I try, I really do. But eating healthy can be such a challenge for me! Especially when I’m strapped for time, got a zillion things to do for the kids, after school activities to bring them to and homework to help them with. Sometimes, it is so tempting to just run through the drive through and grab unhealthy fast food or get take-out from a restaurant. But I know this is terrible for our health and waistline not to mention our wallet and budget too.
So this week I ordered all our groceries through Amazon Fresh! For $15 a month you can get groceries delivered the same day and if it’s your first time ordering, they give you a trial so it’s free. We decided to try it because I really didn’t want to make a trip to the grocery store since I’ve been recovering all week from a nasty cold and had no energy to get out of my pajamas.
I went grocery shopping from home in my pjs, I placed my order at 11am and by 7pm that evening, groceries were delivered to my front doorstep! It was awesome!
Everything came in paper grocery bags, all packaged nicely and nothing was damaged. I was so impressed with how fresh the produce was too! It definitely wont be the last time I use a grocery delivery service such as Amazon Fresh. It was so convenient and saved me so much time which allowed me to be more productive with things I’ve been putting off at home for months!
Being sick made me realize that I need to eat healthier, really watch what I put in my body and also take care of my families health. Flu season is here in full force and I want to make sure my family is healthy and strong to fight it. So….This week, I vow to prep and prepare each meal at home (aside from a dinner date I have on Thursday).
I know that preparation is key for success and that I just have to make it a priority. Now if I can only stick to my plan, even on days where it’s tempting to buy over processed, full of preservatives, and unhealthy fast food, I will be so proud of myself.
If you’re interested in getting back on that healthy eating train with me, follow along using these 9 steps to make it work for you!
9 Ways To Make Healthy Eating Action Plans Work For You
- Write down a list of meals you want to make for the week. I like to keep it simple so I don’t get overwhelmed with difficult to follow recipes. I like to plan to make a handful of super simple meals that I’m very familiar making such as this chicken noodle soup with one or two more time consuming and elaborate dishes from one of my favorite cookbooks like Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines or Cravings by Chrissy Teigen.
- Make a grocery list! There’s nothing worse than spending so much time at the grocery store only to forget one or two key ingredients you’ll need for the week. It completely throw me off and most times, I just ditch the dish I was about to make because I’m too lazy or lack the time to go back to the store. Taking a list (and sticking to that list) is key! There are a ton of apps you can use for this but honestly, I found that simplest is best. I usually use the Reminders app on my iPhone and create the list there or just good old pen and paper.
- Schedule time each week to grocery shop. You have to make this a priority or else it’s not going to happen. Trust me, I have been guilty of procrastinating my grocery trip and end up eating so bad the whole week. Pick a day each week where you can commit to spending at least an hour at the grocery store. I found for me that shopping on less busy days such as week days or early morning Saturdays work better for me rather than a Sunday afternoon when the rest of the world is doing their shopping. Or better yet, use Amazon Fresh or another grocery delivery service.
- Prep ingredients immediately. Wash and chop veggies right away and separate them into different zip lock bags. Cut and separate your meat and fish into separate bags as well. You can even marinade the meat and throw it all in a zip lock bag and when you’re ready just dump it all into a Crockpot or Instant Pot and you’ve got a meal you didn’t have to put much effort into. Taking the time to prep ingredients right away will make your busy weeknights a breeze. The time it takes to fix many meals are mostly spent on chopping, slicing, prepping, and not really on the actual cooking process. For my salads, I like to cut up all my salad ingredients and put them in containers, so when I’m ready to eat I just start dumping everything in a bowl. This also motivates me to actually at a salad because the thought of having to cut everything up for a salad seems too tedious when I’m in a rush.
- Cook in advance. To make your busy nights more efficient, cook some meals ahead of time. Some meals that keep well in the freezer are stews, spaghetti sauce, casseroles and make-ahead-bake-later type meals like lasagna or a casserole. Sometimes I will even half cook a meal such as chicken noodle soup by sauteing all the veggies and chicken together and keeping it in the fridge until I’m ready to eat, then I just add the chicken broth and pasta noodles. Dinner in the table in less than 15 minutes.
- Use an Instant Pot! I am a huge fan of the Instant Pot multi-purpose cooker! It has changed the way I plan, prep and cook my meals because it has cut down the time in half! When I plan my meals for the week, I make sure to incorporate dishes that I can make in my Instant Pot. Some of my favorite dishes to cook in the Instant Pot are Korean beef short ribs (recipe by Nom Nom Paleo), spaghetti, baby back ribs (recipe by The Real Food Dietitians) and my yummy chicken noodle soup.
- Batch-cook favorite recipes. When you find meals that you and your family absolutely love, make twice or three times as much as you need and freeze the extra portions for later. These will make great lunches or quick dinner fixes when you’re in a pinch for time. My family absolutely loves chicken adobo (my own version of the recipe coming soon), spaghetti, shrimp linguine with lemon, butter and garlic and bacon fried rice. When they request these dishes, I make sure to make a huge batch!
- Keep simple options on hand. Again, just keep things simple and easy. No one said you have to be Martha Stewart! Carrots and hummus or chips and guac are easy snacks to keep on hand. I also make sure to grab snacks that the kids will actually eat like cheese sticks and crackers for those times we are out and about and don’t have time to sit down for a meal. Don’t put added pressure on yourself to make a gourmet meal every single night because reality is, it won’t happen. Be ok with eating a quick sandwich for lunch or a bowl of salad for dinner and call it a day.
- Make it fun! Turn on some music, get your kids to help you, turn on Netflix or listen to a podcast while you’re prepping and cooking your meals. Make it a fun activity for you so that you will look forward to doing it every week. As the weeks go by, you’ll find your groove and it’ll become easier and faster for you.
Are you ready to do this with me?!
Leave me a comment below with your favorite recipe to make in a hurry. I’m always in search of the next quick delicious recipe to try!
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