The Top Healthy-Eating Obstacles Solved
On every show, Curtis Stone, host of TLC's Take Home Chef, surprises a grocery shopper and helps her prepare a fantastic spread for a guest. This time he changed the plan and brought two busy, cooking-averse women to an organic farm in upstate New York to show them that making healthy meals isn't hard. "Once you see how fast and flavorful cooking with fresh produce can be," he says, "you'll have a lot more confidence and enjoy being in the kitchen."
It's been 15 years since Jackie Feldman and Deb Baum met as college freshmen, and while they've stayed close, their lives have gone in different directions. Jackie, a New York City–based clinical psychologist, is single and just opened a new practice on Long Island; she divides her week between her two offices. Deb, who works as a university media relations specialist in Providence, Rhode Island, recently learned that she and her husband, Matt, are expecting their second child.
The one thing Deb and Jackie do have in common: neither feels she has enough time to prepare healthy, energizing, nutrient-rich meals. As a result, both women resort to shortcuts. Put off by complicated recipes in cookbooks, Deb relies on prepackaged convenience items, like taco shells and cans of soup. "And there are plenty of nights when we just get Chinese or pizza because it's easier and faster," she says. Jackie doesn't even bother to cook; she eats out or microwaves whatever is in the freezer for dinner, even if it's a bag of peas. Both women say they're willing to tackle the challenges that prevent them from cooking more often. And that's where Curtis' strategies come in. He'll help them - and you - feel at home in the kitchen.
1. "I don't want to fuss at the stove."
"I need to make fast, simple meals that my whole family will eat," says Deb. According to Curtis, outdoors or in, grilling is the answer. "It's quick, and it brings out the flavor in foods," he says. Plus, you can adjust the amount of seasoning or sauce on each plate to make everyone happy. The perfect example is the Asian beef skewers with cilantro gremolata, right. Marinate the meat ahead of time and dinner can be on the table in 10 minutes. (And if your kids don't like spicy foods, serve theirs without the gremolata.) For a vegetarian option, Curtis suggests tossing veggies with olive oil and herbs and grilling them until tender. Mix them into pasta or serve them as a side dish.
2. "I rarely sit down to plan my meals."
Some women create a master grocery list and stock up at the supermarket—but Deb isn't one of them. "I end up running to the store four times a week because I don't think about dinner until 4 p.m.," she says. "I never know what I want, so I grab something basic, like spaghetti and sauce, just to get out quickly."
"Frequent shopping trips aren't such a bad thing," says Curtis, but he does have a time-saving suggestion: "Do a big shop every other week for non-perishables, like whole grains, beans, and pasta, so you have the flexibility to create healthy meals," he says. That way you can do a 10-minute grocery run a few days a week to grab fresh produce and meat or fish—whatever looks appealing that day. "When you cook with foods at the peak of flavor, you can get away with using just three or four ingredients in a dish," he says.
Case in point: At the farm, Curtis saw that beets were ready to be harvested, so he developed a simple impromptu dish. He sliced the beets into 1/2-inch pieces and tossed them with fresh thyme, garlic, and a little olive oil, then grilled them for 25 minutes, turning occasionally. Next, he brushed the beet greens with olive oil and put them on the grill for a minute or so, until just wilted. Once everything was done, he tossed the beets and greens with lettuce and crumbled blue cheese. "It can be a side dish or a starter" he says. "Add grilled chicken and it becomes the main course."
3. "Produce goes bad before I have the chance to use it."
Both Deb and Jackie suffer from vegophobia, mostly because they hate to see things go to waste. "Fruits and vegetables die a slow death in my fridge," says Jackie. "To prevent that, I buy only what I know I'll eat, like apples, bagged salad, and veggies I can cut up and take to work with me." Deb also avoids experimenting with vegetables and herbs. "I don't try recipes that call for half a zucchini or a few basil leaves— what would I do with the leftovers?"
Curtis' fix: "Make two different dishes that build on the same fruit or vegetable; just vary the type of meat and seasonings. That way you'll use all the produce you buy." At the farm, he showed the women how easy it can be. He used cherry tomatoes and basil to make both pesto-glazed chicken breast and crispy-skin salmon salad. "In the chicken dish, you top the grilled meat with a pesto made by puréeing basil, a little Parmesan, roasted pine nuts, and garlic, then serve it with a side of roasted tomatoes," says Curtis. "For the salmon, you toss mixed greens and basil with fresh cherry tomatoes, dress the whole thing with vinaigrette, then top it with the grilled fish seasoned with lime juice."
4. "I'm not sure how to tell what's really fresh."
Jackie says she sometimes feels overwhelmed when shopping in the produce aisle. And she rarely—if ever—stops at the meat or fish counter. "I've been eating canned and frozen meals for so long, I'm not sure I could pick out a ripe melon or a fresh piece of salmon if I tried," she says. The solution is simple: Ask the people who work at the market for their help. "Most of us don't realize that the clerks in the produce, meat, and fish departments have a lot of knowledge," says Curtis. They can tell you whether that avocado will ever ripen (put it in a paper bag with a banana for a day or two and it will become perfectly soft) or how to cook a lean cut of beef, like top round, so it stays tender and juicy.
If there's a store you like in your area, try to shop there often so you can establish a relationship with one or two employees. "The idea is to utilize the clerks' experience to become a savvier shopper, so the next time, you'll feel confident enough to try something new," says Curtis. He also suggests tapping into the knowledge base at your local farmers' market. "The vendors there are so connected to the land and the food they're selling—it's their livelihood," says Curtis. "They can tell you exactly how to prepare something for the best flavor or what to do with an unusual vegetable."
5. "Who wants to cook for one? I'd rather eat out."
Curtis realizes it's unrealistic for someone like Jackie, who rarely gets home before 8 p.m., to prepare elaborate dishes—but she doesn't have to turn to frozen peas. Anyone can make a fast dinner from fresh ingredients. Research from the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that people who make meals with "convenience items," like ground beef helpers and rice mixes, spend as much time in the kitchen as those who cook from scratch. Because Jackie doesn't have a grill, Curtis suggests another quick method: stir-frying. "Jackie already cuts up fresh veggies for snacks," he says. "She can toss them into a wok with a little sesame oil, add pre-cleaned shrimp, and finish with a little teriyaki sauce. There's dinner— in 15 minutes."
Your thoughts....
Have you found a way to prepare healthy meals regularly ?
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Comments
Hi, I work in a office from 8 am to 5 pm (in theory, reality is that i almost every days leave office after 6 pm) and I'm married. My husband and I realized that we where getting really fat for eating out. I often cook but i wasn't regular cooking because in the morning I didn't have time and in the afternoon i was tired. So we made a plan.
We buy lean meat of pork, beef, goat and fish for the week. I season the meat with coriander (reach in Vit A) , garlic and oregano the day before. In the morning I used a Teflon pan with just a teaspoon of oil, put the meat in medium fire and star to prepare for work. I accompany the meat with something boil (potato, plantain, sweet potato, jam, coco-jam, rice, etc) or even bread with some lettuce...and voila!. When i finish changing i have my meal ready. sometimes I change the seasoning to not get bore of the flavor. In 15 minute I have my meal because lean meat is easy to cook.
Soups are also a great way to have a healthy meal ready when you get home from work. The night before, cut up any produce necessary for the soup base, and pull out your crock-pot. Or even better, if your crock-pot has a removable pot, load all of your ingredients into that the night before and store in the fridge. Before leaving for work, turn it on. You will come home that evening to the wonderful smell of a fresh-cooked meal. Add a tossed salad and a whole grain baguette, and you are set. There are many websites that can be visited (My Recipes.com, etc.) for ideas.
I love to cook! But like most women trying to stay healthy and fit, I am a married working mother of 3. Two of them (boy/girl twins age 11) play sports, football in the summer and fall and softball in the spring and the other one is nearing age 2 and never stops. We are on the go 3-4 nights a week.
One of the things that I have found that is easy and good for you and fast are already cooked Mesquite Chicken Breast from Sam's Club. They are in a brown reclosable bag in the freezer section. Also the individually wrapped Talapia. That and a can of veggies works great. OR in a spinach salad. We eat a lot of tuna sandwiches and salads.
But that does get old and boring. I need more variaty, that we all like, that I don't have to have special ingredients for or spend too much time preparing it before I can cook it. Sounds lazy, but you other moms know what I am talking about. No matter how much we love to cook for our families, it's not practical when you're on the go. And slowing down is not an option. We love our crazy life, we just need some good healthy fast food to go with it!
All of these things still take more time and planning than I have - I have the same problem as the women above. I 'cook' for one and do not get home until late. I steam those veggy meals in the microwave - always thinking that I am getting some toxicity from the plastic - put on a little cheese topping and that is it - unfortunately I usually get hungry again and eat a peanut butter (light) and preserves (real fruit) - bread (40 cal a slice) sandwich etc.....
I love to cook! I work full time and have a six year old and a husband who is very helpful, so I am very lucky. The best way for me to make sure that I get nutritious meals on the table 6 nights a week (we have one go out night) is to cook some things ahead of time and make enough for leftovers. I cook 6 days a week (after I get home from work about 5:30 and we eat by 6:30) with the help of my husband who is the chief grillmaster and microwave operator.
Allrecipes.com is a great website for really good recipes and I have put together a giant binder full of recipes from there, Simplyrecipes.com, as well as other places.
In the winter months I make stews, chili and other bean dishes, lasagna, chicken parmagiana or cacciatore, turkey meatballs, turkey/beef meatloaf and other dishes. These can pretty much all be frozen and stored for future use. We have a second refrigerator/freezer in the garage.
Vegetables (asparagus, red peppers) are great roasted and take little prep when made this way. Every day we have some steamed vegetable - fresh broccoli, fresh or frozen green beans or steamed fresh cauliflower with pepper and garlic powder. I love acorn and butternut squash and pumpkin and you can bake them in the oven for an hour to soften while you are doing something else. Then you can make a casserole or a soup for the next day.
In the summer I do a lot of grilling - Salsa Turkey burgers, Moroccan chicken, greek chicken kebabs, marinated ahead of time and cooked on the grill. Salmon filets and tilapia filets bake, poach or saute quickly. We eat fish twice a week year-round.
It takes some organization and a love or at least tolerance of cooking, but The pay-off is really big. We are more healthy, have lost weight, there are great left-overs for lunch so we save money and my son has developed a taste for foods other than pasta with cheese and butter.
I started with a few dishes that I made regularly, and have since expanded to a much larger repertoire. It's amazing how good you can get when you keep at it. And yes, I do try to plan for the week when I shop, we also buy some things in bulk, and buy organic produce, eggs and dairy.
Tonight we are having left over shrimp and sausage jambalaya - using uncle bens instant brown rice cuts down cooking time by 1/2!
Just a little Type A...
audaciouslive- I am like you I rarely get home until 8 ish. However I love to cook and even though during the week I have very little time. I have found that I can cook a healthy meal really fast. The key is having a variety of frozen vegitables, basic pantry items, and a small number of herb plants. Last night I had for dinner sausage over wilted spinach, sage, and pine nuts. Healthy tasty and fast. I had defosted teh sasage by putting it down in teh fridge from the freezer in the morning I cooked the sausage in my cast iron pan. When mostly cooked I piled on 3 cups of spinach and 1/4 cup of fresh sage leaves ( if you do not have a sage plant skip this) and 1/8 cup pine nuts. Stir it all around. Greens wilted in about 2 min. When wilted stir around again. Then plate. Easy and under 10 min less then half active
Tonight I am thawing a peice of salmon today. I am thinking I will put a few sprigs of rosemary on it and grill it with a few peices of frozen asparagus. Top both off with a dash of lemon juice and some salt. It should be easy.
Cooking for 1 is not hard and honestly does not take that much more time then eating junk. You probably spend more time steaming veggies and making pb&j's then you would doing a quick meal for one.
Sams club saves me. I keep in my freezer at all times single portions of salmon, chicken, tuna, shrimp, ect. Then I just defrost(read pull into fridge not freezer) something in the morning while I am making breakfast
I love to cook but have a crazy life too with two teenagers, husband and full-time job. I find that going to the farmers market once in a while makes me get more creative with new/different vegetables. I also started a small vegetable garden this year (3 2X2 planters). Just going right outside my door to pick fresh zucchini, carrots and rainbow chard has been a real treat. The chard was a real success, you just cut it and it keeps growing back. I usually saute it with a little olive oil, thinly sliced red onions and a dash of red pepper flakes. On Sunday I made a bread pudding with chard that was delicious. Not toally healthy, it had quite a bit of cheese, but the moistening liquid was broth so it wasn't terrible. The recipie was from epicurious.com.
One word: CROCKPOT
Easiest and healthy recipe: place chicken breasts in Crockpot. Combine together: 1 cup Salsa (anykind - take a look for the ones with a lower calorie count); 1 tbsp of brown sugar; 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard. Pour over chicken and set to cook on low all day! Nummy and nutritious!
There are so many crockpot recipes that take five minutes to put together - that my crockpot and I have become best friends. I have a six quart crock for bigger meals with guests and a three-four quart crock for my husband and me.
I love my crockpot(s) and use them at least twice a week.
That salmon dish sounds great, baltimoreamt! I've got a fresh sockeye in the fridge for tomorrow night - grilling with tarragon and veggies in olive oil. Yum!
My husband and I work full time and, by the time we commute home, get in a 30-minute workout (most days) or do household chores, it's 8pm and we're hungry. I'll admit, I try to plan dinners for Mon-Fri in advance so I can get what I need once a week at the store, but I have lots of backup options as well. I stock my freezer with frozen fruits and veggies - including bell and hot peppers (buy 'em fresh, slice up and freeze for later. This works great on ginger root too); stock my pantry with staples like canned beans, tomatoes and veggies; pasta, rice, cooking sauces like olive and sesame oil, balsamic and rice vinegar and teriyaki sauce; packaged dry mixes like onion soup mix, french dip, taco seasoning; and dried herbs and spices!! I love using fresh herbs in the spring, but sometimes my gardening abilities, let's just say... lack. Dried herbs are just as good, you just crush and add them later in the dish.
I'm also a big fan of stir-frys and anything with tortillas (wraps, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc).
Also, why do I not see crock pots on here?? This is the greatest invention! You seriously just throw in one of each: meat, vegetable, sauce and cook for 6-8 hours. Dinner DONE the minute you walk in the house! BBQ sauce is great for this, but the canned no-salt diced tomatoes works great too. In the winter when we have a weekend job as well (teaching skiing), we live out of our crock pot! Mine doesn't have a timer, but most of the models out now have timers and settings. If they don't, you can buy a delay-timer at a hardware store (usually near the lamps/lighting) and it will do the same thing.
Here's my old standby recipe - Crockpot Itailan Chicken - Chicken breast (1 per person), potato (1 per person) cut in chunks, handful of baby carrots, and 1/2 to 1 bottle of fat-free italian salad dressing (1/2 for 1 person, 1 for 2+). Layer chicken then veggies in crock pot and pour dressing over all. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Can be served with rice or by itself.
For other quick ones, check out the book Fix It and Forget It Lightly. My favorite is Diet Pepsi Pot Roast - awesome over rice!
As a side note, I used to be terrified of cooking and stuck with old standbys like frozen dinners, pizzas and take-out. Through trial and error (bless my patient husband), I've gotten to where I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new veggies/fruits I find in the local stores and farmers markets. I'm still not perfect - I do burn things, or things don't always taste right, but I just figure out another way around it. (I've even tried making sushi!) I do keep a few of the standbys in the freezer for those nights when I just don't have the time or we get home late, once or twice a week at most. I've found that my best time-saving kitchen items are my spice rack, crock pot, timer and wok! Just start simple and try a it a couple nights a week. Start with frozen or canned goods and branch out to fresh ingredients as you get comfortable. And definately get to know your meat, deli and produce people - they are great sources!
Happy cooking everyone!
Original Post by: soniafeakesOne word: CROCKPOT
Easiest and healthy recipe: place chicken breasts in Crockpot. Combine together: 1 cup Salsa (anykind - take a look for the ones with a lower calorie count); 1 tbsp of brown sugar; 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard. Pour over chicken and set to cook on low all day! Nummy and nutritious!
There are so many crockpot recipes that take five minutes to put together - that my crockpot and I have become best friends. I have a six quart crock for bigger meals with guests and a three-four quart crock for my husband and me.
I love my crockpot(s) and use them at least twice a week.
THANK YOU!! :) You beat me to it! ;)
Love that recipe! I've done similar ones with equal results. Seriously, get the book Fix It and Forget It Lightly. There are some more complicated recipes in there, but most are simple 15-20 minute prep ones! (Try the Diet Pepsi Pot Roast, 10-Layer Tacos and Lasagna!)
Btw, love your name! ;)
Thanks for the Italian Chicken Crockpot style recipe - have not tried that, am looking forward to trying it tomorrow. I am definitely going to get the Fix It and Forget It Lightly cookbook. Just have to find it! The recipe for 10-Layer Tacos sounds delicious - will have to look for it.
Thanks, PS: like your name too! Happy Wednesday!
I have found it harder to eat healthier because of time and money, with my husbands schedule, we don't usually get to eat before 7:30, plus healthier food is more expensive. It's something that we are just going to have to get past
My husband and I, being it only the two of us and myself working 10 hr days and then at least 4 hrs in class, tend to make very large meals and eat leftovers all week. We both love to cook, and whether our meal is a big production or just throwing something together in a crock pot real quick, we make it in large quantities and are set for the week! Sometimes parts of a large meal can be frozen to pull out later too.
Eating healthy doesn't have to be wasteful or expensive. I don't have time to cook every night, so we'll do leftovers many times. The idea of not using produce before it goes bad or having leftover produce from a recipe- easy to work around. You've got half a zucchini left? Either double up in the recipe and throw the whole thing in there, or cut it into sticks and bring it to snack on at work the next day. Mushrooms getting soft? Saute them and freeze until needed. On Sundays I cook a big pot of brown rice that I keep in the fridge. I have a grill pan I use on my range and whenever I don't have time to cook or need to use veggies quick I thick cut them, lightly oil the grill pan, toss them on there, and serve them on top of some brown rice. Takes me less than ten minutes and nothing goes to waste! Quesadillas are also a great way to use up bits of veggies. Get creative and don't limit yourself to actual recipes. It is rare I ever even use one in my kitchen. You're restriced only by your own imagination!
I'm a college student and I used to have 9am - 9 pm schedule... but I still cooked everyday (Even packed my lunch) cuz I LOVE cooking! :) I worked full time during the summer and I cooked every night although I got home @ like 8...
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One trick I've used is frequently inviting people over! It makes me step up and make cleaner, tastier meals, because I know that they're going to be tasted by a wider audience. And it makes me feel like my work in the kitchen is more worthwhile.