December is on the horizon, friends! That means it’s party time. It also means that come January 1st, chances are you’ll wish that you had done something to mitigate the effects the holidays have on us.
I’m talking about the effects that all the holiday factors have on us – from stressing about fitting all the events onto your calendar to releasing your inhibitions when it comes to indulging in special food and drink! Sometimes we can overindulge, especially if you’ve been waiting all year for that taste of holiday sweets.
In addition to this, our time is limited. Especially if you have kids and you’re balancing your activities and theirs. You might find that even for basic weeknight meals you’re short on time.
I’m not here to tell you how to limit your intake of indulgent food and beverage this time of year. That wouldn’t be helpful – are you really not going to accept a canister of peppermint bark from a friend? My hope is that when you adopt the tips I’m going to share you will naturally balance this for yourself.
I also want to share with you how to budget your time so you’re not stressing spending 1+ hour preparing a healthy dinner when you could be getting something good & healthy in with much less effort. So let’s answer this question:
How Can I Stay Healthy and Save Time During the Holidays?
One. Take advantage of chopped vegetables at the store. You’ll pay a little extra for convenience, but if you’re short on time and it’s the difference between you cooking or not, then go for it. Chopping can eat up so much time!
Two. One step further – buy chopped onions, garlic, and herb pastes. I spend a lot of time peeling and chopping garlic and onions, and washing and prepping herbs. I’m not saying never do that, but maybe now take the easy way.
Three. Buy pre-cooked proteins. Unless you’re making a holiday roast, a pre-cooked protein can get you by in a pinch. I’m thinking things like rotisserie chicken, ham steaks, marinated tofu and tempeh, frozen cooked chicken strips, frozen cooked shrimp, etc. Anything that’s basically already done.
Four. Use your crock pot. If you have one, great. If not, go to the thrift store today. They will have some. Lots of the updated ones for today can do the browning + cooking all in one, too. If you have a couple minutes to throw (pre-chopped!) veg and a protein in, lots of it will be done during the wait time.
Five. Make a list of one-pot or sheet-pan meals. This will reduce your clean up time, especially if you’re like me and don’t have a dishwasher! If you’re using 10 bowls to mix stuff, 2 cutting boards, 3 pots and a pan, you’re gonna be less likely to cook ever again.
Six. Learn to love leftovers. Some stuff doesn’t heat up well, that’s true. But most things do. Stop hating on leftovers! You do understand having a leftover night means you literally don’t have to cook, right?
Seven. Buy ingredients you can use in more than one dish. This will cut down on shopping time. Limitations can breed creativity! It’s less you’ll have to think about. I just bought a 6 lb. red cabbage I’ve used in 5 different dishes.
Eight. Use jarred sauces and condiments. This is not the time of year to be learning a homemade teriyaki recipe. Get the jar. Use the jar. Lots of sauces can add tons of flavor with little effort.
Nine. Have fruits and veg for snacks. There is no prep required, especially if you’re buying things like baby carrots or crudite. Apples just require a hand. Grab a handful of nuts to have on the side and you got yourself a healthy and satisfying snack.
Ten. Don’t forget about the frozen section. You can get basically any vegetable cooked + frozen, plus things like rice and potatoes. As long as you have a heat source, you’re good!
Any you’d add?! Happy [stress-free] holiday eating!