In Lewis Carroll's Classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass“, it
references the value of time throughout Alice's adventures. From the White Rabbit to the Mad Hatter, Time is always there. How we choose to treat our Time will dictate how well the adventure unfolds.
"I dare say you never even spoke to Time!" "Perhaps not," Alice cautiously replied; "but I know I have to beat time when I listen to music.""Ah! That accounts for it," said the Hatter. "He won't stand a beating. Now, if only you kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost anything you like with the clock.”
Whether it's driving the children to music lessons, soccer practice, going to work, the gym and the general running on the treadmill of life, one aspect that we tend to put last in our time schedule is the need to eat well. Convenience of food has given society the perception that they are eating well. Most times, it's just an illusion.
In today’s fast paced and stress filled environment, proper nourishment becomes a secondary item on the calendar. Being productive and healthy at the same time was a conundrum I experienced for many years. The answer finally came in the form of work. Yes, more work! It is called “pre-prep”. Hold on now, don’t ditch the blog yet, if you are serious about:
eating healthy
sustaining energy
beating down the snack attack
staying satiated till lunch, dinner and through the night to breakfast again and
losing that cortisol induced body weight
you will need to pre-prep your weekly menu. There is no way around it, restaurants do it, hospitals do it, every kitchen in the world pre-preps and so should you. It is possible.
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” -Alice in Wonderland
"Build a Meal"
A technique I have employed and developed over the years to help with mastering time and menu is what I termed 'build a meal.' This is a project and product of many years and your introduction to a series entitled “Build a Meal”. Here you will learn time saving techniques that will have your kitchen abuzz and ready with accessible and easy to make meals, grab and go snacks and treats! You will also have less food and money wasted due to spoilage.
I will share with you a number of clever ways to do this. From choosing healthy recipes (read “anna-z-
nutrition recipes”) to selecting the best ingredients. "Build a Meal" will help you with meals from breakfast to dinner, including snacks for at least five to six days. Allow yourself a free day or the weekend for spontaneity! Learn to prepare a shopping list. When shopping you will be looking for fresh and/or dried, unprocessed or as close to the definition of unprocessed you choose to eat; example, rolled oats are processed, oat groats are not. Roasted and salted nuts are cooked, raw and natural are not. You may need some additional kitchen equipment (eye candy to some of us!) Next you need helpers, a kitchen brigade team. Having helpers truly does make them want to eat what they have prepared! No worries if you can’t recruit family members, it will just take you a little extra time (in which case, feel free not to share your bounty of goodness once the work is done!). Pick a day of the week you can tackle this. I prefer to shop one day and prep another day, it is just to overwhelming to shop, clean, chop, prepare, store all in one day!
We all have good intentions, but unexpected events happen all the time and what you believed you had time for one moment can easily be changed by weather, children, sickness, work, fatigue and so on. If you commit to one day for preparing your week, you will be grateful you did.
Wash, chop, portion and store
Make sure only to wash, clean, chop, portion and store what you will consume for the week. For example, if sweet potatoes is on the menu, chop only enough for the recipe/s you will use that week. Same goes for fruit, only wash and chop what you will eat. Washing and chopping fruit, removes the protective layering and allows the food to oxidize and lose vitamins and minerals. There are many sites that offer advice on how to chop and store. I will provide guidance as the series unfolds.
Here are some general guidelines I follow:
the most commonly used knife you will need is a "chef’s knife"; use sharp knifes and purpose specific knifes when called for. Using a dull knife will tear and create more damage to the cell walls.
avoid storing in plastic containers or bags that use chemicals like BPA or BPS. Plastics are known to react with plant chemicals. Check with the company to see if they are BPA free. Use glass/ceramic containers, casserole dishes or bowls, mason jars and the like. Thrift type stores carry a lot of economical options. Try to get them in various sizes and make sure they are stackable and space efficient.
avoid wrapping anything in paper towels. Paper towels have been processed with bleach and chemicals that may leach into vulnerable fruits and vegetables.
make sure to have some containers that are heat safe and freezer safe. (Look for tempered glass- I have cracked many jars thinking they were tempered!)
you will be required to soak some root vegetables and celery , have spring, filtered or distilled water readily available.
not necessary to chop (example,carrots or onions) completely for a recipe, having them cleaned and ready to be chopped is just as efficient and helps retain nutrients better.
do not store vegetables with fruit. Fruits off gas ethylene and will affect the texture and taste of the vegetables.
store strong flavours, like onions and garlic in tightly sealed glass containers (mason jars work well).
avoid shredding and dicing, julienne unless they are for school or work snacks the following day. Otherwise, wait till you are ready to use.
beat Time with music; make your time in the kitchen fun with your favourite music.
Kitchen Wonderland
Consider the “pre-prepping” step as your entry into the rabbit hole, as you go further and deeper,
your kitchen, dare if you will, will be filled with wonderfully healthy and strange things. Things like, green banana flour, baobab powder or Kombucha! Just as Alice’s descent, it’s slow process, but eventually you will come to a wonderland of sorts, filled new and interesting ways to plan, eat and select foods. You will have overhauled your kitchen, your eating habits in a very gradual and comfortable manner. Your stress will decrease, while health and productivity increase. By the end of this series, you will be muttering,
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.
Welcome to my world!
Blessings, Anna
NEXT WEEK:
how to choose healthful ingredients
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Email: info@annaznutrition.com