Healthy kitchen habits that make life easier

At this time of year, people are falling off the healthy eating wagon every day. So here are some healthy kitchen habits that make life easier.  A lot of people find too many temptations around the kitchen, or don’t spend enough time planning what to shop for and cook. But there are some really simple changes to your kitchen habits that can really help you eat more healthily and stay on track.

Prepare

Food preparation really is key to eating healthily. How many times have you come home from work tired and hungry, looked in the fridge, and everything just seems too long to prepare? So you opt for a takeaway, a ready meal or something with very little nutritional value, like toast.  The key is to have good, whole foods in the fridge ready to eat or that can create a meal in minutes.

If you usually stay in on Monday evenings, it’s a great time to do some cooking for the week ahead. I always make a big batch of quinoa, a large salmon fillet (four portions) and a bowlful of vegetables. I simply steam the quinoa and vegetables, and oven roast the salmon with lemon and herbs. This is delicious both hot and cold, and can be eaten again in the week as a meal, or used separately, by using the salmon in an omelette, or the quinoa with a chilli, for example. You can mix it up however you want, but at least you have cooked, healthy food waiting for you in the fridge!

Spiralize One of the best investments in the kitchen is the spiralizer. They are fun to use, and make meals in minutes. A really simple recipe would be to spiralize three courgettes, then just heat up the ribbons in a pan with a little avocado oil, and add some cooked prawns and avocado, for a really tasty meal ready in 10 minutes. These are also great cold, so you can make extra for your lunch the next day.

Get rid of the rubbish

If you really want to stay on track, remove temptation from the house. It’s too easy to reach for a biscuit or packet of crisps when you’re hungry. Although there is nothing wrong with this, it can easily become a habit, so if you don’t want to eat them, don’t buy them. It’s as simple as that.

Plan your treats, so if you want to have chocolate, choose a day and a nice chocolate pudding and buy it on that day. It is fine to eat treats in moderation, just plan how and when, so that you are in control of what you are eating, and your treat doesn’t become a daily habit.

Freeze

Freezing is the best way to keep leftovers for another meal that is as easy to heat up as a ready meal. Freezing soup is also great for heating up quickly when you get in late. You can buy frozen chopped herbs, frozen prawns, and frozen vegetables that will create a healthy meal that’s ready in five minutes.

Keep your inspiration in view

A great way to keep your healthy eating on track is to follow recipes. There are so many inspiring recipes available online, it can make cooking fun to browse the web, choose your recipe, then buy the ingredients and recreate it at home. Look on Instagram for inspiration, and post pictures of the meals you create to keep yourself motivated.