Let’s face it. With work, kids, and a home to take care of, prioritizing nutrition and eating well balanced meals often falls short. Especially when it comes to feeding ourselves. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few simple strategies and a little planning, it’s possible to implement and maintain optimal eating habits consistently. Let’s explore some tried and true techniques including meal prepping, batch cooking, and how to balance macros and micros for well-rounded nutrition.
Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is a lifesaver for my busy household. Here is a glimpse into my weekly routine to guide you.
Wed:
- Plan my meals for the next week.
- Ask everyone what they want/need.
- Make my grocery list.
Thurs or Fri:
- Shop/curbside pickup/ or delivery depending on my schedule that week.
- Clear fridge of old items and stock with new.
- Wipe down any spills that happened during the week.
- This ensures I am keeping up with contents in the fridge. It also means I am well stocked for the weekend when everyone is home from school/work and that I have everything I need for my weekend meal prep.
Sat or Sun:
- Set aside 1-2 hours to meal prep. Usually first thing in the morning when no one else is distracting me.
- Meal prep includes washing produce, cutting fruits and veggies so they are readily available, making hard boiled eggs for breakfast or to add to salads, prepping lunches, batch cooking a protein and/or doubling the meal for that night to freeze half for another time.
I don’t always do all of the above, but I consistently do most of these each week. It’s amazing how quickly fruits and veggies get eaten when they are ready to go. I also love serving raw veggies as an appetizer when the troupes are hangry. It buys me time to cook and they get their veggies in before their tummies are full.
By streamlining your routine you can save valuable time and ensure that nutritious options are readily available for you and your family. The more you follow this kind of routine, the less you have to think about it. Soon it becomes a natural part of your life.
Here are a few meal prepping tips to get you started:
- Choose simple and versatile recipes that can easily be adapted for some variety through the week. For example, taco boats one night and taco salads with the extra meat for lunch the next day. I like to make mine with ground turkey.
- Store prepped foods in high quality containers. I like glass because it’s easiest to see what’s inside, doesn’t leach harmful chemicals, and they last longer (unless you drop them of course). BPA free clear plastic containers are my second choice.
- Batch cook in larger quantities, portion for different recipes, and store accordingly. I like to cook a large batch of chicken in my Instant Pot and use a portion for a soup, quesadillas, or whatever is on the menu for that week and another portion for adding to salads or making sandwiches. Sometimes I make several batches a week.
- To ensure variety and freshness, plan your meals around seasonal produce.
Batch Cooking: Maximize Your Efficiency
Batch cooking goes hand in hand with meal prepping and saves time as well as effort. Cook once, eat twice (or more). By cooking larger quantities, you can pack lunches for the week and/or freeze double batch recipes for those busy nights you can’t fit cooking in but don’t want to eat out. Here’s a few tips to make batch cooking work for you:
- Choose recipes that are easy to make in larger quantities and freeze well.
- Cook ingredients like grains and proteins in larger batches to use for multiple meals. Quinoa is a great base for fajita bowls and is a great alternative to rice for a side with dinner.
- Remember to label your meals for easy identification.
- Organize your meals in the freezer for easy access (I usually put my batched cooked meals in my basement freezer so when I’m looking for something quick I know exactly where to go).
Balancing Macros and Micros for Optimal Nutrition
What are macronutrients and micronutrients you ask?
Macronutrients are defined as carbs, proteins, and fats. So, our fruits and veggies, lean meats and healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds. Micronutrients are your vitamins and minerals. These can be found in all our food groups. Here’s a breakdown.
- C and B vitamins as well as folic acid, fiber, and various minerals are ample in fruits and veggies.
- Iron, zinc, phosphorus, and other minerals can be found in poultry, fish, and other seafood.
- Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) as well as calcium and phosphorus are plentiful in dairy.
- Minerals like zinc and magnesium are rich in healthy fats like protein, nuts and seeds.
- B vitamins and fiber are abundant in whole grains.
If optimal nutrition is your goal, it’s essential to find a balance between these two forms of nutrients. Here are some things to think about as you implement this.
- To satisfy your vitamin and mineral intake, add a variety of colorful fruits and veggies to your plate.
- To promote muscle growth and repair you will need to prioritize lean proteins like poultry, fish, tofu, and legumes.
- To maintain your energy levels throughout the day and get your fiber in, choose whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat bread.
- To support brain health and optimize nutrient absorption try to incorporate healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
- Getting your nutrients from food sources is best but if you aren’t eating certain food groups you should supplement with high quality vitamins to fill the gaps accordingly.
So, there you have it! Simplifying nutrition and meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Take it step by step and you’ll get there. Begin by streamlining your routine this week. Add in some meal prepping and/or batch cooking next week. Start small, you can add to your freezer stash each week to build it up over time. After you consistently are able to streamline your routine and meal prep/batch cook begin to pay more attention to your macros and micros. Start today and you’re only a few weeks away from mastering healthy eating habits and conquering mealtime with wholesome, well-rounded meals.
Remember, small steps paired with consistent efforts add up to life changing results. When you optimize your health and wellbeing the demands of motherhood and life in general become much easier to navigate.
Need some personalized help? I’d be happy to guide you through implementing these strategies into your unique schedule. Reach out for appointments here. Free 30-minute consultation to discuss your goals as well as see if we are a good fit for working together. In person, over the phone, and zoom appointments available. Book today or email me with questions at [email protected].
Wishing you much love, health, and happiness,
Christine
