 | Rod Baumberger
is a Fitness Specialist at Health Strategies/Life Strategies Foundation. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Fitness Management from Newman University. In addition to his other duties, Rodney is an education coordinator in pulmonary rehabilitation and is a senior initiative coordinator. You may reach Rodney at Health Strategies, (316) 651-8015, or at the facility at 551 N Hillside, Wichita, KS 67214. |
Diet & Nutrition
2005-06-01 09:50:00
Fix-it, freeze-it time savers
ANSWER: Face it. Our lives these days are busy. Eating out or going to the grocery store today for tonight's dinner can be very costly. A family of 4 can easily spend $20+ on a fast food dinner or pre-packaged frozen dinners. But, who has time to cook dinner every night, right? Fix it and freeze it! Designate one day to filling your freezer with easy to prepare foods. And…it's healthier. You will naturally eat fewer processed foods, fats, salt, and preservatives because you are in control of the ingredients in each recipe. You can easily boost your fiber, vitamin and mineral intake by planning ahead and freezing your foods! Substitutions are a snap which makes cooking for special diets much easier when you freezer cook. Make a list of the kinds of foods you and/or your kids will eat, and see which ones could be frozen ahead of time. Meats frozen in marinades are GREAT for the grill! Use zip-lock bags to package any meats that you enjoy. Just drop meat in the bags and add your favorite marinade and seasonings. Zip it up (don't forget to label with a waterproof marker just what's inside) shake it around to ensure even coating, and store it in your freezer. Before leaving for work in the morning remove it from the freezer and place on the bottom shelf (farthest away from freezer section) of the refrigerator. It should be thawed by the time you get home and ready to cook on the grill. Don't leave meat on the counter to thaw, it could become too thawed. If the meat is still a little frozen, don't worry. It will still cook evenly over a low heat. Buying the family sized packages of meat save you money, and adding different marinades and seasonings gives you flexibility in flavoring; American favorites, Chinese, Mexican, Italian - it's your choice! Cook rice and pasta in advance for cool, quick summer salads. Cooking, draining and chilling the pasta and rice always takes the longest when preparing these recipes, so do it ahead of time! Just thaw; add some fresh vegetables, shredded cheese, and Italian dressing and it's ready to serve! Pre-package frozen foods for summer schedules. Does everyone eat at a different time? Does dinner need to be taken to the ball field? Consider individual packaging in rigid disposable containers or small freezer bags. Pre-cook for easy microwave re-heats. Summer in Kansas means that it's usually too hot to turn on the oven every day. Cook all of your meatballs or casseroles during one big cooking session. Then divide them down into smaller servings for easy re-heats. Freeze delicious fruit salads ahead of time. Individual serving cups are a good idea for "grab as you go" meals or kid servings. For many of us, it's not the cooking that we hate. It's the daily grind of it all. Having food in the freezer gives you the flexibility to decide when you want to cook, and when you don't!
