Plan your meals and snacks

In this third week of March National Nutrition Month 2022, "Celebrating a world of flavors," we will focus on planning your meals and snacks.

Nowadays, we women and, in most cases, those in charge of bringing food to our house, have a pretty hectic lifestyle, and sometimes we have no idea what to make for dinner. I share some strategies:

1. Plan. You know the tastes and preferences of your family. Having a weekly menu can help you have a clearer picture of what you need in the week and plan your visits to the supermarket. You avoid buying on impulse and overfilling your freezer. If you need help in this area, your Nutritionist-Dietitian can offer you this service.

2. Set aside time to pre-prepare some food, you will save time during the week. For example, have ready containers with chopped onions, carrots, tomatoes, celery washed and stored in re-sealable bags, lettuce washed and stored in containers. This is something I've been practicing for over 10 years, and believe me, the chances of you having to throw away any vegetables are slim. That will happen if they are not consumed, and I no longer have an excuse that I lack time. You just have to take out the plates, take out the containers, serve, store and distribute the plates and eat. Remember this is not the time to throw away food. In the case of meat, season the ones you are going to use during the week and store them in re-sealable bags.

3. Make your recipe book. Choose a nice notebook. When you find a recipe you like or one you've made up, write it down or print it out and keep it in your notebook. Make different sections: Side dishes, white meats, red meats, sauces and dressings, dessert... It's your recipe book! When you want to make this unique recipe that you made x time ago, you don't have to waste time looking for it on the internet.

4. Cook more, so you have lunch ready. You can prepare rice and pasta in larger quantities, giving it a different touch every day. For example, White rice that a portion that becomes “arroz mamposteao”, and another part can become Chinese rice. You made rice one (1) time, and from there, you got three recipes. Great! You can do the same with starchy vegetables, pasta...

I hope that these strategies help you so that you can feed your family efficiently and wisely.

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Written by: Lcda. Carmen R. Cabrera Rodríguez, Licensed in Nutrition and Dietetics