I am finding it hard to eat healthily during this winter lockdown, even with my healthy approach. Each night this month, I have been trying to take stock of what I need to do to bring back vitality and energy into my foods. Most nights, I decide to think about it again tomorrow. It's cold outside. Even in the sun, it is cold, my bed keeps calling me, and my eyes want to close as thoughts of wrapping a thick duvet around my body are tough to resist. I love cooking, I enjoy the whole experience of planning and meal, prepping the food, and cooking through to eating, and I am struggling to bring that zest back. What do I do? I shout this in my head many times a day as I reach for another biscuit. Today the sun is shining. Today I have finished a 10-day self-isolation period. Today I want to get back on track and push the energy back into my soul and feel alive again. Now I need to start and focus and get the planned and executed.
My plan starts with looking to see if there is a food delivery slot available within the next 3-4 days (I must be realistic here and not expect a space for tomorrow). If there is one I book and fill my trolley with anything and check out, most online grocery shops allow you time to alter what’s in your basket before delivery. If all the slots are booked, I will venture out and mask up and get the shop done, but I must plan. Then I take an old-fashioned notepad and pen, as I find food planning an organic experience, and if I tap my meal plan into my food, I cannot change it and move it, and it becomes virtually unreal. Breakfast, my favourite meal of the day (just like lunch and dinner!), needs to be reasonably quick to serve and eat to get into my office to start the day. I allow Sunday mornings to be a little more indulgent. Cereal is a good option, something filling and low in sugar or indeed not coated in sugar. I find eating sugar makes me hungry. Let's opt for a good bran cereal with hot milk or sugar-free muesli. Yep, I can make that work and last for at least five days. Lunch, my first thoughts are 'have I got time to make soup?' yes, of course, I have.
I need to roast up the vegetables, blend with a little stock, and maybe stir in a bit of cream cheese to add a depth of richness—roasted tomatoes and peppers, perfect. I can make enough of this soup to last for three days, and I think any longer than that, and I will be bored and start to search the fridge for anything that is not soup! If I serve bread with the soup, I will be tempted to generously spread butter on it, in which case I will opt for plain pitta bread. Nice. Now for evening dinners, I think it is cold outside I will pull together a Chilli Con Carne and plain boiled rice. This meal I can make in the slow cooker and will be enough for 3-4 days. I buy the rice in a microwaveable pouch, and I go for the variety that only contains rice and no additional ingredients like oil. And as this will last for more than two nights, I can jazz it up with a tortilla wrap and coleslaw making it seem like a completely new meal.
When I think of making an excellent warm hearty food for dinner, I go down the curry route. And when I cook a curry, I will add a tin of coconut milk, and even creamed coconut. Delicious as it is this is not good to eat as portion sizing will go out of the window, plus the naan bread will need buying, which adds to additional calories and carb bloating. Phew, I think that this meal plan will work for the next five days. Hold on I need to think about snacks, how can I sit at my desk without something to nibble on. Happy to revisit my old favourite of crackers and good quality peanut butter. Contact me about how I can help you reach your goals.