by kelsey | Jul 30, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Cooking for 1-2 can be challenging…if you let it be. Not knowing how to cook for 1-2 and in turn eating eat out more or eating more packaged/boxed foods is just an excuse! You can cook healthy when it’s just for 1-2…it just takes a little planning and scheming to make it work right! It’s just myself and husband Adam and right now Adam is in Russia for work, so it’s just me and as I was making supper last night I was thinking this would be a perfect blog topic! If you’re like me, you probably don’t feel like making a new meal every night, so try out batch cooking. Instead of just making one chicken breast for supper last night, I made 3 and I also made a double batch of vegetables on the grill. I only ate my portion of this for last night’s supper and separated the rest in Tupperware containers. I brought one for lunch today and will eat the other for supper another night. It didn’t take any extra time to make 3 chicken breasts compared to one and now I’m set for the next few meals.
Here are some other tips for you:
Plan your meals
Planning can help you can get the most meals out of your time in the kitchen. For instance, cook chicken once a week, but use it in two or three dishes over the next few days (like I did!). You can even freeze some of the cooked chicken for use at another time. I feel this tip is the most important. Lack of planning always results in going for convenience foods, so get our your calendar or planner on Saturday or Sunday and look at your week’s schedule and plan accordingly. Take meat out of the freezer to prepare or pre-prep some of your food items to lessen time and efforts later. Another example of this would be browning 2 lbs of hamburger and using it in several meals. Your first step is done (browning) so the next steps to complete your meal will take less time and less effort.
Purchase individually frozen foods
Look for foods that are individually frozen, so that you only need to thaw out the portion that you are going to use. If you thaw a whole chicken, you only have a few days to eat it. If you buy chicken breasts that are individually frozen, you can thaw them one at a time if you want. You also can break up some packages of food as soon as you get home from the store. Place each portion into an individual freezer bag to save time in the future.
Rethink cooking full meals
Many people who live alone cook themselves meals, promising that they will eat the leftovers during the next few days. Then they find that they do not want to eat this food again when tomorrow comes. This is a big waste of time and money. Either freeze your leftovers in individual containers or consider switching to easily prepared “small meals” throughout the day. You can easily half your recipe to reduce the amount of food as well.
Search for recipes
Many cookbooks feature recipes for one or two people. Look for them at your local library or search on the Internet. Web sites such as www.allrecipes.com allow you to alter the number of servings that a recipe will serve.
Use a Crock-Pot®
Discover all of the things that you can make in a Crock-Pot. You can make stew, a casserole, bread, or fruit cobbler and have it waiting for you when you get home. I like to slow cook chicken breasts and use them in a variety of meals. I also like to make roasts in the crockpot and then make them into BBQ beef sandwiches, beef stew, etc.
Practice FIFO
Remember to practice the FIFO principle in your kitchen—first in, first out. Make sure to use the products that expire the soonest first. This seems elementary, but many people do not practice this. Also make sure to eat your most perishable produce first (ie, berries before apples). Many charts are available that describe how long different fruits and vegetables will last after you purchase them.
Shop the deli and salad bar
Use the deli and salad bar to your advantage. Go ahead and buy ¼ pound of sliced turkey or a ½ cup of broccoli. You might pay a higher price than you would if you purchased a larger amount, but think about how much money you waste when you throw out spoiled food that you do not eat.
There are ways to eat healthy when you’re cooking for 1-2…give these suggestions a try…I am sure you’ll be surprised how much better you feel when you eat a well-balanced meal versus convenience foods or toast for supper!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 25, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. The majority of people who lose a large amount of weight, usually end up gaining it back. This yo-yo dieting or weight cycling results in a variety of issues including poor self esteem, lack of motivation, binge eating, etc. I like to compare this cycle to being stuck in a revolving door like you’d find at a hotel…you just keep going around and around and can’t seem to get out! To help you put a stop to weight cycling, follow these tips:
- Change your mindset: No one ever wants to go on a “diet” and being a diet is never any fun, so ditch the word. Diet usually has a time period to it, so instead think of this has a lifestyle improvement. Think of healthy eating as a lifelong commitment, not a short period of time. Fad diets never work as you can’t live that way forever, so instead focus on a well-balanced nutrition plan that incorporates whole foods and portion control.
- Get adequate sleep: sleep is often overlooked in the equation to success as we tend to put a large amount of focus on food and activity….but in reality, getting adequate sleep is just as important as your exercise and nutrition. You need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep/night to allow your body to reset and repair itself. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits typically result in poor eating habits, increasing cravings for junk foods, and a higher BMI.
- Destress: stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol and when this hormone is increased, you may experience a greater desire for junk foods or unhealthy foods. Examine your stress levels and think critically about ways you could improve the stress in your life. You may consider journaling, yoga, or meditation to help you. Engaging in regular activity also helps reduce stress as it gives your body natural endorphins that aid in mood boosting.
- Practice mindful eating: Slow the eating process down and think critically about your hunger and fullness factors. Think of food as fuel and you want to choose healthy foods to provide your body with the appropriate nutrients and energy. When we think of food as “good” or “bad” it tends to make us want those bad foods even more, so instead change your mindset about food and work on portion control and feeling confident about your decisions.
I don’t expect these tips to happen overnight, but I do encourage you to examine your life and look at each part of the equation to help you stop the weight cycling and get on a path of healthy living for the long run!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 23, 2013 | Etc.
The Gran Fondo South Dakota is a new event that will be hosted by the Watertown Bicycle Club August 16-17. There are three different rides you can participate in: the Gran Fondo (104 miles), the Medio Fondo (68 miles), and the Piccolo Fondo (33 miles). There are many great stops and venues along the way for all three rides as well as great food throughout the two day event. We are excited to be the medical team for this event and are very much looking forward to it! We encourage you to check out the website and get signed up! There are rides for all levels and this is a great way to increase your activity and set and reach new goals! For more information visit: www.granfondosd.com.
We hope to see you there!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 18, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food
Today, the Brown Clinic Physicians treated us to a picnic! It was a delicious meal and a fun time with co-workers! Dr. Dan, Dr. Cathy Gerrish, Dr. Ed Gerrish, and Dr. Larson are shown in the picture as they helped dish everyone’s plates up. Since today was really hot, we took extra precaution to ensure the food was kept safe and everyone stayed cool under canopies and tents outside. Outside picnics on hot days like today can really put your food at risk for development of bacteria due to the extreme heat. Since we have plenty of summer left to have many more picnics, I wanted to give you some tips on ways to avoid any foodborne illness from occurring.
1) Wash your hands! Take a few minutes before prepping, during food prep, and serving to thoroughly wash your hands. It is recommended to wash your hands for at least 30 seconds and be sure to get in between the fingers and around the nails. Hand sanitizer does not replace hand washing so if you are camping, be sure to bring a bucket of water and soap for hand washing. It is especially important to wash your hands after handling raw meat and in between handling other food sources such as vegetables to prevent cross contamination.
2) Wash your produce before the picnic: if you are going to be camping and running water is not readily accessible, wash your produce before leaving home. It’s especially important to wash the outsides of melons before cutting them as if there is bacteria on the outside, you will contaminate the whole melon as you cut your knife through. Package raw meats appropriately to ensure the juices do not leak on other foods.
3) Keep your cooler cool: keep plenty of ice in the cooler to ensure your foods are kept cold. Cold foods should be kept under 40 degrees F…so on hot days like today, it’s especially important to have plenty of ice and keep the cooler in the shade vs direct sunlight and heat. Packing your beverages in a separate cooler is also a good idea so that you can ensure your food items are fully kept cool.
4) Beware of the “Danger Zone”: The Danger Zone refers to the temps between 40-140 degrees F where bacteria can easily grow and reproduce. Keep your cold foods cool and your hot foods hot. Don’t let food sit out for more than 2 hours at a time and if it’s over 90 degrees, food can only sit out for 1 hour. Keep salads such as potato salad, etc under a bowl of ice to provide for extra cooling.
5) Use proper utensils and don’t cross contaminate: use separate plates and utensils for handling raw meat and the cooked meat. Do not put the cooked meat on the same plate you had the raw meat as this will contaminate your cooked food. In addition, use separate serving dishes, cutting boards, utensils, etc for your dishes…thus do not use the same cutting board for dicing your meat, cutting up your lettuce, and preparing your fruit salad!
6) Use a thermometer: by using a thermometer to check the temps of your foods in the cooler, when they’re cooked, etc, it will help prevent foodborne illness!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 17, 2013 | Etc.
We do not want to rush summer, but we wanted let you all know we have set the fall STRIVE 2 Survive dates! Enrollment will begin in late August-early September. Our 12 week program starts September 10th and we will meet in person every other Tuesday at the County Fair Banquet Hall from 5:30-6:30pm (see dates below). The weeks we do not meet, you will be given a take home lesson mailed or emailed to you, thus every week you will be given education, tips, etc on nutrition and activity. In addition, we include lab work (total lipid panel and glucose) and body composition testing (weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, fat%, and muscle mass) at the beginning and end of the program. The total cost is $130, which includes all lessons, lab work, and body composition testing.
Our main goal is to help you learn how to live a healthier lifestyle that promotes disease prevention, longevity, and quality of life. Weight loss, improved lipids, improved glucose, improved blood pressure, and improved overall health are all results of our program.
If you are interested or know of someone who is, please contact us anytime! You can call me directly at 884-4226 or email strive2survive@brownclinic.org. We are looking forward to another great session!
September 10- Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN “Healthy Eating Made Easy”
September 24- Dr. Dan Reiffenberger “Exercise for the Health of It”
October 8- Dr. Clark Likness “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel”
October 22- Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD “Medications…to do or not to do”
November 5- Dr. Jon McAreavey “Your Equation to Success”
November 19- STRIVE Team “Making Health a Way of Life”
-Kelsey
