Nutrition 101 – I have a rule of thumb when it comes to what I eat.
I pick up the package, find the list of ingredients and place my thumb over that list.
If my thumb doesn’t cover the ingredient list, then I don’t eat it!
I’m not a fanatic about food. I have been, you name the diet, I’ve done it! I’ve tried them all. I like chocolate. I like a nice martini or manhattan.
However, I don’t drink Green Smoothies for breakfast. I did. In the 80s and again early 2000. I’m over it.
But it’s not enough nowadays to kinda eat right. We honestly don’t know what’s in our food supply. And…I live in the US now which has the worst food in the world. Yeah…stuff that’s banned all over the place is perfectly okay in our food sources. Sheesh!!!
I don’t do fast food. I’ve never eaten it regularly, but have always been okay now and again. We have to live in balance, or what we do to get healthy stresses us out. Right? This is where Nutrition 101 comes in.
There’s increasing interest in the use of additives in our foods. Early 2005 there was a big hoopla about red dyes in food. We were told we are exposed to potentially carcinogenic properties of food dye Sudan 1. Carcinogenic means ‘cancer forming.’ Yes, it causes cancer, but let’s pop it into food to make it a nice red color. Turned out it is ‘illegal’ to use Sudan 1, but it still made its way into our food. Sigh…
Why do we need colorants at all? To make things look more appealing…according to the marketers. Hmm, why not let food just look like food? This may include ground beef at the supermarket. What? You didn’t see it on the label. Nope, it doesn’t have to be labeled.
Click here for more info than you ever imagined you needed to know about Ground Beef
Let’s get back to basics!
Delia smith advocated a return to “basic, old- fashioned cooking” in the March 4, 2005 Daily Mail. She says: “You do suddenly see the horror of what can happen through one little mistake (the Sudan 1 scare)…I believe that food is a wonderful gift and it is good to give it our full attention.” However, Delia does acknowledge that ready made meals have their place in our busy lives. “I do know that time can play a part.”
So, what do you think? Is it realistic to expect busy women and men to make every meal from scratch, or do we have to accept that not all of us have the time or energy to cook a full-blown meal every day?
There is something you can do!
Ready to learn more? Click here to get Nutrition 101
Take time to plan your meals for the week. Before you panic and think “oh no, here’s another thing to add into my hectic schedule” take a deep breath or two, and relax.
Planning the week’s meals will save you money at the grocery store – you make a menu, then make a shopping list.
Post the menu on the fridge, include snacks. I use a nice magnet from Martha Stewart and a pretty turquoise pen. When you get home, or the kids get home, all anyone has to do is check the menu. No time standing in front of the fridge thinking “what shall I prepare for dinner tonight?”
See how you can begin to save some time and energy?
When preparing meals make two or three extras and freeze them – ready meals without the additives (or at least limited additive interference). Can’t think of anything? How about:
- chili
- pot-roast
- stew
- (use the best meats you can find. I personally like to use organic, local grown beef and buffalo for my chili etc.)
- loads of chicken recipes
- (again, check the label in the supermarket to get the best you can…there are some horror stories, but I’ll tell them another time)
- brown rice can be cooked on Sunday and warmed up for up to 5 days without substantial loss of B vitamins.
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And there’s more…
According to the USA Rice Federation: Cooked brown rice can be stored, covered tightly, in a shallow container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for 6 months. After cooked rice has cooled in the refrigerator, transfer it to plastic freezer bags in quantities needed for future meals. Label with date + quantity.
Because of the oil in its bran layer, brown rice has a shorter shelf life than white rice and maintains its quality for about six months. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze brown rice.
IMPORTANT! Refrigerating Cooked Rice
Promptly refrigerate extra cooked rice in shallow containers as it cools faster in the refrigerator. It’s OK to refrigerate foods while they’re still warm. Perishable cooked foods, such as rice, shouldn’t be left at room temperature longer than TWO hours TOTAL time.
For thicker foods — such as rice, soups, hot puddings, etc. — limit depth of food to 2 inches. Loosely cover the rice. This allows heat to escape and protects from accidental contamination from other foods during cooling. Cover tightly when cooled.
- My friend, Rose, roasts root vegetables with a little olive oil and fresh herbs, then warms them up as needed.
- Get the kids to grate a big bowl of cheese and keep it in the fridge.
- I used to get my kids to peel carrots and keep a bowl of ready to eat carrots in the fridge. Did you know that the mini carrots you buy in the supermarket are bleached? Even the organic ones. So, get proper carrots. I use organic big carrots and just give them a wash and chop. Easy.
- Also celery in the fridge for instant snacks is good.
- Ooh, ooh, and my current fave…an apple or a pear with almond butter. Super yummy!
I bet you can think of lots of ways to spend a little time in the kitchen and not eat so many ready meals and processed foods.
Got a tip for us? Pop it into the comments below so we can all share.
Ready to learn more? Click here to get Nutrition 101
Hi Jacqueline- of course, I must get your opinion on my time saving product…. http://PrepNServe.com as it was made so I COULD eat healthier. It is perfect for that, but I have trouble pitching that way, as my food issues are deep, and my weight fluctuates no matter what tools I have. But yes, eating ALOT of veggies and fruit, leaves you less hungry for cracker, cookie carbs. I like many of your ideas here! For cream soups, puree part of your veggies with milk, so you don’t need to use cream.
I’m definitely familiar with your product Marj, and a big fan. Prepping on the weekend was very big for my family when the kids were at home. Would have made good use of one … or two!
You are totally lovely whatever number is on the scale. Relax and enjoy life. Eat to live, not live to eat 😉
And where do people buy the PrepNServe? I’m thinking they’d make nice gifts for family members who are doing their best to make healthy eating part of their lives. xox
I will definitely let you know when available, I have a manufactured sample prototype that I use. Thanks for the kind words, just glad halloween is over!!
Awesome! I look forward to it.
And I have been telling myself ‘mini snickers is not a food group’ 😉
I think for the “what’s for dinner”? question is perhaps one of the most frustrating for me…daily! LOL! I have a bunch of picky eaters. One likes one thing and another something different! What makes it even more difficult is that now that kids have grown up, they all have different schedules. No more “dinner is ready at 6:00” and they eat together! So, yeah planning ahead and preparing one pot meals like chili, stews, soups, crock pots recipes etc. are a godsend. 🙂
I was blessed with kids who ate anything and everything. It must be hard with picky eaters in the house. Thank goodness for the slow cooker!
Bleached carrots? Oh my! I never heard of that. And that includes organic?
So, just because it is labeled organic doesn’t mean it is free of other harmful stuff? Now, I am confused.
I have been pretty lucky…my boys eat whatever I cook. It can be dairy free, gluten free, meat free and sugar free. As long as the flavor is right, they will eat it. So i use lots of herbs and nature’s sweeteners like dates and figs.
Check this out Denise http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/28/Chlorine-in-Your-Baby-Carrots.aspx Baby carrots are washed in a chlorine solution. Different sources argue back and forth as to whether that’s okay, but I find they taste funny and that’s enough to put me off.
Yes, I was blessed with kids who eat anything…and now grand kids who are non-picky eaters. We are the lucky ones! Thanks for sharing. xox
It’s crazy what’s in our food supply. At the same time I am not the best cook nor do I have time to cook. I wonder if there is a way to make something delicious, from scratch and quick. If you have suggestions, please let me know. I’d love to learn!
It’s often quicker to cook dinner than to wait for someone to take your order and cook it! But it’s knowing how.
I suggest you start with a slow cooker and a rice cooker Minling.
Rice is a great staple and all you have to do is pop rice and water in the slow cooker…flick the switch and you can head off to other things. Boxed ready washed organic salad and a piece of fish or meat on the grill.
A George Foreman grill is a life-saver for singletons. And now i have hubby in my life, I just got a bigger one!
A 5 minute prep job and dinner is easy. And you can experiment with rice cooker as you get going…ie I have a steamer tray in mine, so I can pop on veggies for a quick steam. Or I make Mexican rice by throwing in some veggies and spices as it cooks.
I use two different slow cookers…a big one for making chillies and stews, so I have make-ahead foods that just need to be warmed up. And a small one for making one off meals. They are so easy, as you can prep before bed and pop into the fridge. Then in the morning, turn it on and when your work day is over…there’s a nice hot meal. Lots of recipes on line…but you don’t have to get fussy…some meats, veggies, herbs and a splash of wine are staple meals in my house.
Let me know if this helps and how it goes for you.
Love this Jacqueline! And indeed, the US of A has the worst food in the world. Great points you are making here.
We do a combo of juicing, green smoothies and soups, curries and other little things we make. Most of it completely from scratch because like you…. I wanna know what I’m eating. Plus… it TASTES BETTER!!!!! he he he.
Love ya and love this.
Yes Share…the best point…it really does taste so much better.
And yes to curries…in the slow cooker, on the stove, and stir-fry. I introduced my American hubby to Indian Curries and he’s now in love. At least once a week in our house.
Love you too sweetheart!