A recipe for success

A Recipe for Success

   For some health decisions it is obvious -eat leafy greens instead of a box of oreos. But sometimes getting in track isn't so black and white. Here are some tips I have for staying successful in the kitchen:

• Make the time: Consider meal prep as important as an appointment or meeting. Look at your schedule and think realistically where you can find a couple hours to prepare your food. Once you find that time stay commited. Put calendar events, create an alarm, turn off your phone--whatever you need to stay committed to the process. This will make wellness decisions more of a habit and less of a hassle. 
• Save time: The reason people meal prep are successful is because they find ways to make their life simpler. This becomes self rewarding and satisfying which makes them want to keep doing it. Some of my favorite hacks are to precut fruits/veggies I'll need for the next day or few days and package them up. "I should have cucumbers tomorrow" becomes "let me grab those cucmbers" which leads to a better chance I'm eating a cucumber snack and not something from the vending machine or gas station. I also use mason jar salads/snacks which provide easy to grab on the go food. You can fill jars with oatmeal and fruit for a hearty breakfast or green and toppings for a healthy salad. You can even layer dressing at the bottom with the denser ingredients and no harm to your lettuce (unless it tips itself upside down)! Cook in bulk for items like chicken; casseroles; soups; oatmeal; rice ; sweet potatoes; and so on. These can be cooked beforehandand and then reheated (I use my oven mainly) when you need them. A lot of people also freeze items when they have too much on hand. This is good for sauces, soups, chili, casseroles, chicken, and the like. Invest on a crock pot especially in winter months! There are tons of low calories recipes out there, it cooks large portions easily, and requires little to no supervision. I love that i can toss in ingredients, set it, and forget it. Then I have an amazing meal 4-8 hours later. Use pre measured bags. I got myself these 1 cup snack baggies that are plastic and have measurement lines on them.  They have been a life saver for me especially during the 21 day fix. I didn't have to make sure my measuring cups and spoons were clean, just cut or cook and toss in the bag up to the line. I found mine at Walmart for a cheap price and haven't looked back since!
• Pyrex over plastic every time. I started with literally 1 Pyrex bowl and bought slowly or asked for them as gifts on special occasions. Plastic stains and is not as multi purpose as pyrex or glass. Most containers are oven, microwave, and dish washer safe. Investing in snap lock is also a good idea. 
• Anticipate and plan for the unexpected.  Let's face it even with the best intentions, shit happens. You get stuck in a meeting late at work, you totally forgot about that appointment or obligation--it is going to happen. Keep an extra snack on you so you are not hangry or making decisions out of desperation. Rice cakes, granola bars, oatmeal, or other non perishables are good to stow in your car as well in case you don't want to lug extra stuff around. Planning snacks for hectic moments will guarantee you stay on track.

Use these tips and feel free to recommend or comment some of your own favorite tips to stay on track in the kitchen!

If you love all things food, stay tuned for my recipe blog 'TablesidewithTB" coming very soon!

Thank you for reading, wishing you the best in 2016!

Sincerely, Tiesha