I really enjoy cooking up a feast, but lately I have been finding it really hard to put in a 10-plus hour day at work and then come home and create something that is delicious and easy. My husband also works long days and I find we get stuck in a rut and more often than not it’s easier to get something on the way home. I really love cooking but during the week I just don’t have the energy and don’t particularly want to resort to diet cuisine packaged foods, but it’s looking terribly attractive. I wondered if you might have any ideas?
While it can be hard to get home and conjure up a delicious healthy meal, it’s still very possible. The incentive to steer away from these pre-prepared meals is definitely their lack of nutrients. With all these packs, the focus is on the energy content alone (kj) and although reducing your energy intake is an important factor, it’s not as important as the value you must get from everything you eat.
Pre-prepared foods contain:
Too much salt — can cause atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Insufficient protein — extra protein on a weight loss diet helps give you a feeling of fullness.
Additives — can cause sensitivities and overload the liver, slowing down fat metabolism.
Insufficient vegies — aim to eat at least five serves of vegies a day. Vegies are necessary for antioxidants used in protecting the body against free radical damage.
Not very nice food! Weight loss or not, eating should also be about pleasure and satisfaction. After an unsatisfying meal we can often take to the kitchen again and pick at anything — ice cream, cheese, crackers, biscuits — to make us feel we’ve been suitably rewarded. By taking a little extra time to make something you enjoy, you’ll satisfy the need to eat more.
It’s easy to know why not to eat these foods so what can you do at home in the same length of time that it takes to heat a frozen meal? It takes an average of 25-30 minutes to cook a frozen meal depending on the time your oven takes to heat up. There are numerous meals that can be prepared at home in the same length of time — provided you are prepared for it.
First you should anticipate you what you’ll be doing each night and how much time you have to cook. Plan the meals in advance and do a weekly shop to ensure you have all the ingredients at home. Fridge crispers, sealable plastic bags and Tupperware or equivalent containers are all a must to keep vegies fresher for longer. Plan to eat the lighter greens early in the week and the more robust vegies like broccoli and carrots for the end. The great thing about planning meals is, although it may take extra time initially, you’ll buy what you need, saving money and waste.
2 light chopping boards
1 large sharp knife
Garlic press
Hand-held wooden lemon juicer
Wok
Tongs
Char-grill plate or pan (these are much easier to clean than the oven grill).
Salad spinner — a must to wash off listeria bacteria. The spinner will dry the leaves in seconds.
Small jar to mix a salad dressing. Avoid these horrible pre-made versions and make your own using the golden rule of 1 part lemon juice or vinegar, and 3 parts oil. If you’re cooking for one and want to control the oil, use teaspoons in the jar, mix and use the spon to drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Kitchen foil
Snap-lock bags and plastic containers of multiple sizes.
Hopefully these are some suggestions to help you on your way but here’s the most important advice yet — try to change the mindset from thinking it’s a chore, to thinking it’s an enjoyable way to end a busy day. You’ll enjoy the food a whole lot more if you do!
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