Do you feel like you never have enough time to make dinner? Or you’ve been running around all day and you just don’t feel like cooking? Do you wish that you could find healthier options that still fit your budget?
Well, you are not alone. Many Americans spend their days on the go, whether it involves work, family functions, or driving your kids to and from school and activities. So, how do you put a healthy meal on the table when there never seems like enough time to shop, prepare and cook a homemade meal? I know that as a mom I often find that I’ve barely started cleaning up from one meal when they are asking what I am going to make them next. And mine are not even teenagers yet!
And with spring comes Little League Baseball and Softball and soccer and school concerts so we are not often home in the evenings. So, how do we manage to get a healthy meal on the table?
- 52% of Americans (that were polled) believed doing their taxes was easier than figuring out how to eat healthy.
- At least 1 in 4 people eat some type of fast food every day.
- Americans consume 31% more packaged food than fresh food.”
- 20% of all American meals are eaten in the car.
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-american-eating-habits
And at a time when Nearly 70% of American adults are either overweight or obese, which puts you at a higher risk for health problems such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and more, it is important to raise kids with healthy eating habits.
One great way to make sure that you have healthy dinners available (even on the busiest days) is to shop and prep in big batches and freeze some meals.
The reward for your effort is that you will notice not only a difference in your health but also in your grocery bill.
Here are some benefits of freezing your own food:
- Saves time: If you are already shopping and prepping a meal, it is easier to make a bigger batch and eat one for dinner tonight, and put one in the freezer. Then, on those busy nights when you just aren’t even home long enough to cook something, there is always a simple solution: Look in the freezer! If you freeze the meals in smaller batches, then you don’t always have to remember to thaw it the day before either.
- Less clean up: When you freeze a meal, it is already in a container so you don’t have to worry about taking out the cutting board, knives, spoons, pots, and pans. I even like to make easy to-go meals like burritos that they can eat on the run without making more dirty dishes.
- Removes the Mystery: When you choose fresh ingredients that you recognize and prepare it yourself you know what is in there. (fresh chicken, local cheese, some fresh veggies etc.). You won’t have to worry about all those chemicals and preservatives that are labelled as ingredients: BHT for freshness, partially hydrogenated oils, mechanically separated meat. By making it homemade, there is a significant decrease in sodium, calories, fat, and sugar intake so you and your family feel charged and ready to go.
- Saves Money: Depending on the climate, produce can be very expensive in the winter. In the summer and fall when there is so much in the garden that you can’t eat it all, or it is on sale at the store or the Farmer’s Market, you can freeze vegetables and herbs to be able to enjoy them in the off season months without spending a fortune.“Frozen herbs will keep their flavor for several months. Unlike dried herbs, where the flavor gets more concentrated when drying, frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs.”
“When summer gives you heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables, freeze them and enjoy throughout the year. It’s easy!”
There are many more benefits to freezing your own food. When you do freeze foods make sure to always label what it is and when it was made. There is a chart with guidelines for how long you can refrigerate and freeze different foods. But, “the guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.”
If you are looking for customized solutions that fit your family, your schedule, or your budget, contact me for a private consultation.
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