Henrico SchoolTimothy

Nutrition ServicesE. P. Mertz, Director

quichly. Thebonus? You canfeel good about sewinghealtlry meals thatwillheep y our children energized for their busy schedules.

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S chool proj ects . . . Iacro sse practices . . . guitarlessons ... club meetings. Sometimes it's tough to

find time to sit down and eat dinner as afamily,Ietalone cooh the meal

But mahing dinner doesn'thave to tahehours. Hereare ideas that willhelp you put meals on the table

Trim grocery store timeIt's as simple as this: if you don't have food in the house,

you can't make dinner. Use these suggestions to speed upfood shopping:

o Make a grocery list. You'llget what you need-andavoid buying extras (mean-

ing you'll save money,too). Post a sheet ofpaper on the refrigerator,and ask everyone to additems that are running

low. Idea: Write headingsto organize the list by gro-

cery aisle (produce, cereal). Or use an online program likewww. gr o c erylis tw izar d. c om.

o Shop with nutrition in mind. Go around the perimeter ofthe store first-that's where you'll find the healthiest items(fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy). Then, filI in by going up anddown the aisles to get the other items on your list. Tip: Lookfor precut or prepared items that will make meal preparationgo faster, such as chopped celery or hard-boiled eggs at the

salad bar, bagged lettuce, jars of pasta sauce, and cubedturkey from the deli counter.o Thke your teen shopping withyou. You can split the list and cutyour grocery store time in half.Plus, ask her to read labels andcheck prices, and she'll leamabout nutritious and budget-savry shopping. She will alsobe more likely to eat the healthyfood she helps pick out.

Idea:When unpacking your gro-ceries, group items in your pantry,refrigerator, and freezer based on how iyou're going to use them. By keepingyour meal ingredients up front, you'll save time when lookingfor them later.

P|trn meqlsDo you come home from work, open the refrigerator, and

wonder what to make for dinner? Try these ideas for takingaway the guesswork:o Make a list of your "go-to" dishes-the ones that you'recomfortable making, don't take much time to prepare, and

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With these foods and sta-ples in your kitchen, you'llalways be able to puttogether a fast meal:n fruit (fresh, canned in its

own juice)n skinless chicken breasts

n lean gound beefn ground turkeyn olive oil and nonstick

cooking sprayn spices and herbs (a variety

of ones you like)E multigrain pasta

n brown ricen canned tuna and salmonn canned beansn pasta saucen peanut buttern iam (no sugar added)n whole-grain cereal

n whole-grain breadn frozenvegetablesn eggs! low-fat cheese (cheddar,

mozzarella)n fat-free milk

@ 201 1 Resources for Educators, a division 0f CCH lnc0rpOrated This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

ilo Time to cool(! Page 2

your family likes. Need some new ideas? Browse throughmagazines or cookbook, and put a sticky note on pages withrecipes that seem doable. Or search online, plugging in keywords like "quick low-fat family meals" or specific ingredientsthat your children like. Then, bookmark sites that look good.

o Once a week-maybe Saturday moming-plot out dinnerideas for the week ahead. Fill in a main course, vegetables,and whole grains for each day. You might consider having afew set-menu days (pasta on Wednesdays, tacos on Fridays).Tip: Save money by checking what's on sale for the comingweek and building meals around those items.

o Spread the job around. You could have each family memberhandle meal planning (deciding what to have, adding to theshopping 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 ina kitchen drawer or on your computer in an elecronic folderthat includes the recipes along with links to cooking sites. Asyou make the dishes, mark what your family liked or didn'tlike, and note changes you would make next time.

Strecrmline prepsrrrtionWhen it comes to making meals, thinking ahead is half the

battle. Here are tips that will help you get today's dinner-and tomorrolv'5-6n the table faster:

o Thke a tip from restaurant cooks and prepare all your ingre-dients before you start cooking. By measuring, chopping, andmixing ahead of time, things will go much more smoothly andquickly. Idea: Involve your children as "prep chefs"-let themhelp with the measuring and chopping.

a Think about whether ingredients you're preparing could gointo another meal. If you're chopping onions or gratingcheese, for example, make extra and refrigerate for later in theweek. Saut6 extra vegetables or brown extra ground beef, andrefrigerate or freeze for another time.

a Cook once, eat twice. When you cook, double recipes sothat you get two meals out of your cooking time. Making atuna-noodle casserole or baked ziti? Prepare two batches, andfreeze one. Or cook an oversize one-Dot meal like beef stew orchicken and rice (awoz con polto), and freeze the extra. Evenon a weeknight when you're making a simple pot of rice,double the quantities, and putaway half for another time.

Idea: Consider gettinga slow cooker. You canadd the ingredients in themoming before work andschool and tum the heat onlow, and your meal is readyat dinnertime. For example,make sloppy joes by putting3 lbs. round steak, 2 cups barbecue sauce, andYz cup waterinto a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours, shred, and serve onwhole-grain sandwich buns.

Editor's Note: ken Food 6 Frtness'" is reviewed by a registered dietitian.Consult a physician before beginning any major change in diet or exercise

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Simplify dinnertime with ideas like these:

o Combine purchased and made-at-home foods. For instance, Pick uP arotisserie chicken at the grocery store,

and then toss together a salad tosewe alongside it.

o For a fastItalian dinner,microwave abag of frozenvegetables andstir them into

warmed marinarasauce. Serve over

o Let everyone make their ownl Put ingredienrc on the

table, and famrly members can do the "work'" For exam-

ple, have afaiitanight. You can broil chicken breasts and

.urthe- into strips. Then, put them on the table with

whole-wheat to.tillut, a container of guacamole, a jar of

salsa, and sliced green PePPers.

o For a healthy side dish or a meatless main course' make

"instant" chill Drain, rinse, and combine several cans of

beans &lack, kidney, cannellini). Add diced red bell pep-

per, fresh cilantro, and chili powder.

Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated r 128 N. Royal Avenue, Front Royal, VA2Z63A t 540-636-4280O 201 1 Resources for Educalors, a division of CCH IncorDorated