Recipes

Here are two recipes that are cheap, simple, fairly healthy and fast. All of the ingredients are shelf stable in the pantry or the freezer. I consider these things to be staples that I always keep on hand. These aren't the most glamorous dishes, and I don't think I could get appetizing pictures of them. I consider these comfort foods, and like the fact that I can be dishing them up 30 minutes or so after I walk in the door.

If you know anything about cooking, you will wonder why I cook my rice uncovered. It's because my favorite saucepan does have a lid, but it does not fit tightly. When I would cook rice covered like the bag says to do, it would scorch because the water would boil away. So, these directions are what work for me with my cheap apartment appliances and inexpensive stainless steel cookware. The mac & cheese I get is the kind with the complete cheese sauce, no milk or butter needed. The Kroger brand is (imo) one up on the Velveeta because it does not have any food starch, etc., just cheese. I use broccoli, cauliflower and carrots in my tuna casserole because the cauliflower blends right in with the noodles. It doesn't look like there are overwhelming amounts of vegetable in your comfort food. You could use just cauliflower and it would completely blend in, but I like the bits of color from the broccoli and carrots. If I left anything else unexplained, that's what the comments are for.

I have also included prices. These are what I paid for store brand everything at my local Kroger, as best I remember.

Tuna Macaroni with Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots
small can of tuna ($.59)
box of mac and cheese sauce ($1.39)
12-16 oz bag of frozen veggies ($.88-$1)
Cost $3
Serves 4
Directions:
Boil water in a large pot.
Add noodles.
Wait until water comes back to boiling, then wait 5 more minutes.
Add bag of veggies, cook until desired softness.
Drain.
Add cheese sauce and undrained can of tuna.
Serve.


Chicken and Rice
Serves:4
1 can chicken $1-$1.5
1 c. white rice $.50 or less
1 small can mushrooms $.59
16 oz. bag of peas and diced carrots $1
Cost: $3-$4

Spray 2qt sauce pan with cooking spray.
Add rice.
Drain chicken and mushrooms into a measuring cup.
Add that liquid to rice plus enough water to equal 2 c.
Cook rice uncovered until most of the water is absorbed.
Add frozen veggies to taste and 1c. water. (Stirring makes the rice more sticky than otherwise.)
Cook until rice is tender, adding more water if needed (using low heat, you won't need it, higher heat your rice will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Ask me how I know.)
Stir in mushrooms and chicken, heat through, add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with grated cheese if desired.

What's holding you back?

Information on healthy eating is out there. It's all over the web, but fitting that advice and what everyone knows they should do into everyday life can be difficult.

What I hear from friends and coworkers is: I can't cook, It costs too much, I don't have time.

But I can't cook.
If you can follow the directions on the box of mac and cheese, you can cook. You just need simple recipes and practice to build your confidence and skills.

But it costs too much.
Keep costs down by buying fresh produce in season or buy frozen or canned fruits and veggies. Use the grocery store ads. Plan menus around what's on sale. Buy only what you will eat. Learn to use your leftovers. Wasted food means wasted money.


But I don't have time.
If you don't have time to cook everyday, don't. Cook when you can. Make leftovers intentionally. Freeze them in meal sized portions and thaw them as needed. Just about everything will freeze. Whole potatoes and rice get an off texture when reheated from frozen, but mashed potatoes and noodles freeze just fine. (I recently heard there is a way to properly freeze rice, but I have not tried it.) Get a crock pot and learn to use it.

Frozen vegetables are an answer to each one of these excuses for not eating better. They are cheap and cook quickly in the microwave. You can cook them in any quantity and they have a long shelf life, so there is no wasted, spoiled food.

Cost and time are big factors in food choices for most people. It can be challenging to stick to a tight food budget with a busy schedule. It takes creativity and advance planning to do it without eating the same thing everyday.

My next post(s) will have recipes for meals that I have prepared. Then I'll start compiling lists of meal planning and cost cutting tips.

Define "Better"

I was telling a friend about my New Year's resolution to "be less tired," and what that meant for me. She sighed and said, "yeah, I should eat better." I asked her a few questions about her habits, and it turns out she wasn't doing as bad as she thought. She knew she was supposed to get "5 a day" of fruits and veggies, but she didn't know how big "1" is. A serving for most fruits and vegetables is 1/2 cup. That means a tennis-ball-sized pile of broccoli or green beans for dinner is TWO servings. A normal sized apple or orange or banana is TWO servings of fruit. So, if you're wanting to eat "better" you have to define what that means.

For the purpose of this blog, "better" will be defined as meals that have higher nutritional value than a chicken nugget value meal from a fast food restaurant. (More nutritional value=fewer calories and more vegetables) Why? First, because that sets the bar pretty low nutritionally speaking, which makes it easier for me to come up with ideas. Second, because that's what I want when I'm not feeling like cooking. My son knew all about 'chichenfenchfies' at 20 months old. My husband's preferred default is pizza, but that's more of a moving target nutritionally speaking. Thin crust with lots of veggies and low-fat, if any, meat is better than deep-dish double pepperoni with extra cheese.

Most people feel they ought to eat "better," but have never defined that very subjective term. If you are someone who has said for a while that you want to "eat better," define what that means. Does that mean eating a fruit or a veggie at every meal? Does that mean replacing afternoon candy bars with an orange at least 3 days a week? For me it meant drinking at least 6 glasses of water every day in addition to any other beverage. Knowing I need to finish my water to meet my goal keeps me from getting as many sugary drinks when I'm thirsty.

As a side note, the "5-A-Day" guideline was meant to be a minimum. They don't use that slogan anymore. Women who are 19-30 should get 5 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of fruit. Men in that age range should get about 11 servings of fruits and vegetables. People who exercise every day should get more than "normal." These stats and more about nutrition, including lots about serving sizes, can be found here.