Tips for Eating Healthy in a Hurry

Genesis 9:3         
"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything."

We all have busy lives and it is sometimes hard to feel like you can eat healthy and be hurrying around all the time.  I have had a few people ask how to cook and prepare meals and eat healthy when you work, or have small children, or just a busy family.  I am going to give you a few tips on how to not look like the picture #1 up there but more like the pretty girl with the pot and a heart.

If you notice my verse above, God gave us all we need for food. A lot of His foods need no preparing, because He has made them perfect to eat right off the vine, tree, and plants. If you are eating healthy, you need to avoid processed foods, chemicals in your foods, and convenience items.  But, that does not mean you have to make everything from scratch and labor for hours a day. 

Tips for Eating Healthy in a Hurry

1. Be Prepared: I know I say this a lot, but being prepared is the key.  Take just a few minutes each week and plan meals.  We rotate breakfast items or pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast everyday.  That one is easy to plan.  Snack can be the things that are the easiest. Fruits, nuts, cheese, yogurt., cut up veggies , just Grab it and eat it.  Lunch and Dinners vary by the day and what I plan has to do with how busy we are. If you know you need to eat out due to ballgames or dance lessons, plan in advance where you are going so that you can choose healthy options.  I will post a few of my favorite quick dinners at the bottom of this article.

snack items..this took less than 5 min to prepare for a week....

2. Cook more than you need or cook in advance: Out of all the tips that I am going to tell you, this one has to be the one that I most rely on.  I cook a lot of stuff in advance, when I have the extra time.  I will fry a whole package of nitrate free bacon all at once and keep them in a baggie in the fridge and heat them up for a few seconds in the morning.  I cook a whole week's worth of oatmeal at a time, again, heat up the portion you are going to eat in the microwave that morning. You can boil a few days worth of eggs and keep them for heating in the microwave as well.   If we grill or bake meat, we put on a few extra for lunch or dinner the next day.  I also cut up a bunch of fruit and keep it in a bowl mixed or put in baggies so I can grab them and go.

a whole week's worth of oatmeal

fry the whole pack all at once of bacon

3  Cook with quick appliances: I have two favorite items now that I love to cook with. The George Foreman indoor grill, and my newest gift from my parents..the New Wave Oven. It has halogen, convection and infrared cooking elements. This versatile tabletop cooker roasts, bakes and broils your meals 3x faster than traditional methods. I LOVE it!  You can take frozen food from your freezer and put it directly in it and cook it.  I had frozen chicken breasts on our plates in less than 15 minutes and it was the moistest chicken ever!  My boys loved it and said it was the best chicken they ever ate! You can cook meats, veggies, baked goods, anything you can imagine and it is done super fast and is super moist!  No, I don't get kick backs or work for them, they are just that awesome.  Thanks to my cousin Mindy for telling me about it and bringing it over to cook in one day.  They have these at Sam's, Wal-Mart, and Costco's now for a reasonable price! Make quick and healthy cooking so easy and it comes with a cooking guide and ideas for all foods! I also like my microwave with my Pampered Chef steamer to quickly cook any veggie!

this is the new wave oven

the dials on the new wave..so easy to use

here is some broccoli in my cooker

4.  You don't have to make everything from Scratch:  Read the labels on everything and avoid anything that you can't identify as food or added sugar.  Our bodies were not made to process additives and chemicals in foods.  That doesn't mean you can't buy anything in a package to be healthy.  That just means, check the label and make wise choices.

Here are a few packaged item that I have purchased to give you some examples:

Here are some link to recipes on my personal blog: Some quick meal ideas:
Recipes

Brandy Kisner
Health & Wellness Coordinator 

How to Survive Eating Out

1 Corinthians 6:20

"For you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body."

Taking care of your body is sometimes a hard task, especially when you are busy.  Let's face it, we are all really busy, a lot.  It's sometimes hard to cook for a family on the run and go all the time.  Sometimes, eating out is the only option but, it can be a good option if you make wise selections!  

Fast Food and Restaurants - how to survive it:

1. Order meats without breading or coatings and avoid fried options
2. Look for grilled, baked, or broiled options
3. Steer clear of fatty condiments like mayo, butter, "special sauce". Read the ingredients on packets of dressing. Watch out for low fat, but high sugar dressings.
4. Drink water or milk instead of soda; unsweetened tea with a lemon and some truvia is my favorite
5. Ditch the fries and chose a side salad, yogurt, fruit, or baked potato or sweet potato.
6. Ask for whole wheat instead of white breads. If they don't have this option, don't eat the bread.
7. Check the menu online before you go.
8. Order veggies as your side item.
9. Don't be afraid to ask for food to be prepared the way you need it!

I was surprised. Most sit down places will be happy to fix the food the way you want it. All you have to do is ask. You can eat healthy when you eat out. Just know what to look for. Beware of hidden sugars in sauces and dressings, and avoid the bread and breading, and you are good to go. Here are a few of my favorite items to eat at the restaurants that I go to. Most of these have an online menu that you can see everything that's in your food. WOW!

Panera..this link will let you calculate your meal and see what's in your food. Here, I eat the "you pick 2."  I get half a bowl of soup (usually broccoli cheddar) and the Fuji apple chicken salad, with feta cheese instead of Gorgonzola, and an apple as my side item. The boys usually eat a sandwich with an apple or organic yogurt, or macaroni and cheese. Order the same type of foods at Atlanta Bread or McAlister's Deli.

Chick-fila- this link will give also calculate your meal and you can see what's in your food. I eat the chargrilled sandwich and Fruit Salad with Berry Balsamic Dressing. Chad eats either the chargrilled sandwich, which comes with a wheat bun, or orders the regular sandwich on a wheat bun, with a fruit cup. The boys get the nuggets, with fruit and milk. They now have grilled nuggets!

Salsaritas- I usually get the salad with romaine and spinach on a plate with the meat of my choice, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, cheese sauce, salsa, and all my favorite veggies. Chad gets a burrito, quesedilla, or pizza on a whole wheat tortilla. They have them, just ask. Donna is great at the one in Kingsport..love her:)

Mcdonalds- I am not a fan, but if I end up there, I choose the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and use the Southwest dressing. The kids get chicken, apples, and milk.

Chop house- at any steak house, chose a lean cut of beef like fillet or sirloin and request for it to be grilled with no butter, just spices. It is good. You can also choose grilled chicken, fish, shrimp..yumm..choose asparagus, salad, broccoli, or sweet potato for sides.

Cracker Barrel- has lot of great options like eggs and bacon.  They have lots of grilled items and plenty of veggies to choose from.  The strawberry chicken salad they have on their summer menu is wonderful!  They also have a low-carb section of offerings! 

Raffaele's-I order a grilled chicken breast in garlic and olive, add mushrooms and onions, no pasta, and the house Italian dressing on a side salad. Rich, the owner is so great to custom make meals. He just loves it when I come in.  He should name that dish after me :)

La Caretta- I order the chicken or beef fajitas and eat them like a salad on the plate. I add the lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes right on to the skillet and don't use a shell.

When you have to eat out,  you should choose the most nutritious meals you can. Fresh grilled meats, fruits, and veggies, and avoid breads unless they are whole wheat. Plan ahead by looking at an online menu and enjoy not cooking!!