Dietitian Trish Brimhall shares ways you can cut time without cutting out all nutrition. Here are some overlooked convenience foods that you can have on-hand for a quick go to meal or snack.
First off is one from the protein category. Often, it is cooking the protein that takes up a lot of our time. Tofu. It`s been a bit misunderstood lately, but I`ve chosen one of my favorite tofus that is non-GMO, American-grown, and full of health benefits. Low in saturated fat and as a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids, tofu makes a great vegetable-protein swap in all sorts of dishes from stirfry, to manicotti to smoothies.
Next, don`t overlook the freezer-section. Frozen produce is harvested and flash-frozen at peak ripeness, so you`ve got all the great nutrition of seasonal produce anytime of the year. And honestly, frozen foods are so convenient. Single-sized portioning helps reduce waste, and in the time it takes to round up the family and set the table, you can have your entrée and sides ready to go. Now more than ever, there are more global-ethnic flavors to choose from as well as foods that accommodate dietary preferences.
Lastly, don`t forget the whole-grains. My favorite convenience whole-grain is minute or quick-cooking brown rice. You may be able to throw together a stirfry in a matter of minutes, but if often is the rice that slows you down getting dinner on the table. So try a quick-cooking whole grain, or cook a batch ahead of time and freeze it. You can pull out a bag of frozen brown rice and heat it in the microwave while you stirfry those frozen veggies and tofu. Better than takeout any day!
You can get more great ideas from Trish here.
