September 2018 – Get In the Kitchen
As Registered Dietitians, we know that food is nutrition. We also know that life gets in the way and that sometimes cooking and preparing food for ourselves and loved ones gets pushed aside. A great way to encourage our clients to get back to basics and motivate them to use food and cooking as a tool is by making sure we are doing the same.
September is a great time to recalibrate and get back to basics. Some ways to do this in the kitchen include:
- Drag that buried appliance out into the open. That InstantPot you got for your last birthday? Find three recipes and make them all this week, aiming to have leftovers that can go straight into the freezer. Or the mandoline gathering dust in the corner? Grab some veggies and make those waffle baked potatoes your family will love.
- Meal plan and prep. Counter some of that time crunch with a one-hour block of time over a weekend. Cut up vegetables, make a pot of brown rice, and hard boil some eggs. This will help decrease cook time during the week and increase the likelihood of healthy options available during the busy week.
- Just Cook! Make scrambled eggs for breakfast, a grain salad for lunch, or pasta primavera for dinner. It doesn’t really matter what you cook, just getting back in the kitchen and making homemade meals puts you and your clients back in control.
Couldn’t agree more!! Getting in the kitchen is the best place to come together and connect and create a healthy meal, especially when you have the right tools!
I totally agree. My parents have given me a great example in that the majority of the time they always had a home cooked meal, even if they prepped stuff and put it in the freezer to heat and eat later. I strive to follow their example, but more often than not fall short. However, I truly believe in putting more effort into our food and thoughtfulness too.
Great advice Abbie! I work hard with my clients to get them to meal prep and to grocery list prep. Makes a big difference.