# Nutritional Guidance# Quick# Healthy Meals...# an Oxymoron?# Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have a garden in our backyard? One that produced fresh vegetables that we could pick each afternoon and roast or throw into a big colorful salad for dinner? But let’s just be honest, how many of us really have the time or space to grow our own food? **Here are some realistic, time-saving tips to help you provide quick healthy meals at home.**# 1> ***BUY FROZEN.*** Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked fresh, flash frozen and shipped straight to the grocery. The benefit of buying frozen is you never have an excuse of not having a vegetable to cook for dinner. Plus, you can just pull out what you need and reseal the rest for later. Keep your freezer stocked with the vegetable that you know the majority of your family will eat.> ***Ex:*** FROZEN BROCCOLI FLORETS. Zap these in the microwave for a couple minutes to defrost. Then place on a roasting pan coated with cooking spray and roast at 400 for about 25 mins. Meanwhile, cook some instant brown rice in the microwave and pair with meat of choice.# 2> ***MAKE FOIL PACKS.*** These can be made in advance so they’re ready to throw in the oven when you rush in from being at the ballpark all day. Seen all over the internet, pick your combinations of choice:> • Italian seasoned chicken breasts with sliced zucchini/squash/onion
> • Shrimp with a mini corn-on-the-cob and a small diced red potato
> • Chicken sausage with bell peppers and red onions
# 3> ***THINK FUNCTIONALLY.*** When stocking the pantry, do so with items that have multiple roles and nutritional benefits. For example, pretzels. They are a healthier go-to snack over potato chips plus you can crush them and make a delicious “oven fried” chicken breast. Or choose chickpeas instead of plain white beans. Just 10 mins of roasting in the oven can turn these guys into a crunchy high- protein and high-fiber snack (you can also toss them on a salad instead of croutons!) Finally, low-sodium chicken broth is always good to have handy. It can serve as flavoring for sautéing vegetables or meats instead of a higher fat option. You can also substitute chicken broth for white wine if you don’t have a bottle lying around. Or use it to cook your brown rice instead of plain water.
### **Did you know?**# *Research proves that those who eat at home more often have better management over their weight. Start now by loading up your house with healthy options so that when you come home from work exhausted, you can feel confident that there is something healthy waiting for you in your kitchen.*
***Abby Nevins*** *is a local dietitian that offers concierge nutrition consultations. As a registered dietitian, Abby hopes to not only help people lose their weight, but also help them to achieve a new and improved lifestyle that includes good nutrition, exercise, and a positive sense of health and well-being. Her mission is to change you from the inside out, so you can live your life to its fullest. You can learn more at www.bhamdietitian.com or by emailing Abby at abby@bhamdietitian.com.*
