How to make tasty, nutritious meals fast
Making tasty and nutritious meals does not have to be difficult. Many of the most nutritious foods that you eat are also the most hassle free foods to prepare. With some basic knowledge of cooking and knowing your way around a kitchen, you can easily make fast meals that you would be proud to serve to your family.
Many times when we decide to make a change in the way that we are going to eat, we set ourselves up for failure because we won't accept anything less than perfection. You don't have to be perfect! Trying new recipes is very much a process of trial and error. When you cook with ingredients that you have never used before, of course it is going to take some time to figure out what flavors taste best together or how long you need to cook something before it is warm all the way through.
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It is also ok to transition into eating more healthy foods gradually. You cannot expect to successfully transition from eating hot dogs and pizza to eating salads and fish every night. Don't set yourself up for failure. Any progress is a step in the right direction. Don't feel bad about mixing fresh vegetables into a box of Pasta-Roni or mixing fruit into ice cream. Yes there are better ways to make more nutritious food options but don't rush yourself. You may end up rejecting the whole idea of eating healthier and then you are worse off than when you began.
Fresh, frozen and processed
Making meals fast is something that everyone is looking to do especially if you are cooking for a family. If you think about it, fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the easiest foods to prepare because in many cases there is no preparation needed at all! Simply serve a vegetable whole or cut it up into smaller pieces and incorporate them into a dish. The more processed you get when it comes to produce the more complicated and time consuming the prep time can be. It may take some getting used to if you are not familiar with cooking with fresh versus processed or frozen fruits and vegetables, but us is well worth the initial effort to be able to save time and maintain health in the future.
Tofu vs. lean meats
We see another good example of how healthier foods are often also easier to prepare in the use of tofu versus meats. Tofu is simple to prepare. All you need to do is incorporate it into a dish with other vegetables, juices, seasonings, etc. and the tofu will absorb the flavors of whatever else you are cooking. With tofu you do not have to worry about the cooking time, dangerous contaminants, or shelf life to the degree that you have to use caution with fresh meats. This is not to say that fresh meats are not worth preparing. There are many easy and quick ways to cook, broil, and bake your favorite meats. When you are careful to reduce the amount of fat on the meat, fresh meats are excellent sources of iron and other vitamins and minerals.
Baked or fried
It is much easier to bake something that to fry it. Frying foods involves special appliances, splashing oil, high temperatures, etc. Baking is not only healthier but more user friendly. Baking a nutritious meal can be as simple as throwing all of the ingredients in a dish and backing them in the oven.
Plan ahead
You can save lots of time when you are making your tasty and nutritious meals by being smart about your meal prep. Some examples include preparing a meal in the morning that can simply be baked later, using a crock pot or slow cooker for soups and stew, or chopping the ingredients that you may need for different meals in the week all at once and just putting them in bags or containers to be easily accessed later as needed.
