When you have young children who take up almost all of your time, it’s hard to keep up the energy to cook. How can I continue to prepare homemade meals and avoid ready-made meals or junk food? Here are the tips from Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist.
Parents exhausted by daily life punctuated by young children or simply by the multiplicity of daily tasks, here are some tips to simplify meal preparation. “My first advice would be the following: opt for le batch-cooking, which allows you to make several preparations on the weekend and mix them during the week, to make different dishes” first explains our expert.
Make dishes by switching between ingredients
Still with this in mind, it is therefore possible to cook a large quantity of ratatouille for example. “And then during the week, you can combine it with an omelette, which makes it a completely balanced dish ready in five minutes.” indicates Alexandra Murcier. Another variation: the potato omelette, the famous Spanish tortilla, which can also be prepared quickly.
Opt for quiches
It is a preparation that can be quite healthy and can be prepared quickly. “The children rather like it so it’s an option that can suit the whole family” specifies the specialist. In addition, it is easy to vary the pleasures: quiche with tuna, peppers, bacon… “It’s quick and it’s not bad, to be completed with a small salad to balance it all out.”
Prepare Cantonese rice to garnish as desired
You have to cook rice, which you can prepare in advance, during your batch cooking session. You will then just have to reheat it and decorate it, as you wish. “This can simply be with peas and pieces of ham, or other foods, such as an omelette for example. adds the expert.
Cooking a pasta salad
In the same vein as rice, pasta is also a good way to prepare a complete salad. “We cook the pasta, to which we can add corn, hearts of palm, tomatoes, cucumbers… Ready (and delicious) in five minutes!”
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Make vegetable purees
Finally, the last solution proposed by the dietician-nutritionist are purees. “If you are equipped this can be prepared in a very short time. The advantage is that you can mix potatoes and vegetables, like zucchini for example. With tuna or ham on the side, it’s very good”.
You understand: the idea is to assemble, by preparing a quick base, which you enhance according to your tastes. “This allows you not to spend too much time in the kitchen, to eat a fairly balanced diet and to avoid processed products.” concludes the expert.
