I think that we could all use a few more hours in our days – I know I could. But I am not willing to give up any precious sleep to get the extra time, so I have to be a bit smart about how I use my waking hours so that I can get the best out of myself and maintain good health. One things that I hear a lot from my patients is that they are too time poor to make any healthy food. And I hear you – sometimes I am forced to eat on the run or whip something up in a flash so that I can get to work on time. However, I can’t compromise on the quality of the food I eat or else I wont have good energy throughout the day, nor will I be able to focus on my work. So, how do you keep eating healthy meals even on the days when you have overestimated the numbers of hours in your day (again!)? I’ve come up with a few pointers to help you making the good stuff even when you are flat chat.
- You need to have a well-stocked fridge, freezer and pantry. The foods that I always have on hand so that I never reach for the takeaways are:
- Eggs – these guy are so healthy for you and super easy to whip up into a good meal as I show you below
- Nuts and seeds – raw, unsalted and organic where possible – I keep a good stash of almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, sesame and sunflower seeds on hand
- Vegetables – they last all week in your crisper and are so easy to throw together with a little bit of spice for a healthy meal
- Beans and pulses – I precook and freeze my chickpeas and beans so that if I need to whip up a quick hummus, Mexican bean mix or a vegetarian curry, I have a healthy vegetarian protein source (whilst avoiding the nasty plastics found in tinned foods)
- Grains – some healthy grains such as oats, quinoa and brown rice can be super useful when you are running short of time
- A few herbs in the herb garden – basil, mint and parsley are my favourites to add to a salad or stir-fry when I am in a hurry
- Think protein, vegetables and some flavour – it doesn’t have to be fancy. It would be nice if every meal were designed by Jamie Oliver, but often the simplest meals can also bring you great joy as well as sustenance.
- Have some easy sauces and spices on hand – tamari (or soy) sauce, sesame oil, dried spices like paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and of course Himalayan salt and black pepper can also jazz up meals really easily.
Ok, so the last time I was caught with not enough time and no food made – I whipped up these two little meals in less than 18 minutes (including cleaning time).
Breakfast – easy oats
1 handful of organic oats (use Bob’s Red Mill Oats if you are wheat sensitive – available at our Milton store)
¼ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons coconut yoghurt
Smoosh together so that the raspberries and coconut yoghurt go through the oats and enjoy!
Need some more breakfast ideas? Try our quinoa porridge or chia pudding recipes here!
Omelette with Asian Greens
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1 cup Snow peas
1 bok choi
3 asparagus spears (or any combination of greens you enjoy/having in the fridge)
soy sauce/tamari
sesame seeds
For the omelette: Whisk together the eggs with some salt and pepper. Add to a hot pan with a little bit of coconut or olive oil. Stir until cooked.
For the greens: Heat some coconut oil in a pan. Add the veggies and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of soy sauce or tamari. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place both the omelette and the greens in your glass or stainless steel lunch container and you are on your way!
These are just 2 of the whip together meals I have on hand for when things get busy. I suggest you try these as well as start your own recipe board for quick, easy and failsafe meals for you and your family so that you always have something delicious and healthy to eat no matter how busy you are. Have fun!
