from the publishers of: Verywell, Real Simple, EatingWell, Shape, Parents, Health and Allrecipes
You know the feeling. It’s 5 p.m. and you’re standing in front of your (fairly well stocked) refrigerator, thinking to yourself, “There’s nothing to eat for dinner tonight”—followed by “and the kids are going to be hungry in 30 minutes or less.”
We’ve all been there. But with these tips to help you get healthy, easy-to-prepare ingredients from the grocery store to your dinner table, you’ll save time, money and energy feeding your hungry family—and put an end to the 5 p.m. panic.
Cut back on organic: Limit your organic purchases to those on the extended “Dirty Dozen” list—produce with the highest levels of pesticide residue, including apples, peaches, cherries, pears, strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, grapes, celery, potatoes and tomatoes. But don’t stress if you can’t afford organic; the fact that you’re buying fruits and veggies is the most important factor.
Buy in season—or frozen: Produce is cheapest when you buy it in season, so pick up those blueberries on sale in the summer and freeze them for up to six months. Another way to enjoy pineapples, asparagus and more in the winter: buy frozen. Frozen fruits and veggies are time-saving too, since no washing or chopping is needed.
Buy in bulk: Save up to 90 percent on pantry staples by shopping the bulk bins for products such as lentils, oats, nuts, pastas, spices and dried fruit. Scoop, bag and buy only what you need to cut down on waste and spend less.
Simplify: Start building a repertoire of 20-minute throw-together meals like stir-fries and salads. Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of Eat Your Way to Happiness, considers this one of her go-to dinners: Broil frozen salmon in the oven, microwave sweet potatoes and open a bag of prewashed dark leafy greens to toss with store-bought vinaigrette.
Bring kids into the kitchen: Even younger children can help by washing produce and tossing salad with dressing. Slightly older children can stir omelets and sauces, mix together whole-grain salads or tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. An added perk: less pickiness. “They want to eat what they make,” says Somer.
Buy ready-cooked to save time: Bust out of your white rice rut and speed things up with packaged precooked brown rice, lentils, polenta and other hearty sides.
Follow the rule of palm: You’ve probably heard that a standard serving of meat is 3 ounces, or the size of a deck of cards. But this isn’t exactly accurate, since everyone in your family has different appetites and calorie needs. Instead, serve a portion of meat or grain that’s the size of each person’s palm. For most people, this will equal approximately the right serving size—and the portion will change accordingly as your child grows.
Size things up: You might be surprised to learn what a cup of cereal, a tablespoon of oil or an ounce of nuts actually looks like. It’s hard to judge how much a tablespoon of olive oil actually is when you’re pouring it straight from the bottle into your pan. Take the time to measure every time you cook for a week and you’ll be able to eyeball it much better.
Make H2O more interesting: Try adding mint leaves, frozen blueberries, pomegranate seeds, lemon wedges or cucumber slices to plain water. Or create a mocktail with sparkling water, a splash of juice (cranberry, grape or pomegranate) and a lime wedge.
Put it in plain sight: Fill a pitcher with water and store it front and center in the fridge. Easy access makes it more likely that kids will drink up—and it’s important that they do, as research shows children gain less weight if they replace just one soda a day with a calorie-free beverage.
Tote it: Moms should aim for 72 ounces of water daily to help maintain energy, since dehydration can lead to fatigue. That may seem like a tall order, but if you sip throughout the day, you’ll easily reach your quota. Encourage the habit by keeping one water bottle on your desk, another on the counter at home and a third in your car as a constant visual reminder.