One of the biggest challenges of being on a restricted diet, (or even just making healthy choices) is figuring out what to eat after a busy day.

So often we get home and everyone is hungry, the kids are yelling about wanting a snack and a show, and all the things are just kickin’ off.

It’s a classic time to fall back into a habit we might be trying to shift. So the biggest and most helpful thing we can do in these situations is be prepared.

At least to some degree.

TIP 1

Spend some time knowing what you eat that is easy and quick to make - and ALWAYS have the ingredients to make that.

For example, we like:

Leftover shredded chicken — batch cook a few at a time so you always have cooked chicken meat on hand. Freeze any extras in portion sizes, then remove it before you head out in the morning. You can then rest easy knowing you have a quick rough plan in place for when you get home. You can also thaw it in a microwave if you use one.

Wild Salmon or tuna from a can.

Ground meat cooked with herbs and garlic, this will depend on your elimination rules; but we like grass fed and pasture raised beef, poultry, or buffalo.

Any one of these things served over a huge bed of salad that you can jazz up in different ways: Chicken with avocado and crispy prosciutto, salmon with homemade mayo and capers, tuna with crunchy apples and balsamic dressing.

We also love breakfast for dinner with scrambled eggs, sugar/nitrate free bacon, shredded sweet potato hash browns, and a big salad. This one will really depend on what stage you’re at in your elimination or restrictions.

These are all specific to our diet restrictions and tastes, yours might be totally different and that’s a beautiful thing. The point is knowing what they are, what the whole family will eat without too much fuss, and always having at least one version available in the fridge. ALWAYS.

I hope you’re making a list. ;D

TIP 2

When you come in the door and everyone is yelling about being SO HUNGRY take 5 minutes to prepare some cut up veggies or a snack platter.

I know, it seems basic and maybe boring — but it’s the perfect time to get a pile of veggies into everyone, and if they are as hungry as they say they are, they will eat the dang veggies! This goes for YOU as well.

If everyone can go to a corner of the house with a bowl of veggies and chill for a hot minute while you get some dinner on the table, you are winning.

Quick list of our favourites:

Cut carrots, celery, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, jicama, cauliflower, pickled asparagus and beans, and a sliced apple. If you need to boost it up a bit, add some nut or seed butter for the apple, some cashew dip or hummus for the veggies, and a boiled egg for some protein.

My goal is to add as many colours as I can to get a range of phytonutrients (each vegetable has unique vitamins and whatnots called phytonutrients that help us feel great) into our bodies, and a snack plate is the perfect time.

TIP 3

Know what you can cook that doesn’t take a lot of time.

Grilled portabella mushrooms take about 10 or so minutes to grill, boneless chicken is about 20 minutes. Or if you like seafood, a salmon fillet with some lemon juice in the oven or BBQ takes about 17 minutes — also seared or poached takes almost no time.

These things are quick, filling, and go great with a salad that can be as simple as greens out of the container and some quick homemade dressing splashed over it all.

BOOM. Dinner in 20 minutes… I hope you’re making another list of things you like that are quick and simple!

***

These are simple things that have saved us many times over the years, with the TOP TIP being to actually take the time to figure out what we all enjoy that takes no time.

If not everyone in the house is on a restricted diet, or will be outraged with these simple ideas (my five year old) — absolutely add in something familiar to them on the side. Like a slice of toast with the breakfast, or some pasta with the ground meat.

***

If you want to stay on track with eating goals start by answering these questions:

What are your biggest challenges?

How can you work around the challenges?

What support do you need in place to make this work?

What’s your emergency meal plan?

How would it feel to succeed at your goal of eating to support your health?

Who will be impacted in your life if you succeed at this goal?

How will YOU be impacted?

***

Thanks for being here with me — and please feel free to reach out if you need any help getting to the bottom of what’s going to work the BEST for YOU.

Xox,

Gwen