March, Nutrition Month: Make It-Take It

March is Nutrition Month. The theme this year is Make It-Take It, wherever the day takes you. Whether you’re going to work, school, or on the road, take with you appetizing meals and nutritious snacks that are quick and easy to make at home. They will boost your energy, mood, and immune system while saving you lots of $$$.

How? Here are a few ideas:

Stock up

Stock up with foods to have on hand at all times. Consult: Does your pantry help you maintain your figure?

Plan and store

• Double or triple recipes and freeze individual portions for your lunches (Soup an weight loss and chili).
• Increase the amounts of grain products you cook (rice, pasta, quinoa, etc.) so they’re ready for your upcoming meals. They, too, can be frozen.
• Cook larger amounts of meat and fish for use in several recipes (as accompaniments, in salads, for making sandwiches, etc.).
• Design a menu for the whole week, and then make a shopping list. This will save you time and waste and oversights.
• Purchase a few Zero Diet frozen meals to have on hand; they are well-balanced, top quality, and excellent for a quick meal solution.
• Draw up a list of meal ideas and favourite recipes, as we tend to forget them pretty quickly. You can then check out your list when short on ideas.

No time for breakfast?

So take it with you!

• Get breakfast ready the night before. A few suggestions are: the Green smoothie,   featured in the I’m Taking Charge blog or, in a Mason jar, gruau d’avoine, chia, yogourt, érable et framboise (chia, yogurt, maple and raspberry oatmeal), a suggestion from Trois fois par jour (French only). Tip: make it with Greek yogurt to increase your protein intake.
• Design a breakfast around Zero Diet snacks by adding a small Greek yogurt and a piece of fruit on the side.

A snack with that?

• Keep nuts, dried fruit, and cereal bars in your desk drawer or bag.
• Plan, and take with you, not only your lunches but also your snacks (Greek yogurt, fruit, cheese, etc.).

Where to find succulent recipes that are fast and easy to prepare:

Websites:

Nutrition Month recipes: http://www.nutritionmonth.ca/recipes/
Nautilus Plus blog recipes: http://www.nautilusplus.com/cat/recipes-2/page/1/
Cuisine futée, parents pressés (in French only) : http://cuisinefuteeparentspresses.telequebec.tv/recettes

Recipe books:

Zero Diet by Karine Larose
Famille futée by Geneviève O’Gleman and Alexandra Diaz (in French only).

Free app (iPhone, iPad, Android):

Cookspiration of the Dietitians of Canada  http://www.cookspiration.com

Planning is a crucial key to successfully reaching a healthy weight and maintaining good eating habits. Will you succeed?

By Karine Séguin, nutritionist.

March, Nutrition Month: Make It-Take It is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
Copyright © Nautilus Plus 2015