Eating Healthy Meals In A Hurry
Healthy Meals In A Hurry
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Eating healthy can be a real challenge for individuals and families that are constantly on the go. Convenience foods such as fast food and, in some cases, those in the frozen food isle can seem to help make life easier by offering options that may take less time than traditional food preparation methods.
Barbara Anderson, a Family Nutrition and Health Program Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, discussed options to help people eat healthy meals in a hurry.
“We’re all in a hurry. We want to eat our foods fast, whether it’s at home or going through the drive-thru,” Anderson said.
She discussed with the group ways of fixing meals ahead of time. Those meals would then be frozen. Anderson described “marathon cooking” that would allow a family to have 120 packaged meals prepared in advance, allowing for a healthier choice when time is at a premium.
Besides the health benefits, the savings could be significant as well. A prepared meal could be around a dollar or even less. “The meals are very healthy, because what we’re talking about are meals that are based around the ‘Dash Diet’,” says Anderson.
The ‘Dash Diet’ is a dietary approach to stop hyper-tension. “We’re focusing on salt and sodium content,” Anderson explained.
“Eating at home, when we can, with our family has so many very positives,” Anderson says. It prevents some repercussions. “Your family grows closer, it’s very healthy for children. That’s where children learn to make healthy choices by what they see the adults make in the family.” Anderson further explained that having the family meal can help with achievement in school and how the children feel about themselves and their social skills. “You don’t learn to swim by not going into the swimming pool. Where do you learn to make healthy choices?”
“We don’t have time to sit down anymore like we use to, but making an effort can really pay off for a healthy happy family.” Anderson commented.
Natalie Ferguson-Spray is a program coordinator at the Mahaska County ISU Extension Office. She helped to demonstrate not only the cost savings available to preparing something as simple as a homemade soup, but also the nutritional value. An example of better nutrition would be lower sodium.
She shared that by using the soup recipe, she would be able to make the equivalent of 7 cans of cream of mushroom soup for approximately .10 cents per can, versus the name brand cost of over a dollar a can.
Those and many other recipes are available by purchasing the book from the ISU online store, or by stopping by the local extension office Monday thru Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm. The cost for the publication is $2.50. Link HERE to the online store for the book.
If you would like know more about the Mahaska County ISU Extension Office, you can find them on their website HERE.
