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Published
4 years agoon
By
adminHILIT MILNER
The best thing to do at this time of the year is to keep it simple! Although this is a time where more people are motivated to be healthy and improve their nutrition, it’s also a time where many households adjust to new schedules at work and school – making your molehill look like a mountain. And what happens when something seems unmanageable and complicated? We drop it! Which is obviously not the result that we want. So, let’s soften the landing with a few back-to-school tips and ideas.
Preparation and a bit of planning goes a long way. Sounds obvious right? Wrong. This is the hardest part, and where most busy people fail. You might be thinking that you are never prepared because preparing takes time; and isn’t this the problem in the first place, limited time? Setting aside a small window in your calendar to prepare for the weeks to come will save you lots of time and running around – investing now will reward you later.
Being prepared involves a few key steps, the first of which is meal planning. Depending on your meal planning style, it’s always useful to keep a list of favourite household dishes and, as time goes by and new recipes pop up, the list can grow. This makes planning easier, and keeps at bay the inevitable, “I’m so bored with this meal.”
Now that you have a list of favourites on hand, it’s easier to mix and match them into a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly meal calendar. I’m going to pause for a second, as I know you are already feeling your blood pressure rise, and have decided at this point that you are not this organised. Remember that this is just a guide to prevent the daily last-minute scramble. Nothing is set in stone, but it certainly helps to have a loose structure in place.
The next step is to make a shopping list based on the above-mentioned meal plan. This not only saves time and prevents you from having to run to the shops daily, it also reduces wastage and saves you a rand or two. The new year brings with it a relatively empty piggy bank, so you can help ease the load on the wallet and spare yourself some time by: sticking to your shopping list; buying food that’s in season; using a combination of fresh, frozen, and tinned foods; buying ingredients in bulk; as well as freezing portioned-out meals.
So, as you lay down the foundation for this year with newfound motivation, don’t let the hustle and bustle of January trip you up. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep things uncomplicated – you can add the frills later. Remember that your path to health is a marathon not a sprint.
Spicy quinoa and red kidney bean patties
Ingredients
(Makes 10 small patties)
Method
Tip: If you find the patties too soft when rolling, it’s an option to add a few tablespoons of flour. They will bake and form without it, but a bit of flour might help you out. Once they have been baked and refrigerated, they do firm up slightly.
Lemon and almond-crusted chicken schnitzels
Ingredients
(Makes 14 schnitzels)
Method
Tip: Freeze extra almond crumb or schnitzels.
Easy tuna patties
Ingredients
(Makes 6-8 medium-to-large patties)
Patties
Dill dip
Method
Tip: Serve with a yoghurt dill dressing