Whether you are a stay at home or working mum, a bachelor, young professional or semi-retired we all at some point forget to plan ahead when it comes to supper time. The worst thing that you can do on the way home after a busy day is to stop at a supermarket, restaurant or take away and buy a convenience meal – no matter how healthy or fat-free the label tells you it is!
So what can you do to still prepare a healthy meal for yourself and your family when you have only half an hour before supper time? A common misconception is that cooking a healthy meal takes time as well as fancy ingredients. The truth, however, is that a super healthy, simple, functional meal can also be super easy to make.
The trick is to keep a few specific items on your grocery list and in your kitchen as staples. These are foods that have a relatively long shelf life and can be put together in various combinations to make up a nutritious meal.
The first thing to consider is protein. Items like eggs, tinned fish, smoked chicken, cottage cheese, lean biltong, tofu, smoked or pickled fish are all excellent sources of protein. These are all versatile ingredients that will keep without having to be frozen.
There should always be fresh vegetables and salad ingredients in your fridge. A good selection that keeps well and last, provided they are refrigerated, include carrots, tomatoes, onions, baby spinach, broccoli, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, butternut, gem squash, beetroot and corn (on the cob or mini) – to name a few. A good tip is to keep your salad leaves and other “soft” salad ingredients in a sealed plastic container in the fridge to maximise shelf life. Some frozen vegetables stashed in the freezer can also be a good last resort as they cook in minutes.
Then starches. Why is everybody still so afraid of carbohydrates? They provide a valuable source of fuel for muscles and the brain as well as essential vitamins. Carbohydrates are particularly important for growing children and for those who are exercising. Good options to keep a supply of that cook easily include sweet potato, tinned lentils, tinned beans, tinned chickpeas, wholewheat couscous and wholewheat pasta.
Remember that other store cupboard staples should include flavourings like garlic, ginger, dried herbs, dried spices, lemon juice, oils and vinegar.
Considering that a meal should contain all of the above elements, you can now let your creative juices go to work and put together delicious combinations for supper time.
A few examples could include;
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- A frittata (aka omelette) with eggs, tomatoes, onions, peppers and sweet potato.
- A salad with smoked fish, baby spinach, carrots, cabbage and cannellini beans.
- Couscous with smoked chicken, roasted butternut, peppers and roasted red onion.
- A salad with biltong, chickpeas, steamed broccoli, beetroot and a cottage cheese dressing.
- Pasta with roasted baby tomatoes, onion, corn and tinned fish.
- Baked sweet potato with cottage cheese and a fresh salad with spinach, tomatoes, red onions and baby corn
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Enjoy!
Article Credit:
Kerryn Gibson – Dietitian Durban(Kerryn is a registered dietitian in private practice in Durban and Ballito working as a paediatric dietitian and a sports dietitian).
