Do you find yourself rushing home after a long day of work to prepare a dinner for your family? Well you are not alone. For busy families, time presents a significant obstacle to putting a healthy meal on the table. After all, a cook needs to devote at least a small portion of their day to shopping, preparing, and post-meal clean up. But long commutes and the demands of family activities make prep time for a home-cooked meal challenging.
We North Americans are known to live faster than Europeans - always in a hurry, do everything quickly, and eating is no exception. When Europeans will spend hours at the dinner table (think of the French or Italians who can spend up to three hours having lunch), we prefer fast food and big chains where you are fed in 10 minutes tops. Studies have also demonstrated that spending money on diet plans is easy; the problem is to follow-through. Creating healthy habits, instead of jumping from one diet to another, is a better way to shed the pounds and live healthier lifestyle.
March is denoted as the Month of Nutrition across Canada/US. We are living a fast paced lifestyle where everything has to be done yesterday and people are overlooking the importance of eating adequately. Skipping meals or eating late has become the usual. Henceforth snacks have been acting as mini meals to stay fueled on busy days. Below is helpful snacking to curb every craving as well as cooking tips:
- Hard Boiled eggs: Packed with protein and low on calories supplemented with grape tomatoes to you a little more to nosh
- Hummus and pita: Low in fat and calories, hummus provide with protein, amazing flavor and fiber
- Cucumber and cheese: Easy to pack and great snack when you are on the go
- Cucumber, crackers and Tuna: Yummy and simple. You can add some Cajun pepper to give it a little kick
- Pan Fried Mini Peppers: Heat in olive oil over high heat in a cast-iron skillet, with a pinch of salt. Pairs well with dipping sauces
A positive change in eating habits and diet reflect many benefits such as preventing 2 diabetes, heart diseases, dementia, and some types of cancer. Some recommended foods are:
- Vegetables and fruit
- Whole Grains
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Milk, cheese and yogurt
- Fish, Seafood and poultry
- Healthy oils like canola or olive oil