Henrico    Nutrition
                                                                                                School       Services
                                                                                                      Timothy P. Mertz,Director
                                                                                                            E.

iloTime
to cool(!
   Schoolprojects. . . Iacrossepractices . . guitar
                                         .
 lessons clubmeetings.
        ...                Sometimes toughto
                                      it's
find time to sitdownand eatdinneras afamily,Iet
 alonecoohthe meal
    But mahingdinnerdoesn'thave tahehours.
                                     to             Here
 are ideasthat willhelpyou put meals the table
                                        on
 quichly.             You
         Thebonus? canfeelgoodaboutsewinghealtlry        mealsthatwill
 heep our childrenenergized their busy schedules.
      y                       for

                                                                         saladbar,bagged   lettuce,jars of pastasauce,
                                                                                                                     and cubed
Trim grocery store time                                                  turkey from the deli counter.
   It's as simple as this: if you don't havefood in the house,           o Thkeyour teenshoppingwith
you can't makedinner.Use thesesuggestions speedup
                                                to                       you. Youcan split the list and cut
food shopping:                                                           your grocerystore time in half.
                                  o Make a grocery list. You'll          Plus,ask her to readlabelsand
                                   get what you need-and                 checkprices,and she'll leam
                                    avoid buying extras (mean-           about nutritious and budget-
                                     ing you'll save money,              savryshopping.Shewill also
                                      too). Post a sheet of              be more likely to eat the healthy
                                      paper on the refrigerator,         food shehelpspick out.
                                      and ask everyone to add               Idea:When unpackingyour gro-
                                      items that are running              ceries,group items in your pantry,
                                     low. Idea: Write headings            refrigerator, and freezer based on how    i
                                    to organize the list by gro-          you're going to use them. By keeping
cery aisle (produce,cereal).Or use an online programlike                  your meal ingredients up front, you'll save time when looking
www. ocerylis izard.com.
     gr         tw                                                        for them later.
o Shopwith nutrition in mind. Go around the perimeterof
the store first-that's whereyou'll find the healthiestitems
(fruits,vegetables, meats,dairy). Then, filI in by going up and
                                                                          P|trn meqls
down   the aislesto get the other items on your list. Tip: Look             Do you comehome from work, open the refrigerator, and
for precut or prepareditems that will makemeal preparation                wonderwhat to makefor dinner?Try theseideasfor taking
go faster,such as choppedceleryor hard-boiledeggsat the                   awaythe guesswork:
                                                                          o Makea list of your "go-to" dishes-the onesthat you're
                                                                          comfortablemaking, don't takemuch time to prepare,and
                                                                                                                               continued

    With thesefoods and sta-      n leangound beef                       n   brown rice                     n whole-grainbread
 ples in your kitchen, you'll     n ground turkey                        n   cannedtuna and salmon          n frozenvegetables
 alwaysbe able to put             n olive oil and nonstick               n   cannedbeans                    n eggs
 togethera fast meal:               cookingspray                         n   pastasauce                     ! low-fat cheese(cheddar,
 n fruit (fresh,canned its
                        in        n spices and herbs(a variety           n   peanutbutter                     mozzarella)
    own juice)                      of onesyou like)                     n   iam (no sugaradded)            n fat-freemilk
 n skinlesschickenbreasts         E multigrain pasta                     n   whole-grain cereal



                                                 FdBp&Fmess.
                                                 @ 201 Resources Educators,
                                                      1       for       a division CCH
                                                                                 0f  lnc0rpOrated      institution equal
                                                                                                    This        isan           provider.
                                                                                                                       opportunity
ilo Time to cool(!                                                                                                                        Page
                                                                                                                                             2

your family likes. Need some new ideas? Browse through
magazines or cookbook, and put a sticky note on pageswith
recipes that seem doable. Or search online, plugging in key
words like "quick low-fat family meals" or specific ingredients
that your children like. Then, bookmark sites that look good.
o Once a week-maybe Saturday moming-plot            out dinner
ideas for the week ahead. Fill in a main course, vegetables,
and whole grains for each day. You might consider having a
few set-menu days (pasta on Wednesdays, tacos on Fridays).
Tip: Savemoney by checking what's on sale for the coming
week and building meals around those items.
o Spread the job around. You could have each family member
handle meal planning (deciding what to have, adding to the
shopping list) for one night a week. That person can help pre-
pare the meal, too. Hint: If you take time to teach your chil-
dren some kitchen skills, you'll save time in the end.
    Idea: Keep recipes in a handy place, such as in a folder in
                                                                          Strecrmline prepsrrrtion
                                                                           When it comes to making meals, thinking ahead is half the
a kitchen drawer or on your computer in an elecronic folder
                                                                         battle. Here are tips that will help you get today's dinner-
that includes the recipes along with links to cooking sites. As
                                                                         and tomorrolv'5-6n      the table faster:
you make the dishes, mark what your family liked or didn't
like, and note changes you would make next time.                          o Thke a tip from restaurant cooks and prepare all your ingre-
                                                                          dients before you start cooking. By measuring, chopping, and
                                                                          mixing ahead of time, things will go much more smoothly and
                                                                          quickly. Idea: Involve your children as "prep chefs"-let them
                                                                          help with the measuring and chopping.
 Simplify dinnertimewith ideaslike these:
                                                                         a Think about whether ingredients you're preparing could go
                       o Combinepurchased    and made-at-
                                                                         into another meal. If you're chopping onions or grating
                       home foods.For instance,Pick uP a                 cheese, for example, make extra and refrigerate for later in the
                      rotisseriechickenat the grocerystore,
                                                                         week. Saut6 extra vegetables or brown extra ground beef, and
                        and then toss togethera saladto                  refrigerate or freeze for another time.
                                          sewealongside it.
                                                                          a Cook once, eat twice. When you cook, double recipes so
                                            o For a fast                  that you get two meals out of your cooking time. Making a
                                             Italian dinner,              tuna-noodle casseroleor baked ziti? Prepare two batches, and
                                             microwave a                  freeze one. Or cook an oversize one-Dot meal like beef stew or
                                             bag of frozen                chicken and rice (awoz con polto), and freeze the extra. Even
                                             vegetables and               on a weeknight when you're making a simple pot of rice,
                                            stir them into                double the quantities, and put
                                           warmed marinara                away half for another time.
                                          sauce. Serve over
                                                                             Idea: Consider getting
                                                                          a slow cooker. You can
  o Let everyone make their ownl Put ingredienrc on the                   add the ingredients in the
  table, and famrly members can do the "work'" For exam-                  moming before work and
  ple, have afaiitanight. You can broil chicken breasts and               school and tum the heat on
  .urthe- into strips. Then, put them on the table with                   low, and your meal is ready
  whole-wheat to.tillut, a container of guacamole, a jar of               at dinnertime. For example,
  salsa, and sliced green PePPers.                                        make sloppy joes by putting
                                                                          3 lbs. round steak,2 cupsbarbecue  sauce, andYzcup water
  o For a healthy side dish or a meatless main course' make
                                                                          into a crockpot.Cook on low for 8 hours, shred,and serveon
  "instant" chill Drain, rinse, and combine several cans of
                                                                          whole-grain sandwichbuns.
  beans &lack, kidney, cannellini). Add diced red bell pep-
  per,fresh cilantro, and chili powder.                                   Editor's Note: ken Food6 Frtness'" is reviewed by a registereddietitian.
                                                                          Consult a physician before beginning any major changein diet or exercise




                                                 FdBp&Fmess"
         Resources Educators,a division of CCH Incorporatedr 128 N. RoyalAvenue,Front Royal,VA2Z63A t 540-636-4280
                 for
                                                 O 201 Resources Educalors,
                                                     1        for       a division CCH
                                                                                 of  IncorDorated

No time to cook flyer 2

  • 1.
    Henrico Nutrition School Services Timothy P. Mertz,Director E. iloTime to cool(! Schoolprojects. . . Iacrossepractices . . guitar . lessons clubmeetings. ... Sometimes toughto it's find time to sitdownand eatdinneras afamily,Iet alonecoohthe meal But mahingdinnerdoesn'thave tahehours. to Here are ideasthat willhelpyou put meals the table on quichly. You Thebonus? canfeelgoodaboutsewinghealtlry mealsthatwill heep our childrenenergized their busy schedules. y for saladbar,bagged lettuce,jars of pastasauce, and cubed Trim grocery store time turkey from the deli counter. It's as simple as this: if you don't havefood in the house, o Thkeyour teenshoppingwith you can't makedinner.Use thesesuggestions speedup to you. Youcan split the list and cut food shopping: your grocerystore time in half. o Make a grocery list. You'll Plus,ask her to readlabelsand get what you need-and checkprices,and she'll leam avoid buying extras (mean- about nutritious and budget- ing you'll save money, savryshopping.Shewill also too). Post a sheet of be more likely to eat the healthy paper on the refrigerator, food shehelpspick out. and ask everyone to add Idea:When unpackingyour gro- items that are running ceries,group items in your pantry, low. Idea: Write headings refrigerator, and freezer based on how i to organize the list by gro- you're going to use them. By keeping cery aisle (produce,cereal).Or use an online programlike your meal ingredients up front, you'll save time when looking www. ocerylis izard.com. gr tw for them later. o Shopwith nutrition in mind. Go around the perimeterof the store first-that's whereyou'll find the healthiestitems (fruits,vegetables, meats,dairy). Then, filI in by going up and P|trn meqls down the aislesto get the other items on your list. Tip: Look Do you comehome from work, open the refrigerator, and for precut or prepareditems that will makemeal preparation wonderwhat to makefor dinner?Try theseideasfor taking go faster,such as choppedceleryor hard-boiledeggsat the awaythe guesswork: o Makea list of your "go-to" dishes-the onesthat you're comfortablemaking, don't takemuch time to prepare,and continued With thesefoods and sta- n leangound beef n brown rice n whole-grainbread ples in your kitchen, you'll n ground turkey n cannedtuna and salmon n frozenvegetables alwaysbe able to put n olive oil and nonstick n cannedbeans n eggs togethera fast meal: cookingspray n pastasauce ! low-fat cheese(cheddar, n fruit (fresh,canned its in n spices and herbs(a variety n peanutbutter mozzarella) own juice) of onesyou like) n iam (no sugaradded) n fat-freemilk n skinlesschickenbreasts E multigrain pasta n whole-grain cereal FdBp&Fmess. @ 201 Resources Educators, 1 for a division CCH 0f lnc0rpOrated institution equal This isan provider. opportunity
  • 2.
    ilo Time tocool(! Page 2 your family likes. Need some new ideas? Browse through magazines or cookbook, and put a sticky note on pageswith recipes that seem doable. Or search online, plugging in key words like "quick low-fat family meals" or specific ingredients that your children like. Then, bookmark sites that look good. o Once a week-maybe Saturday moming-plot out dinner ideas for the week ahead. Fill in a main course, vegetables, and whole grains for each day. You might consider having a few set-menu days (pasta on Wednesdays, tacos on Fridays). Tip: Savemoney by checking what's on sale for the coming week and building meals around those items. o Spread the job around. You could have each family member handle meal planning (deciding what to have, adding to the shopping list) for one night a week. That person can help pre- pare the meal, too. Hint: If you take time to teach your chil- dren some kitchen skills, you'll save time in the end. Idea: Keep recipes in a handy place, such as in a folder in Strecrmline prepsrrrtion When it comes to making meals, thinking ahead is half the a kitchen drawer or on your computer in an elecronic folder battle. Here are tips that will help you get today's dinner- that includes the recipes along with links to cooking sites. As and tomorrolv'5-6n the table faster: you make the dishes, mark what your family liked or didn't like, and note changes you would make next time. o Thke a tip from restaurant cooks and prepare all your ingre- dients before you start cooking. By measuring, chopping, and mixing ahead of time, things will go much more smoothly and quickly. Idea: Involve your children as "prep chefs"-let them help with the measuring and chopping. Simplify dinnertimewith ideaslike these: a Think about whether ingredients you're preparing could go o Combinepurchased and made-at- into another meal. If you're chopping onions or grating home foods.For instance,Pick uP a cheese, for example, make extra and refrigerate for later in the rotisseriechickenat the grocerystore, week. Saut6 extra vegetables or brown extra ground beef, and and then toss togethera saladto refrigerate or freeze for another time. sewealongside it. a Cook once, eat twice. When you cook, double recipes so o For a fast that you get two meals out of your cooking time. Making a Italian dinner, tuna-noodle casseroleor baked ziti? Prepare two batches, and microwave a freeze one. Or cook an oversize one-Dot meal like beef stew or bag of frozen chicken and rice (awoz con polto), and freeze the extra. Even vegetables and on a weeknight when you're making a simple pot of rice, stir them into double the quantities, and put warmed marinara away half for another time. sauce. Serve over Idea: Consider getting a slow cooker. You can o Let everyone make their ownl Put ingredienrc on the add the ingredients in the table, and famrly members can do the "work'" For exam- moming before work and ple, have afaiitanight. You can broil chicken breasts and school and tum the heat on .urthe- into strips. Then, put them on the table with low, and your meal is ready whole-wheat to.tillut, a container of guacamole, a jar of at dinnertime. For example, salsa, and sliced green PePPers. make sloppy joes by putting 3 lbs. round steak,2 cupsbarbecue sauce, andYzcup water o For a healthy side dish or a meatless main course' make into a crockpot.Cook on low for 8 hours, shred,and serveon "instant" chill Drain, rinse, and combine several cans of whole-grain sandwichbuns. beans &lack, kidney, cannellini). Add diced red bell pep- per,fresh cilantro, and chili powder. Editor's Note: ken Food6 Frtness'" is reviewed by a registereddietitian. Consult a physician before beginning any major changein diet or exercise FdBp&Fmess" Resources Educators,a division of CCH Incorporatedr 128 N. RoyalAvenue,Front Royal,VA2Z63A t 540-636-4280 for O 201 Resources Educalors, 1 for a division CCH of IncorDorated