Fast-Made Home Food

You have a busy job, busy life, and no time, right? There's no way to avoid fast-food, and you're sure of it. Well, here are some techniques I've used that may help you and your family eat at home!

1. Make your list...if you don't already, use a list when you go shopping, and have a "shopping day" instead of shopping here and there during your busy week. I usually purchase the usual items we use weekly, monthly, etc, so we keep a pad and pen on the counter in the kitchen and as we run out of an item we write in on the pad. I've found this is better than making a list right before you leave to shop because you can be sure you won't forget it later. If you want, add a step and create your dinner menu for the week and just make sure you have or write on your list all of the ingredients you will need.

2. Have a "Cooking Day"...Instead of coming home after a hard day at work, prepping your ingredients, cooking your meal, and cleaning up, Use a day off to cook all of the meals for the week or until your next day off. Store your meals in the kitchen, and even write the menu for the evening and any special instructions on a magnetic dry erase board you can keep on your fridge. This way, if you are late, your family won't have an excuse to give up and order pizza!!

3. Easy Wraps For Lunch...Roast or grill boneless skinless chicken breast, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes or strips and store in fridge. You or your family can easily use this for different tasting wraps with a little sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Tell them to be creative! Serve with a baked carbohydrate snack such as sun chips or pirates booty puffs. Easy, natural, and delicious!

4. Pack Snacks!...I don't mean doritos or twizzlers. Your job demands that you perform your best, and your body appreciates you supplying it with nutrients so it can help you be your best. I schedule my snack about two hours into my workday, and I easily do this by having a zone perfect bar on the fly. I get 190 calories and great nutrition packed in them. After work, which is about 3-4 hours after I have had dinner, I might munch on some nature valley oats and honey granola bars, which I also had packed. These snacks give me what I need, and my body thanks me by letting me know it feels great! (When I want to look extra lean, I have shaved pounds in the past by not eating carbs with my dinner and omitting the granola bars, effectively allowing me to fast for the next 12 hours. I did this for 5 days and lost about 5 extra pounds for great pictures!)

Hope these examples help you with your busy life, and feel free to ask me about anything I've done or post your tips in a comment! By the way, I have purchased all of the specific items I mentioned in bulk at Costco, my favorite store in the world! Thanks for reading and enjoy your Saturday night!