A recent article in the journal Public Health Nutrition looked at the influence of the perceived cost of fruits and vegetables versus other characteristics such as quality, convenience, and selection, on their intake in low-income neighbourhoods. It turns out, whether people thought the price was high or low was not the deciding factor in whether people eat their veggies or not…it’s the other stuff.
I find that heartening. Most people do genuinely understand that fruits and vegetables are important for good health and want to include them in their diet. And if it’s not the cost that’s stopping them, what is?
This is not a new idea, but it is certainly a reasonable explanation: it’s the preparation. Let’s face it, vegetables, and to a lesser degree, fruits, are a pain to prepare. Washing, trimming & cutting takes a lot of time, and when we’re rushed to get a meal on the table, vegetables seem to be left by the wayside. Frankly, when we get home at 5 or 6 to a hungry family, a trip to Swiss Chalet seems much quicker and more appealing. So how do we work a full day and still manage to eat healthy? We plan for it.
Before you head out to the grocery store, plan out your week. Know exactly what you want to prepare each day. Keep in mind what your schedule looks like – don’t plan something that needs a couple hours in the oven if you’re not going to be home until late, or if you have to eat early to go take the kids to hockey practice. Try to plan in such a way that your meals work together – for example, make extra chicken today to go into tomorrow’s stir-fry.
And then, the most important thing, is to do your prep the night before. During your downtime, when there’s no reason to rush, chop veggies, clean meats, soak beans. You can even measure out spices. I’ll take everything into the TV room and prep while watching TV. Or bring my mini-DVD player into the kitchen and watch a movie. Or listen to my music or podcasts. Or chat on the phone (speakerphone lets you keep your hands free). You get the idea. Then, when you get home the next day, you can pretend you’re one of those chefs on TV…add a little of this to a little of that and before you know it, dinner’s on the table.
Don’t have much time the night before? Make use of convenience items. Bagged salads. Pre-cut broccoli. Diced squash. Frozen veggies galore!
So, it’s not impossible to eat healthy with a full schedule. You just have to decide how important it is to you and then make it a priority.
There’s lots more I could say on the topic of meal planning, but this should get you started. Good luck!
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