It’s a new year, when so many of us are looking for a fresh and healthy start to our eating habits. A lot of us need a healthy kickstart after eating all of the calorie rich foods we’ve just enjoyed over the holidays! It’s great to have this healthier thinking on the brain, however, I understand that just because you want to eat healthier, it doesn’t mean you have extra time to prepare and cook the food. While, I’ve got good news for you, it doesn’t have to take hours to cook and prepare a healthy meal. When it comes to healthy eating, it’s important to search out all of the cooking shortcuts you can get your hands on. Here are my favorite 3 tips to eat healthier.
Try these 3 Simple Healthy Cooking Shortcuts
- Eat frozen vegetables.
It can’t be any easier or quicker than to open up and defrost a bag of frozen veggies as your side dish at dinner tonight! The possibilities for frozen veggies are endless. I like adding them into homemade soups, stir-fries, stews and casseroles. And as I’ve mentioned, I love getting an extra serving of veggies into my dinner by eating them on the side of many meals. I just add my favourite spices to the frozen veggies, before defrosting them, and they taste great!
Many people are surprised to learn that frozen vegetables are often more nutritious than their fresh counterparts. Especially if you aren’t able to get fresh, local produce due to limited growing conditions like us with our cold, Canadian winters. This is because the vegetables are frozen at their peak ripeness when they’re most nutrient-packed. They often less expensive than their fresh counterparts.
- Embrace “minimally prepared” foods.
“Minimally prepared” foods have a place in many kitchens. These are items pre-prepped for convenience, that you can recognize in their natural form. They include bagged spinach, salads, cut-up vegetables and chopped nuts. They are foods most of us consider to be very healthy. These foods are quick and easy-to-use alternatives that speed up the preparation of a ‘mostly homecooked’ meal. Because of their convenience, they’re bound increase the number of healthy meals you make. Riced cauliflower, tetra broth and canned tomatoes and beans are all “minimally prepared” go-to foods in our house.
- Buy the Instant Pot!
I used to think the slow cooker was one of the best inventions…that was before I got an Instant Pot! This super speedy tool makes meals taste like they’ve been simmering for hours, but they only take 30 minutes or less to make! The clean-up is minimal and the leftovers are great. It’s an absolute must-have for healthy weeknight dinners. I’ve only owned it for a few months, but I already have a ton of delicious soups and meals I make with the Instant Pot. I’ll share a few of my favourite recipes including a broccoli and cheese soup on my Facebook page in the near future.
To Sum it up…Try These Healthy Cooking Shortcuts
Are you someone who wants to start eating healthier, but you’re afraid of the length of time it will take you to cook the meals? While, I’ve got good news for you, healthy meals don’t have to take a great deal of time to make. Just seek out the healthy cooking shortcuts that work for you. Build your meals with frozen vegetables and “minimally prepared” foods like riced cauliflower and canned tomatoes. These ingredients will speed up your weeknight dinner prep, yet still enable you to cook healthy meals. Using kitchen appliances like the Instant Pot, will also greatly speed up your cooking time. Don’t sacrifice the health of your meals because you’re tight for time. What is your favourite healthy cooking shortcut?