Anyone else feel as if they blinked and landed in 2020, with December holidays being a distant memory?! Many people take a good few weeks to find their feet in the new year and its already February. With being back at work, and kids already back at school, weekday dinners, school lunches and the ‘healthy’ new year resolution meal planning can quickly become overwhelming.

The best thing to do at this time of the year is to keep it simple! Although this is a time where more people are motivated to get on track with their health and nutrition, it is also a time where many households adjust to new schedules at work and school – making your molehill look like a mountain. And what happens when something seems unmanageable and complicated?! We drop it! Which is obviously not the result that we want. So, let’s soften the landing with a few back-to-school tips and ideas.

Preparation and a bit of planning goes a long way. Sounds obvious right… wrong. This is the hardest part and where most busy people fail. You might be thinking that you are never prepared because preparing takes time; and isn’t this a problem in the first place, limited time. Setting aside a small window in your calendar to prepare for the weeks to come, will save you lots of time and running around later – investing now will reward you later.

Being prepared involves a few key steps, the first of which is meal planning. Depending on your meal planning style, it is always useful to keep a list of favourite household dishes and, as time goes by and new recipes pop up, the list can grow. This makes planning easier and keeps at bay the inevitable “I’m so bored of this meal”.

Now that you have a list of favourites on hand, it is easier to mix and match them into a weekly, fortnightly or monthly meal calendar. I am going pause for a second, as I know you are already feeling your blood pressure rise and have decided at this point that you are not this organized. Remember, that this is just a guide to prevent the daily last-minute scramble. Nothing is set in stone, but it certainly helps to have a loose structure in place.

The next step is to make a shopping list based on the abovementioned meal plan. This not only saves time and prevents your running to the shops daily, but it also reduces wastage and saves you a Rand or two. The new year brings with it a relatively empty piggy bank, so you can help ease the load on the wallet and spare you some time by: sticking to your shopping list; buying food that is in season; using a combination of fresh, frozen and tinned foods; buying ingredients in bulk; as well as freezing portioned out meals.

So, as you lay down the foundation for this year with newfound motivation, don’t let the hustle and bustle of January trip you up. Put one foot in front of the other and keep things uncomplicated – you can add on the frills later. Remember that your path to health is a marathon not a sprint.

Check out these recipes for quick and easy weekday meals

Lemon and almond crusted baked chicken shnitzels
Lemon & Almond-Crusted Chicken Schnitzels

Spicy quinoa and red kidney bean patties

Spicy Quinoa and Red Kidney Bean Patties

Easy Tuna Patties 

Easy Tuna Patties

Nourish yourself to the sunrise.

Written with love ,
Sunrise by HM

Nourished yet? Comment on what I should write about next? 

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