Healthy eating is super important to me. I’m not as good about working out as I want to be or once was, so eating well helps me feel like I’m still being kind to my body. Even though I’m not working full time outside the home, I certainly have busy days or weeks that don’t lend themselves to elaborate home cooked anything. I really try to make from scratch what I can because then I know what’s going into my food. This idea is a big piece of my approach to healthy eating, which I wrote about in greater depth when Budget and the Bees first started.
So if you’re short on time but still want to make meals from scratch, what are you supposed to do? I wish I could say I invented a machine that added hours to your day; however, my suggestion is to make meal components in bulk when you do have time. There are many great ideas out there for freezer meals, but this idea goes beyond that.
Breads
Flour based items are so easy to make ahead and store in an airtight container for future use. Think pancake and waffle mix, muffin mix, and quick bread mix. You can either portion them out for dump and go or remember to write down how much dry mix you need for a serving. This preparation is great for quick breakfasts or a fast snack for unexpected entertaining (muffins, anyone?). The other great thing about these types of mixes is that they’re a blank canvas. One bulk batch of quick bread mix can become banana nut bread, spice bread, chocolate chip bread, you name it!
I love whole wheat blueberry pancakes, so here’s my bulk pancake mix that’s always on hand for a homemade meal.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
Cinnamon to taste
Pinch of salt
Store dry mix in a container until you’re ready to add the following:
2 cups skim milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 Tbsp canola oil
Additions of choice (nuts, fruit, seeds, etc.)
Beverages
Yes, I know drinks aren’t meals. But the focus today is healthier homemade versions that also have the potential to save time. Another item I love to make big batches of are hot beverage mixes. Instant cocoa packets are convenient and delicious when it’s so cold out, but they’ve also got some strange sounding preservatives and artificial flavors. It’s quite easy to mix up your own hot chocolate powder and store for when the craving strikes. Most recipes have straightforward ingredients so you can nix the hydrogenated oils of store bought versions. I’m not providing a recipe here because there are so many available online that fit different health concerns. Some recipes are as simple as cocoa powder, sugar, and salt while others get fancier with powdered milk and cayenne. Do yourself a favor and make cocoa instead of buying it.
Possibly my favorite hot drink besides coffee is a chai tea latte, but it has the same story as store bought hot cocoa mix. I can make a big batch of this chai latte mix and use it over a couple months. It’s a quick and healthier version of the alternative.
Seasoning Blends
The third shortcut is found in my spice cabinet. I use a lot of spices when I cook, and I make food from cuisines around the world. Sometimes I’m forced to pull out ten spice jars and open each one to shake a little into my pot, recap, and strategically place back into the cabinet so they all fit. I prefer to have my blends ready to go to speed up the process. Many blends can be purchased, but many also list salt as the first ingredient. I prefer more control over my level of salt intake, which is why I make many of my own seasoning blends to store in small jars. Here are a few I use:
Ranch Seasoning (to replace dry packets)
Do you practice any advance meal prep by making certain components ahead of time? What tricks do you have for quick and healthy eating?
Photo courtesy of Comfreak.
Seasoning blends is a great idea! We create our own seasonings for tacos and other dinners, but typically we do it when we make it, but if we could make it all at once beforehand, that would be even better.
I seriously love doing that. I use old spice jars and relabel them with tape and a marker. We really like the low sodium taco seasoning I posted; do you have others your family loves?
I’ve never thought to try making homemade cocoa, I bet it’s so easy! I’m thinking of doing Whole 30. We try to eat healthy, but I’d love to cut back on sugar and foods with so many additives and preservatives.
I hope you update us or write about the Whole 30 if you do it. I’ll say I haven’t read where that diet is coming from, but I don’t quite understand cutting out beans and grains. I’m all for cutting added sugar, MSG, etc. I’ve known a few people who felt great after doing it though. Anyway, the homemade cocoa really is easy. Mason jars of cocoa were part of my Christmas gifts to family this year.
I drink water, buy bread, and buy seasonings! hahah But otherwise, I do cook a lot. I wouldn’t have thought of this list for shortcuts, so it’s interesting!
I definitely buy my sandwich bread; I just know I can make healthier and sometimes cheaper versions of the other breads.
These are great kitchen tips. We stopped buying Bisquick and other pancake mixes after we realized how simple they were to make. It’s much cheaper to make your own mixes anyways : ) We also use a homemade hot chocolate recipe that is to die for. I won’t be going back to the single serve powder mixes any time soon!
Good for you! Care to share your hot chocolate recipe?
I always buy packs of pancakes. I’d probably now make a shortcut, considering that it’s easy to make. I really gotta change this year. Haha!
One step at a time =)
I’m a big fan of using spices in my cooking but have never thought to make my own seasoning blend! It sounds super easy too. Thanks for the tip!
There are so many out there! I’d been seeing recipes using za’atar recently and pretty easily found a way I could mix up a blend myself using what I already had.