Boost Nutrition and Save Bucks!

By Jamie Bussin, Featuring Shauna Lindzon RD 

Eating a healthy diet can be a challenge. Particularly with food costs soaring and so many struggling to find the time to cook nutritious food. Meal planning, if done correctly, can help you eat well and save time and money. Registered dietician, Shauna Lindzon is an advocate for meal planning. We discussed how to make the process easier in Episode #459 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast. Here are her top 10 tips.

1. Start by checking what you already have.
   Before heading to the grocery store, check your pantry, fridge and freezer. Make a list of what you need to avoid buying duplicate ingredients and wasting money.
2. Start small: plan just three to four days ahead.
   Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to plan an entire month of meals. Begin with the next few days and build a system that works for your household.
3. Plan around your actual schedule.
   Look at which days you’ll be home and which days you’ll be out. You don’t have to cook every night or plan seven days of meals to get started.
4. Think in components, not complicated recipes.
   Prepare a few basics, such as a cooked grain, roasted vegetables, grilled protein and a sauce. Mix and match them to create different meals throughout the week.
5. Build balanced bowls in advance.
   Aim to fill half your plate with vegetables and some fruit, one-quarter with protein foods and one-quarter with grains. Keep ingredients such as pre-washed greens, cooked turkey, rice or quinoa ready to assemble into a quick meal.
6. Cook once, eat in different ways.
   Turn leftover steak into nachos, fajitas or a wrap for lunch the next day. Different sauces and condiments can make the same protein feel like a new meal.
7. Keep a well-stocked pantry.
   Stock up on versatile ingredients such as chicken stock, frozen vegetables, olives, capers, anchovies, salsa and tomato paste. They can add flavour and help you put meals together without starting from scratch.
8. Prepare useful ingredients ahead of time.
   Hard-boil eggs, cook grains and prepare proteins in advance. Having ready-to-use ingredients in the fridge or freezer makes quick meals easier to assemble.
9. Find different ways to add protein.
   Protein doesn’t always have to come from meat or fish. Lindzon suggests options such as high-protein milk, eggs and egg whites. Egg whites can even be added to oatmeal, along with milk and nut butter.
10. Keep a list of meals your family enjoys.
    Identify at least 10 recipes your household likes, then keep the ingredients on hand. Planning around familiar favourites makes grocery shopping and meal preparation simpler — while versatile ingredients help keep meals from becoming repetitive.

Meal planning doesn’t have to mean rigid schedules or elaborate recipes. As Lindzon explains, a little preparation, a well-stocked kitchen and ingredients that can be reused in different ways can make balanced eating easier and help reduce food waste.