Nutrition Made Simple

If you’re easily overwhelmed by recipes and just plain don’t know what on earth to eat, here is a non-cook’s guide to making two healthy meals a day in less than 30 minutes - from a fellow non-cook:

In the morning, you need like 5 minutes: put a hunk of meat in the slow cooker (it can be frozen and it can be any meat: whole chicken, package of chops, beef roast, your choice – just make sure it’s enough to have leftovers). Shake on some spices (whatever you like, and if you’re clueless then buy a jar of combined spices a la Tastefully Simple [sorry that’s my only example, that’s all I’ve got in my pantry since I work there]). Turn it on low, and go about your day. I’ve left meat in there for 24 hours – it will be ready when you are, and no, your house won’t burn down.

When you get home, you will need maybe 20 minutes for your side – try not to drool over how amazing the meat smells. Dice an onion & garlic (or open up that spice shaker again) into a pan with olive oil. While those get started, chop at least two kinds of veggies (cauliflower, carrots, beets, bok choy, try something new, buy what’s on sale, anything!) and then sauté that all until it’s done (again, make enough for leftovers). Hot tip for extra bonus flavor: chop up a slice of bacon into that mess. MMMM.

Serve with your meat. Enjoy a perfectly healthy, super easy, delicious meal. Package up leftovers into meal-size containers, and eat it again for lunch at work tomorrow.

Repeat.

If you care EVEN MORE for simplicity than you do for variety: on the weekend, slow-cook much more of that meat and roast a lot more of those veg in the oven, then package up into meals, and you’re set. That’s what I do, along with a half hour or so spent chopping up raw veggies for a daily salad, to which I add avocado & balsamic vinegar, sided with a “convenience protein” such as an Applegate beef hot dog w/ mustard.

Bottom line: unless you truly enjoy the challenge of cooking from scratch, make it as easy as possible on yourself to stick to sweeping changes.