Friday, September 2, 2011

UnDiet...Week 32

Stressed? Just gaze at this sunset and take a deep breath.


Hello UnDieters!


I hope you all enjoy this last blissful weekend of summer. Get outside and hike, bike, walk, swim and run. Pack a picnic and lounge at the park or grab a book and sit on your deck and ponder life. Next week, it is back to traffic, busy schedules and (perhaps) stress. 


Do you know what is the perfect antidote for a stressful life? Good clean living! When we get stressed out, the first thing many of us do is to stop exercising, start eating "comfort" food and then we end up even more lethargic and energy deprived. However tough it is to keep up with our self care, it is even more vital the crazier life gets because eating well and exercising builds our body's resilience and helps us cope with a stressful stretch. 


This week, we should all help make sticking to our eating plans easier. Take a lazy morning to plan out a couple of go-to healthy meals. Then saunter over to the grocery store, grab your supplies and after the sun goes down, have a glass of wine and make a few big batches of food to carry you through the week. This way, when life is crazy, trying to eat well doesn't have to be. 


Some great ideas for big batch cooking to make the week easier:


- Make and freeze some whole grain muffins, with lots of fruit, nuts and seeds for breakfast on the go.
-Make a batch of steel cut oats Monday night and portion out for the week with some dried fruit and hemp seeds. Just a splash of milk in the morning and heat!
- If the days are already cooling off where you are, make some delicious corn soup, a zesty chili or a roasted tomato stew. Fill lunch sized containers for the week and freeze a couple of portions for your emergency food stash. Serve with whole grain crackers and cheese.
- Cook a big batch of barley or brown rice to have for evening dinners as that is usually the meal component that takes the longest.


Check me out on The Fresh Sheet this month as Heather and I will be sharing our favourite lunch ideas to make brown baggin' it easy and fresh.


Enjoy the sun,
Desiree

3 comments:

Kati said...

I'm loving your freeze-worthy meals! Great list to start prepping for another busy week.

Unknown said...

Now that I have a little one, I am all about the prep. If I have my meals figured out, the week's a breeze. If not...well, it's best not to think about it!

Laura from Dial Doctors said...

I have so little space that I rarely freeze. However, I find that cutting and prepping vegetables is probably the best lifesaver. I keep them in plastic containers. Every night I will start picking what I feel like or what I think will pair best from each container. Super easy!

I would add to try to prepare your own salad dressings. I've saved so much money and calories by doing this myself. No need for preservatives either.

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