and don’t be afraid to mix up the flavors.
An example I enjoy is to make a large batch of taco meat and use it in a scramble for breakfast, on a salad for lunch, and then as tacos for dinner.
#3 - DEDICATED PREP TIME
You may find that it’s easier to dedicate an afternoon once a week to pre-make all your meals. This can be very effective in bringing the ease of grab-and-go to the week, especially for those of us with busy schedules.
Make it fun by getting the whole family involved or make it a party with friends. While the latter may need to be virtual for the foreseeable future, you can still share in the cost of groceries and create variety throughout your week by making and sharing meals with each other.
