As our summer slowly (quickly) comes to a halt, we find ourselves getting back to the grind of things a bit more intently. September has always been a signal of hectic busy times for most of us growing up, and remains so even as adults.
Whether you are going back to school, have children of your own attending school or are just hitting full throttle at work, the end of summer brings much anxiety and stress for a lot of people especially if you aren’t ready for it.
One of those main causes of stress is the day-to-day stuff, because let’s face it, getting proper food and adequate sleep can sometimes be difficult. Adulting is hard!
Thinking ahead and planning for your week can help you save time and money and take away some of that added stress that can come this time of year. And let’s be real, with the ridiculous cost of living in our fair city, we could all use some help, especially when it comes to saving money.
Most of us know how nutrition greatly impacts how we feel both physically and mentally. But with work stress, time constrictions and the tight budget that most of us must stick to, it may seem cheaper and easier to grab a dollar slice of pizza than it is to make healthy meal choices.
Trust me, you will be happier when you save that cash and eat at home. Don’t worry it’s not as hard as you think – there is hope. Budget-friendly, healthy hope.
I have learned a few tricks along the way in life and making healthy choices can actually be affordable and not that time consuming when you are prepared. Whether you’re a student or just an everyday gal/guy trying to survive in this big, beautiful and pricey city of ours, there are some great little hacks to help you get on the right healthy track and stay on budget. Here are some ways that planning ahead can help sort you out and win at adulting.
Meal planning
Get a calendar, whether it’s digital or paper, write out meals and snacks that you want eat/make for the week and write them down so you can make your grocery list based off the meals you are planning. And don’t forget, leftovers make great lunches!
Meal Prepping
This goes hand in hand with meal planning, on a day that you are not too busy you can chop veggies, marinate, etc, and have everything ready in your fridge/freezer for your weekly meals, it will save you so much time on your busiest of nights, even pre-making that salad for the week will help!
Slow cooker
It’s about that time of year. The cool rainy weather is around the corner, and it’s time to simmer your food. Slow cookers are great; you can get one at a thrift shop for so cheap and make food all year round. Make soups, stews, chilis, pasta dishes and even baked potatoes! Prep doesn’t take too long and you can just set it and forget it. You can even freeze some of your creations for future meals. While you are at it, grab yourself a thermos for meals on the go.
Bulk foods
Whether you go to Costco or your local grocery store, bulk foods are the way to go. Not only is this more economical, but it also reduces the use of unnecessary packaging. Buying in bulk is great for foods like beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, flours, dried fruit, spices, coffee, tea and grains. Of course I urge you to choose locally sourced/fair trade and organic whenever possible and soak those nuts and seeds before you munch on them.
Recipe: Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 large sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 veggie or bone broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp chili pepper flakes
3 tbsp chickpea flour
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 cups shredded extra old Cheddar cheese or nutritional yeast (or vegan cheese)
1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add leeks and cook, stirring, until very soft.
- Add cauliflower, coconut milk, broth, bay leaf, dried herbs, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is soft, then add garlic.
- Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk and flour in a small bowl. When the cauliflower is soft, remove the bay leaf and stir in the milk mixture.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the soup has thickened slightly, about
- Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese and lemon juice.
