3 Ways to Streamline Eating Healthy at Home
Making the commitment to eating at home more often is one of the first steps to adopting a healthier lifestyle. Whether you’re preparing meals for two or seven, the strategies listed below can help you and your family make at-home meals a positive experience.
Pack Your Own Lunch
One of the first meals that you should plan at home is lunch. Even though you might have to eat it at your office, packing home-cooked food helps you stay on top of your nutritional intake and gives you more choice in and control over what you eat.
When you make your lunches at home, you’ll be able to choose the ingredients and portion sizes, and you can include healthy items that you enjoy.
You should also pack a couple of snacks for your workday. Having healthy items at your desk will make you think twice about reaching for unhealthy fare. Items like homemade, low-sugar granola bars, low-sugar muffins and salads with seeds and avocado can help you feel full and energized for your workday.
Reorganize Your Kitchen
Good organization, especially in the kitchen, can lead to healthier eating. Organize your fridge, freezer, counters and cabinets in a way that puts healthful foods front and center.
Consider investing in bins that you put in your fridge, freezer and pantry. Place cheese and other dairy products in one bin in the fridge and put fruits in another.
In the freezer, place frozen vegetables, like peas and green beans, in a bin. For the pantry and countertops, consider having a bin for bread, one for canned goods, one for pasta and one for dried beans, rice and lentils.
When you organize your kitchen, you’ll be able to clearly see what food you have available, and this will reduce unnecessary trips to the store for duplicate items. You’ll also feel inspired to use what you have available.
Always make sure to clean out your fridge and freezer regularly.
Use Weekends for Meal Preparation
Using the weekends for meal preparation will put you one step ahead of the coming week, and this will help you resist the temptation to eat fast food or dine out at a restaurant. Sit down with the family every Saturday or Sunday and plan what you will have for dinner each day of the upcoming week. Casseroles, soups and stews can all be prepared in advance and frozen for easy reheating.
By involving your family and taking a little time to plan in advance, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of staying on track with healthy eating at home.
