The fact that our hectic schedule is trying its best to keep us away from preparing our own healthy meals at home does not mean we should not try. We simply need to be one step ahead and think of new ways how to cook faster. For preparing your own food is worth the effort: Firstly, it will save you a lot of money. And secondly, it will be much better for you and your family's health than living on ready-made meals which are often packed with unhealthy additives but only little nutrients, or take-aways, many which are high in calories.
Use the four golden keys below when planning your meals to ensure they are quick to make when you don't have much time.
1. Keep your meals simple
2. Choose fast cooking foods
3. Choose foods that require little preparation
4. Use prepared foods
Key #1: Keep your meals simple
Choosing a big variety of ingredients can be enticing but also time-consuming in preparation. The more different foods you work with, the more complex your meal and the longer it will take. If you don't have much time, rather stick to a few key ingredients. Choose pasta, rice or potatoes. Settle for one or two vegetables or a simple salad and one protein-rich food (meat, fish, eggs or legumes). If you vary the veggie groups and the types of starchy carbohydrates and protein-rich foods from day to day, you will surely get all nutrients you need.
Key #2: Choose fast cooking foods
Some foods cook faster, others take longer. The secret of cooking fast is to pick the fast cooking ones rather when you don't have much time. Pasta is certainly the fastest starchy food, only beaten by couscous which is done in a few minutes. Save time by pre-boiling the water with the kettle. As for vegetables, anything that is rather soft, like mushrooms, marrows, tomatoes or leek will be done quickly. Fruits and salads don't require cooking at all. In the meat world, sausages, mince balls and fish are quick foods, and so are filets and goulash. In other words, anything that is small.
Key #3: Choose foods that require little preparation
If you don't have much time, look out for fruits or vegetables that don't need to be peeled and don't contain pips or seeds you need to remove. Marrows, tomatoes and mushrooms are excellent examples. Bananas are certainly quick to peel, and berries don't even need to be cut. Salad requires very little preparation too, especially if you buy the pre-packed ones that are usually quite clean and neat. You may want to buy foods that are already peeled and cut into handy pieces but these will usually be a bit more expensive. Besides these factors, you should also pick the size of your foods wisely. It is less work to peel a few large fruits or veggies than many small ones.
Key #4: Use prepared foods
Not everything that is canned and deep-frozen is bad. There are many canned or deep-frozen vegetables and fruits that are a great resource if you cook in a hurry, since these foods just need to be warmed. These foods can enrich your diet by providing you with something that you could not otherwise get because it's out of season right now. You should though make certain that they are not processed and relatively free of additives. To spice up your meals quickly and easily, use ground spices instead of fresh ones. They might not taste that strongly but they will certainly do the job.
You should try to make sure that you still sometimes eat these other foods that take longer to prepare to ensure your diet is balanced. But when being in a hurry, applying these four keys will surely save you a lot of time when cooking. The results will be worth the effort: You can be more relaxed because your food preparation is working smoothly, you save money by not buying take-aways, and your family eats much healthier. What more could you want?
Bettina Berlin is an Occupational Therapist with special interest in healthy nutrition as it can improve health and help prevent many diseases she saw her patients struggling with. If you want to learn more about healthy eating, visit http://www.elishas-quick-recipes.blogspot.com today and learn how to make your favorite dishes healthier and how to prepare healthy meals in the little time your hectic schedule allows you!
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