Lifestyle Articles :Meals in minutes: Healthy meals for a nurse on the go
Posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008
The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.
When you’re on the go all day, it’s easy to succumb to the lure of fast food. Cruise through the drive-thru and dinner is ready! Packed with calories, trans fat and sodium, fast food may be quick and easy, but it isn’t healthy. With a little savvy shopping, even the busiest person can put together a delicious and nutritious meal in minutes.
The trick is to keep a few easy-prep staples on hand that can be mixed and matched in a snap:
- Boxes of flavored rice and noodles that cook up in 10-to-20 minutes
- Pre-cooked, frozen chicken cubes (or cook up a three-pound bag of chicken once a week and freeze in meal-size portions), frozen tofu crumbles, cooked tuna filets (where canned tuna is displayed), and frozen cooked shrimp
- Cream of mushroom, chicken, and celery soup
- Frozen veggies
- Canned fruit in its own juice for dessert
- Pre-shredded cheese
- Peeled and cut baby carrots, celery, and cherry tomatoes
- Bag of mixed salad greens
- Jars of minced onion and garlic
Your chances of skipping the fast food lane in favor of a home-cooked meal improve when you reduce prep time. When you have ready-to-eat lettuce and veggies in your fridge, putting together a salad or reaching for a healthy snack is simple. While you’re munching, boil up a box of rice or noodles and stir a handful of tofu, shrimp, or chicken cubes and frozen veggies into the boiling water for a 10-minute, one-pot meal. Add soup to the leftovers for moisture, garnish with shredded cheese, and spoon into serving-sized plastic containers for future meals. (Just defrost in the fridge the night before and microwave when you get home). In a pinch, pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and a tub of mashed potatoes (in the meat section) or Stove Top stuffing for an instant meal.
Do you have a quick recipe tip? E-mail it to max@maximcare.com and it could appear in the lifestyle section of Maximnurses.com or in a future edition of Nursing Now!