Healthy Eating Hacks
I've always wondered if I didn't like cooking because I wasn't good at it or if I wasn't good at cooking because I didn't like it. It wasn't until I changed my eating habits and the way I run my household when it comes to grocery shopping and planning meals that I changed my perspective on it. Creating healthy eating habits while saving time and money can be simple, especially if you have healthy eating hacks.
Here are my HEALTHY EATING HACKS
Clean out your fridge, freezer, and pantry every week
Before you create your grocery shopping list or grocery shop take inventory of what's already there. Keeping these areas stocked and organized allows you to know what you have and what you need for your next trip to the grocery store. Once I've "shopped" my fridge, freezer, and pantry I create a weekly menu. Creating a menu not only saves me time and money but it's a good way to get the family involved with meal planning too. When you know what you'll be having for your dinner or at least have an idea the less you'll be tempted to order take out.
Have back up
There are certain evenings that just don't go according to plan. For days like that I turn to quick and easy recipes. Sometimes it's a homemade dish that's stored in the freezer or a store bought frozen meal. It's okay to give ourselves a break from the kitchen every now and then. Some days dinner calls for a frozen lasagna and all I have to put together is garlic bread, a salad, and a side of veggies. The point is to always have a backup meal, so if boxed mac n' cheese is what you have give it a special touch by adding toppings such as veggies and breadcrumbs to bake in the oven as a pasta casserole. A simple and semi-homemade dinner idea turned fancy-ish.
Turn to leftovers
Sometimes I take a portion of last night's dinner and use those leftovers for the next dinner. Getting into the habit of reusing leftovers for a second meal at least once a week is a great way to prevent food from spoiling. For example, Day 1- Rice bowl with black beans and other toppings of your choice. Day 2- Take the leftover black beans to make bean and cheese enchilada casserole or quesadillas.
Put your slow cooker to work
There's so many recipes that can be made in the slow cooker. From beverages to a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It's such a time saving kitchen gadget. Even if you plan for just one slower cooker dinner that's one less meal you have to stand in front of a stove for throughout the week.
What are some of your healthy eating hacks?