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What’s for dinner? Don’t cringe when you’re asked.
Preparing decent meals during the week doesn’t have to be so hard.
Use these tips and shortcuts as a road map to make no-fuss food.
When I make (or prepare) good food for the week, everything else tends to fall into place. So I always try to make an effort to do so. Don’t miss some of my best tips here.
Meal Plan and Kick Major Butt in the Kitchen!
1. Add vegetables to dishes whenever possible. I like broccoli but I just don’t buy it because it tends to spoil if I don’t eat it right away. Also, if I don’t have a recipe in mind, I forget about it and it rots in my fridge. I came up with a way to remember, get more details here. Actively seek out flavorful recipes with ingredients you want to eat more.
(Sesame Noodle with Broccoli and Chicken via Food Hero)
2. Ask yourself, “What would a student do?” I’m sure more people would eat healthier if they had the time, including busy students who really need good food to study harder. I remember eating Ramen Noodles in college because it was easy to store and heat up. I opted for this because I needed something quick. Find out what a savvy student that wants to eat right does.
(Slender Essentials: Sack Lunch via The Slender Student)
3. Meal plan with a dollar amount in mind. See how creative you can be with the amount you choose to spend.
(Get dinner for a week with just 40 dollars via Hubpages)
4. Look at off season recipes to get inspiration. You may not be able to cook on a grill right now but maybe the recipe will still taste good if you baked it on the oven. That’s what I do when I want to mix things up a bit.
(7 Deliciously Frugal Feasts via Health)
5. Try making cuisines from different countries. Maybe you have Mexican food one day, Italian another. Take a stab at Indian food. Watch videos on Youtube or just try a recipe.
(Here’s a simple one for starters. Healthy Black Bean Tostada with Cilantro Sauce via Tasty Kitchen)
6. Make soup or buy “homemade soup”. I go to a produce store that makes soup in the deli area. It’s freshly made and delicious. It also doesn’t have as much salt and other unknown ingredients that come in a can.
Get 9 Healthy Soup Recipes via PopSugar
7. Make a different version of a favorite. I love chicken salad. I’m always looking for new ways to make it. I especially like Clinton Kelly’s recipe from his book, Freakin’ Fabulous on a Budget. I started experimenting with my own version. Using Greek yogurt to cut back on how much mayo I use, makes it healthier. Once I get my recipes, I pick out the healthier ingredients from this book I love.
(If you are dying to try one now, here’s another chicken salad recipe with Greek yogurt.
8. Get ideas from social media. People love to leave comments on Facebook when you have a question. You also like to get ideas from people you know. I happen to love Pinterest. I get a ton of recipes there.
(Check out this 80 Healthy Foods pin. I saved it for ya.)
9. Find apps. Try apps like Meal Board, ZipList, Food on the Table, Love Food Hate Waste and many others.
10. Store recipes digitally. Store all of these recipes on a Pinterest board. I meal plan on Pinterest. If you don’t have time to look just follow mine here.
“I like your blog. I especially like this latest one on how you use your receipt on your fridge. Brilliant!”-Sylvia Martinez of SMartinez Media, former Editor-in-Chief at Latina Magazine