Our lives can get busy and just getting a meal on the table can be a feat of its own. Sometimes the first response to a long day can become more about just getting the family fed; thinking about healthy options can come second. This month we share tips and tricks to plan meals that better fit our schedules and meet the needs of our busy lives.

Important Education Takeaways

• This topic has been updated. Please read our September 2024 post for the latest information.

• A little planning ahead can have huge benefits. Not only can you more easily stick to a healthy eating plan, but you can also save time, money, and stress!

• Start by looking at your calendar to figure out when you want to grocery shop, prep, and cook. Prioritize meal planning and prep into your weekly routine to solidify this as a lifelong healthy habit.

• Start by planning one or two dinners per week. Then work your way up to planning healthy breakfast, lunches, and snacks.

  • This is a great time to get the whole family involved and make it a fun weekly activity to do together!

• Wash, chop, and portion grocery items ahead of time to make for quick and easy use later. Use batch cooking to allow for plenty of leftovers and get creative with re-purposing your ingredients to make a variety of flavorful meals to last the whole week!

• Build your own satisfying meals and snacks. Try to add a variety of fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats for best staying power and nutritional benefit.

Recipes

• Recipe of the month: 30-Minute Spatchcocked Chicken and Roasted Broccoli with Feta

  • As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.

• Bonus recipe: Roasted Turmeric Salmon

  • From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.

We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).

Contributing authors: Kayla Guillory, MS, RD, CDCES, diabetes educator, Providence Community Teaching Kitchen; Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.