October 22nd,2009 I would say planning takes the stress out of most things. When a plan is in store the mind doesn’t have to worry anymore about the task. You know exactly what needs to be done and how it should be done. Cooking is no different.
Planning for cooking should start ahead of your shopping. And since you’re holding that pen in your hand,why not plan for the whole week and get the headache over with.
Since we’re planning for the week ahead,Saturday is a good planning day. Don’t worry it shouldn’t take more than 15-30 minutes and you won’t have to miss your Saturday social plans for it.
First list down the meals you would like to have for the week. Its okay to repeat choices. Dieting doesn’t have to mean gourmet meals. Once you know what you’ll be cooking,its easy to come up with ingredients and condiments you need.
Sunday should make a perfect shopping day. It’s relaxing and it can double up as an outing.
Shopping with a list shouldn’t take more than an hour. No time wasted walking up and down each aisle,looking at everything on the shelves,unless of course a walkabout in a supermarket is something you enjoy.
Once the shopping is brought back home,all you need to do is make sure everything is put away in the right places. Just make sure meat or fish that are stored in the freezer are transferred to the fridge one day before cooking.
So within an hour and a half,your planning and shopping for the whole week is done. No more mad dashes to the stores after work and no more running out 50 times because you forgot something. Isn’t that a relief!
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I lead a rather hectic lifestyle. So cooking is definitely not an option for me. How else can i choose my food? Is snacking on bananas good?
Hi Uma:you can choose food that contain the major food groups such as protein,carbs and vegetables for every meal. Stay away from fast foods as they are high in trans fat. Good choices would be sandwiches or rice/potato with fish/chicken/mutton/beef and veg. Do portion control (look out for future posts on this topic) if you're dieting which means frequent but small meals. If you're still hungry despite the frequent meals try snacking on celeries or cucumber which are low in calories. Banana represents carbs so it can be a part your meals.
Hi Shamala..You became my role model ever since i came through your blog.I dont know how did u get motivated my yourself.I tried many times but failed.
I have a small question for you.How did u count calories for indian food?
Did u have soups or salads at night?
I wanted to take very light meal at night but i dont know what to have.i cant prepare soups &salads.what indian food can i have at night other than 2 roti/chapati.