Making Dinner When You’re Low on Time and Inspiration
We all have those days when meal planning and making it to the grocery store just aren’t happening, and when we have zero time between getting home and needing to get dinner on the table.
Here are my top three tips for staying on track
with eating a whole food, nutrient-rich diet
when life gets crazy:
1. Stock your kitchen with whole food staples.
Favorite frozen foods - frozen rice, edamame, sweet corn, and nuts of all varieties.
Favorite canned foods - canned beans, hearts of palm, olives, and artichoke hearts.
Favorite fridge staples - box of spinach or mixed greens, tons of veg, sesame and pumpkin seeds, tofu, fermented foods, and pickled veggies.
Favorite counter staples - fresh fruit, avocados, potted herbs, and live pea shoots.
Favorite dry staples - purple and black rice, farro, quinoa, mung beans, and red lentils.
2. Prep meal components when you can.
Even if you don’t have a plan for how you will use them, prepping meal components in advance will help to ensure that there is always something ready and in easy reach when you are starving and have no idea what to make for dinner. When you have a spare moment in your week, consider doing the following prep work:
Cut up veggies and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
Make your favorite delicious, nutrient-rich dressing.
Make a batch of pickled onions, radishes, or carrots.
Prep some plant-based protein (cook up a bunch of tofu cubes, boil some edamame, rinse a can of garbanzos, toast some nuts or seeds).
Pre-cook a couple of potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Make a whole grain (like quinoa, farro, wheat berries, millet, or Thai red rice).
3. Fall back on the six-step meal formula for making a nourish bowl.
Add a non-refined starch, like a whole grain or a pre-cooked potato or sweet potato.
Add some protein (edamame, tofu, beans, or your protein of choice).
Add something leafy (leafy greens, cabbage, leafy herbs).
Add a ton of non-starchy veg and fruit.
Add a nutrient-dense sauce or dressing.
Top with nutrition and flavor boosters, such as nuts, seeds, avocado, or pickled veg.
A few days ago, I knew I would be sliding into the kitchen with nary a moment to spare to make dinner. Before I left in the morning, I set myself up for success by:
Putting on some purple rice to cook in my trusty rice cooker.
Boiling some frozen edamame and sticking it in the fridge.
Gathering pre-chopped veggies, boxed spinach, sesame seeds, and the pea shoots that are growing on my counter, and quickly chopping a few veggies that I hadn't had time to prep earlier in the week.
Reaching for the pickled onions and Sesame Miso Dressing that I’d made earlier in the week.
www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/sesame-miso-dressing
When it was time for dinner, I simply pulled out all the containers and set them on the counter. It took less than five minutes. My family members then made their own nourish bowls to their liking.
This will likely not feel like the dinners you are used to from your childhood. And that’s okay!
Some nights we can pull off a well-planned, beautifully composed meal.
Other nights, just getting healthy meal components on the table is a real accomplishment!
Eating this way will provide optimal nutrition
and will help you stay consistent with your health goals,
even when things get hectic.
Dinner will be packed with flavor and brimming with
phytonutrients, plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants.
This is so much better for your brain and body
than reaching for a bag of frozen ultra-processed food or ordering most take-out.
When in doubt, throw some plants in a bowl.
Wishing you ease, deliciousness, and fabulous health.
🌱💕