Why is “healthy” eating so hard….

The act of feeding ourselves and our family has become a daunting task. Many families are lost as to what or how to cook dinner and feel scrambled for time. Cooking nourishing meals for you and your family doesn’t need to be daunting. Think of levelling up what you are currently doing; small and simple changes! Let’s go through some of the common worries people have around eating and cooking nourishing meals.

“It Takes Too Much Time”

While I don’t want to say this is inaccurate; as with all things new, there is a learning curve. That being said once you become accustomed to the routine you will be surprised that it doesn’t take that long. The key is choosing meals that match your schedule. Absolutely if you are planning a big roast beef dinner after a day of work you will be overwhelmed.

When preparing for your week planning is key. Looking at what you have on the go and matching meals that work with your schedule is important. Sometimes cooking ahead is helpful or at least prepping your meals for those busier days. Also, choosing recipes with fewer ingredients and limiting the number of new recipes for the week.

Did you know that breakfast for dinner is a quick and easy wholesome way to close out the day? Also, batch cooking is a great way to save time; make enough for two meals at once - eat one the other goes to the freezer for a later date!

“I Don’t Know What to Eat”

We are in a world where simply choosing “the right” foods has become such an overwhelming task. The basic philosophy I follow is to eat a variety of whole colourful foods! Each meal includes fibre (veggies or whole-grain), protein (meat or beans/legumes) and fat.

I think we are always trying to make elaborate meals; this becomes overwhelming. So we just don’t and we reach for a frozen dinner or scoot for take-out.b Salad with chicken, veggie tray with hummus, whole grain crackers and a hard-boiled egg or soup with a salad; are all amazing options. Keep it simple and colourful!

“I Can’t Cook”

If you can read. If you can follow directions. You’ve got this.

Keep it simple. It will always be easier to have someone else cook for you but with a little practice, you will surprise yourself. You aren’t being asked to be a gourmet chef; you’re just being asked to nourish your body! In the world of the internet access to recipes is at your fingertips. Use words like “simple”, “Quick” or “easy” when searching for recipes. You can even type in the ingredients you want to use in quotations and find recipes to match.

“Healthy Food is Expensive”

Yes, fresh food can be expensive; really the price of everything has gone up. BUT eating at a restaurant and doing take-out is way more expensive. You don’t have to buy pricey ingredients. Learning to cook with ingredients that are in season, batch cooking, meal planning so you aren’t over shopping, eating leftovers and choosing recipes with similar ingredients are all great ways to keep costs down.

“It Doesn’t Taste Good”

The world of processed foods spends a great deal of time and money on making sure that the balance of salt, sugar and fat is perfect to keep you coming back for more.

You can make delicious food in your kitchen! Following a few recipes, in the beginning, to learn how to season foods you will surprise yourself. Your taste buds will change as you step into the kitchen a little more often. You will start craving your cooking.

Levelling Up Your Current Meals

I am always amazed how people are willing to completely overhaul their eating but it ends up being unsustainable. Instead of trying to completely change everything look at what you are currently doing and see where you can level up the meals to be more nutritious. Instead of box cereal choose oatmeal or quinoa, instead of white bread choose whole grain, add a plate of raw veggies to each meal, have fruit and veggies cut up in the fridge for grab-and-go snacks, instead of cooking chicken fingers cook real chicken breaded, instead of stopping for fast food stop at the grocery store for a whole chicken and a bagged salad. Small changes in the short term can lead to more healthful habits!

It doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. The theme of this post seems to be to keep it simple! I challenge you to this week look at your week and plan your meals based on the time you have. Try planning to cook one meal from scratch. You can do this!