Over 50? Keeping Up With Your Healthcare Needs

Over 50? Keeping Up With Your Healthcare Needs

Four Tips For Healthy Meal Planning

Nellie Ryan

You want to give your family a healthy, satisfying dinner everyday, but life often gets in the way. Rather than get overwhelmed by your daily to-do list and opt for another unhealthy fast food meal, treat your loved ones to a homecooked dinner. If you've prepped ahead of time and did a bit of meal planning, you should be able to have the nourishing food on the table in less than an hour.

Here are four tips for healthy meal planning:

1. Make a List

The easiest way to stay on track when grocery shopping is to bring a list. Before heading to the store, take the time to sit down and decide what healthy meals you'd like to prepare during the upcoming week. Not only will a list help you remember everything you need, it'll keep you on track and prevent you from filling your cart with junk food.

When thinking of meals for the week, consider what fruits and vegetables are in season locally and plan your dinners around them. Not only is eating locally better for the environment, it's better for your body since the foods are generally fresher. 

Use the fresh produce as menu planning inspiration. For example, stock up on tomatoes in the summer and use them to make your own marinara sauce from scratch. During the fall, when squash is prevalent, whip up a batch of creamy butternut soup.

2. Keep a Well-Stocked Pantry

Make sure that thing that you the most, such as flour and pasta, are always on hand. By keeping your pantry stocked, you'll never run out of basic items that you rely on everyday. If you have what you need to cook a healthy meal at home, you'll be less likely to go out to eat or order in.

3. Use Perishable Items First

If you got a good deal on fresh green beans or asparagus at the grocery store, use them early in the week to prevent spoilage. Work them into a meal you've already planned, and save the canned and frozen produce for later in the week.

4. Prep your Foods

When you've got extra time on the weekends, prep as much food as you can for the upcoming week. For instance, you can cut up produce such as green peppers for a marinara sauce, cabbage for a soup, or peaches for a cobbler ahead of time.

Store the prepped items in air-tight containers in your refrigerator so that they're fresh and ready when you need them.

For more information, check out companies such as Colorado Nutrition for Health Fitness & Performance.


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About Me
Over 50? Keeping Up With Your Healthcare Needs

As an adult in my 50s, I find that my body isn't as strong as it used to be. But I don't let that stop me from enjoying life! In fact, I make every effort to get the treatments I need from my doctor to improve my health. I know that I'm not a senior yet, but I do all I can to prevent the health problems that affect that age group. Because of this, I put together a health blog for people over age 50. My blog isn't a review of what you can easily find on the Internet. It's a plethora of unique information designed to help you find the services you need fast. What my blog doesn't do is tell you what to do for your health. Instead, it offers guidance and options. Please, enjoy the blog and happy reading.

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