The biggest objection to eating healthy is that it's not convenient. Disease is? Having the choice to eat well is a burden, but being forced to eat healthy isn't?
Years ago, I decided I was going to make most of my own food. I would forgo the boxed easy stuff and eat real foods. My farmer's market bill went up, by grocery bill went down, way down.
At first, it took much longer to prepare dinner, and lunch and breakfast. I got over it. Now, I plan, prepare, and it rarely takes more than a half hour to make dinner.
Here's my secrets:
- I spend every Friday night (or afternoon if I go out) planning what I am eating for the week. I write down the meal on the back of a notepad and the ingredients I need to buy on the front
- Saturday morning is farmer's market morning. I buy my fruits and vegetables fresh from the farmer. I rarely spend more than $10 because there is no middle man. A pepper is $0.35, an onion pint $1. A bushel of apples $7.50.
- Then it's to the grocery store to buy what I can't at the farmer's market: fish (we have no fish monger in our area), almond milk, rice, dried beans, cat food, and butter. I rarely buy anything with more than 1 ingredient and if I do, I know all the ingredients.
- I follow the plan for the week. If I need to thaw something, I take it out the night before. If I need to let something simmer, I know it and can plan around it or use a slow cooker.
It is now habit to prepare my food. It tastes better, it feels better and it's no slower than the prepackaged crap.
Of course, now and then I do go out or pick up take-out. It's not often, but there are times. I'm human after all.
What about some of those things, like broths, that just seem to be impossible without buying it? Well, I make my own. And it's easy:
- In my crockpot, I add the scraps of the vegetables from the past week(s) since making the last batch. To this I add herbs, carrots and onion, if I need to change the taste. I cover all of it with water and let it cook overnight. I'll add chicken bones or venison bones (the necks are perfect!)
- In the morning, I take the lid off and let it cook down. Then, I strain and reduce it some more.
- What I'm left with is a concentrated broth that I freeze for future use.
Even if all you do is plan your weekend meals for home cooking, it's worth it in the end. You'll get used to better flavors, textures and the satisfaction of making your own meals. Then, it's easy to expand!
Christina Major is the Naturopathic Doctor and Holistic Nutritionist of Crystal Holistic Health Consulting. Crystal Holistic Health helps people, especially women, who have Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure lower their numbers, get off medication and increase their energy so they can save money, take back control of their lives and improve the health and happiness of their families. You can get a free report on health at http://www.crystalholistichealth.com/!
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