Meal Planning & Cooking
There are no two ways about it — when you eat whole foods, you spend more time preparing meals than you would if you're just heating up a premade dinner. The good news is that the extra time spent cooking is a great investment in your health. Plus, we've got simple recipes, time savers and more to help you eat well without spending all day in the kitchen!
Time Savers for Healthy Eating
- Pre-wash and cut salad vegetables at the start of your week and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. This way, you can throw a salad together in minutes, day or night.
- Learn to make healthier salad dressings, and prepare one ahead of time so it's at the ready when you need it.
- Cook with freezing in mind. Make nutrient dense soups, stews and casseroles, and freeze leftovers as individual portions. You'll have premade nutrient dense lunches and dinners at your fingertips.
- Stock your pantry with dry beans and grains, low-sodium canned beans or 365 frozen precooked grains. Rinse canned beans and add to soups and salads, or make a quick hummus or bean dip. Eating from cans isn't always a bad thing!
- Build your own trail mix snack with your favorite nuts and/or seeds, and unsweetened dried fruits. Create single serving portions for grab and go convenience.
- Keep plenty of frozen vegetables in the freezer. This is a quick and easy way to make sure you always have vegetables on-hand for meals, without worrying about spoilage in the veggie bin.
- Learn to cook with whole grains. Many whole grains (like quinoa) cook up in 20 minutes or less!
