From Frazzled to Focused: A Simple Meal Plan to Improve Family Health

A Little Preparation Can Make Your Family Healthier

by Shannon Smith, LMT, RMT, MLD-C, MS

Are you constantly feeling stressed? Do you get sick frequently? Are you running from work to the gym, to the next activity and grabbing take out or just a cup of coffee to survive? Do you wake up in the middle of the night to raid the fridge? Do you have difficulty getting to sleep? Do you start feeling weak, dizzy, or groggy, look at the clock, and realize that it’s after 2pm and all you have consumed is coffee? Do you pack lunches and snacks for your kids and partner, but neglect to do the same for yourself? In our crazy busy hectic lives, who has time to make food? The fact of the matter is, skipping meals or eating highly processed foods or whatever you can find between stops can increase your stress level.

Want to reduce your stress? Start by looking at what your body is running on. If your diet comes from a restaurant, fast food joint, is predominantly prepacked, or out of a box, chances are your body is fighting itself daily for the nutrition it needs. Not getting enough protein, calcium, magnesium, or sodium then your muscles take a hit. Not getting enough water, then your brain and heart suffer. Not getting enough vitamin D or calcium your bones will become brittle, leading to fractures or osteoporosis. The good thing is the remedy to all these issues can be found at your grocery store.

If you think that you can’t afford to eat healthy, I will beg to differ. Think about how much you spend on takeout, coffee, snacks, junk food, and restaurant meals. A $8 cup of coffee, $12 for a meal at McDonalds, $15 for a deli stop, or if you are trying to eat healthy, Acai bowls, smoothies, salads, or other healthy alternatives are not any cheaper! A family of four can easily dump $300 or much more each week on these stress-inducing crutches. Most of these choices are high in fat, salt, sugar, and nutritionally empty calories. Think about the potential medical bills and lost wages that illnesses can incur, grab your weekly sale flyers at your local food stores, and make a shopping list.

Parents are busy working, running errands, taking kids to activities and appointments. Trust me, I know. I am a mother of five. Let me tell you how I cut our food budget and reduced my monthly bill stress at the same time. I start by shopping along the outside of the grocery store- think fruits, vegetables, meat counter, and maybe ventured down the one aisle that has beans and grains. I avoid the expensive prepackaged items. If you do a little food preparation one day a week, like I have learned to do, not only will your bank account sigh in relief, but so will your body.

There are so many resources out there that tell you how to eat healthy. Here is the bottom line. The more whole foods you eat, the better the nutrition your body will absorb. Whole foods, organic when you can get them, are grown with less chemicals and are more nutrient dense for your health. Roast, bake, grill, steam, or air fry to lock in nutrients. If your family has a sweet tooth like mine, avoid the junk food aisle and delegate who will bake a batch of cookies from scratch once or twice a month. Prep at the beginning of the week salads, fruits and veggies for lunches. It cuts down on the morning rush and gives a fresher, healthier food choice for the entire week.

Dinners at my house are an interesting endeavor. I have a vegetarian, and two very picky eaters so my meal plans go something like this…. Pick a protein- chicken, beef, pork, fish, or bean. Add three to four vegetables to go along side. I try to pick from all around the rainbow, as the different vegetable and fruit colors give different nutrients- one or two root vegetables and one or two greens. As winter is upon us, chili or soup once a week, thanks to my Instapot, is easily done after work. If you like Italian, red sauces are easily cooked on prep day- I use canned tomatoes then add my sauteed combination of vegetables, onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots that I process quickly in the food processor. It gives a big dose of nutrition and flavor in one easy dish. If your family eats meat, you can easily make it into meat sauce, or add meatballs on the side. If you have family favorites, see how parts can be prepped ahead of time to decrease your stress.

If you are unsure if you have time for prep day, I ask you to try it. I put things together in about 2 hours, and sometimes I enlist the help of family members to do the chopping or peeling. If you have small containers, they can fill them with seeds, nuts, fruits, or cut up veggies for lunches. Salads for grown-ups can be prepped in mason jars with a small container of dressing in a separate container inside so the greens don’t get soggy. Prep day is also a good time to hard boil eggs if you like them as a protein packed snack or on your salads. If you enjoy grilling, on prep day you can also start marinating your proteins, so they are extra flavorful when you cook them.

So here is the one-month challenge. For the first two weeks-Track how much you are spending on coffee, bagels, doughnuts, fast food, lunches and other foods on the go. Think about how your family feels, how you sleep, and how often you skip meals because you just don’t have the time. Then,for the next two weeks- Try changing up your habits. Try making a list of meals for each week, and shopping for just those meals. Food prep on whatever day you have 2-3 hours. And see how it helps your stress level during the weeks. Track how much money your family is saving, how you are sleeping, and perhaps how much less stressed you feel.