Get the store cupboard stocked: It’s a lot [...]]]> Whether you’re cooking for a family, or if you’re on a budget, (or both), getting nutrition right can seem a bit overwhelming. The good news is that it’s easy, even if you’re cooking for six or money is tight. Try these tips to make it a breeze!

Get the store cupboard stocked: It’s a lot easier to make nutritious meals if you have the basic ingredients. Even if you’re in a hurry, having the essentials on hand can mean you have a healthy meal for the family in under 30 minutes. Frozen or canned vegetables can be stir-fried while rice or pasta is cooking. Packet sauces take less than five minutes to make up – or use a jar to be even faster. Chicken breasts or lean ground beef can be defrosted while you’re getting the other ingredients together, then added to your stir-fried veggies and freshly cooked rice for a healthy, quick meal. A ready stock of ice cream in the freezer and fresh or frozen fruit will produce a quick and healthy dessert..

image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Balance your plate: This year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is ‘Get Your Plate in Shape’, referring to how much of your meal should be vegetables, protein, fat or carbs. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that half your plate should be fruit or vegetables, especially dark green, red or orange. Canned fruit and vegetables are fine if you don’t have time to peel or chop fresh, as long as the fruit is canned in natural juice, not syrup, and the vegetables are drained and rinsed to cut down on sodium. Other recommended tips include making half your grains (bread, rice, oats) whole grains, making fish or seafood the main protein on your plate twice a week, and having no more than 3oz of lean meat or poultry per serving.

image credit: choosemyplate.gov

Be sneaky if you have to: Kids aren’t particularly well known for their love of vegetables. So the plate you’ve lovingly dished up half covered with vegetable stir-fry or carrots mightn’t immediately grab their attention. Luckily it’s easy to sneak vegetables into food, and in a more inventive way than when the kids try to hide their peas in the leftover mashed potato. Tip some frozen or canned vegetables into a sauce or soup and blend it all together using a hand blender – the kids get their veggie servings for the day without even noticing. This works well with chunky soups like lentil or potato, or with a batch of thick tomato sauce to use for pasta or as a pizza base.

image credit: About.com

Plan ahead: Stock your cupboards with family favorites that are easy to make, and plan your weekly menus accordingly.  You can make a week’s worth of meal plans on a Sunday evening, knowing that the leftovers from the roast chicken on Monday can go towards chicken stir-fry on Tuesday. If you manage to have a morning or afternoon free, you can make a week’s worth of main meals over the weekend and freeze them to use during the week. There are even lessons and meal plans online on cooking just once a month – probably the cheapest, most nutritious option for a busy parent.

image credit: joelens.blogspot.com/2007/01/freezer-friendlymake-ahead.html

Improving your nutrition is easier than you think. If you can get the kids out to school in the morning, go shopping with your toddler, manage your balance transfers or stretch the last of the money until payday, you can get nutrition right as a busy Mom!

What are your tips for making sure your family eats nutritious meals? Tell me in a comment!

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