Smart Eating: To Save Time in the Kitchen, Make Meals in Advance

On the days when you don’t feel like cooking, having meals ready in advance can keep you out of the drive-thru line.

Registered Dietitian Ann Marie Smokowski, who provides nutrition counseling at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, says:

• Consider crock-pot options. "Crock-pot recipes are wonderful options so the meal is already cooked when you come home from work."
• Make meals in advance. "On the days that I'm not working, I make homemade soups and chili so these can be either lunch or dinner options during the week. You can bake meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. These can be paired with pasta and sauce."

More Smart Eating Tips

Smart Eating is a series of nutrition tips to help you transform your eating habits. A new tip will be added on weekdays throughout the month of October.
Previous posts:

• Eat 3 Meals Every Day
• Focus on Balance, Variety and Proportion
• Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables
• Choose Whole Wheat Grains Instead of Refined Grains
• Switch to Fat-free or Low-fat (1%) Milk
• Opt for Lean Meats
• Eat Seafood at Least Twice a Week
• Eat Beans, Peas or Soy Products as a Main Dish
• Get Your Protein from Nuts
• Cut Down on Processed Foods
• Choose Dark Chocolate, Nuts or Trail Mix for Dessert 
• Reduce Your Calories When Dining Out

Learn more about healthy eating on October 26, 2012 at WomenCare First Annual Day of Health: Be Strong, Be Happy, Be Healthy. Registered Dietitian Ann Marie Smokowski will present “Anti-Inflammatory Eating: The Mediterranean Lifestyle.” Click here for details.