by Emily Waits, R.D., L.D., Graduate Assistant, UK Health & Wellness

  

In today's society both spouses stypically work full-time outside of the home. Our lives are usually go-go-go, so how do we manage to put healthy, nutritious meals on the table?

- Make a weekly menu: Make some family favorites; if you plan for leftovers, you'll have another easy meals. One might think that making a menu is more time consuming, but it actually makes grocery shopping effective to know exactly what meals you will be able to make for the week.

-Prep meals in advance: Chop, wash, or slice in one sitting. Multi-task while watching a television show or while one meal is cooking start prepping for another. Another approach is to cook meals ahead of time, pre-portion, and put in refrigerator or freezer.

-  Use the freezer section: Purchase frozen items such as vegetables, fruits, fish, and even frozen pizza. Buying a frozen cheese pizza and adding fresh vegetables and a salad makes for a quick, nutritious meal.

-  Pack lunchbox the night before: It makes it so much easier to wake up in the morning and grab your packed lunch & snacks for the day. It will help you stay away from the vending machines and fast food!

-  Make snack foods quick and portable: Keep chopped vegetables in baggies or reusable containers, boiled eggs in the refrigerator for quick protein, pre -cut fruits, yogurts (either single use or have portioned into reusable containers) and cheese slices/string cheese and crackers into baggies.

In the end, there is no "quick fix" for healthy, nutritious meals. But, planning ahead, staying organized and preparing food ahead of time can help. While it may seem like a lot of extra work, it will pay off during the week and make the weeknights less hectic. You and your family will appreciate the wholesome and nutritious food.