Summer is ending, and a new school year is upon us, which for many means returning to a busy routine. However, there is something about the start of a new season that feels like an opportunity to make healthy and productive changes.
From making thoughtful nutrition choices to saving time, fitting these simple and delicious hacks into your busy schedule will help you stay on the right track.
Make Your Life Easy With Meal Prep
Preparing food or ingredients in advance ensures a healthy lunch or dinner is ready to reheat. No matter how busy you get, you can always sit down and connect as a family around a great meal.
Get started with meal prep with these simple hacks:
- Start the day right with a nutritious breakfast you prepared the night before. From Banana Walnut Bread Overnight Oats, to these delicious Walnut Cranberry Granola Bars, these make a great meal for those on the go.
- Spruce up leftovers and pantry staples by cooking a large pot of sauce and freezing individual portions, such as this tangy Walnut Tomato Sauce recipe. Keep reading for more tips on batch cooking.
- Wash and cut produce ahead of time and store it in airtight containers to preserve freshness. It’s easy to get your daily servings of vegetables if you have fresh ingredients for tacos, salads, sandwiches, and more.
Save Time With Batch Cooking
Block a couple of hours on Sunday to do some batch cooking. This hack consists of preparing enough food for a few days and refrigerating or freezing it.
An excellent way to get the most out of batch cooking is to prepare versatile foods you can use in multiple meals. For instance, you can make walnut meat, a filling and delicious meat alternative, by mixing walnuts, beans, and the spices of your choice.
You can easily customize the seasoning, and your batch will come in handy to prepare these Family-Friendly Tacos, Meatless Meatballs, Pizza with Plant-Based Chorizo Crumble, and more throughout the week.
Hack Your Snacks
Stay energized during the day and help everyone in your household make better nutritional choices by keeping some satisfying snacks around.
Homemade snacks are a great alternative to processed food, and preparing a batch of snacks for the week only takes a few minutes:
- Try these quick, no-bake Walnut and Fruit Energy Bites to satisfy your sweet cravings, and customize them with seasonal ingredients.
- This Vanilla Walnut Berry Trail Mix is the perfect midmorning pick-me-up and a great way to use pantry staples.
- If you’re into savory snacks and have 15 or 20 minutes, make a batch of these Ranch Walnuts. And for a spicy kick, try these Fiery Hot Cheddar Walnuts.
Keep Food Fresh
Invest in quality airtight containers to refrigerate your ingredients, or freeze food in individual portions. Use the drawers in your refrigerator to store fresh produce, like walnuts! Storing walnuts in airtight containers (or packaging them up in snack packs) and keeping them in your fridge ensures they’re fresh and ready to grab when you’re on the go. For more tips on how to store fresh produce (as well as a few tips on how to use it), check out our Have A Plant® Hacks With Walnuts guide.
Back-to-Busy Season
Conquer the busy season with these simple food hacks! Make the most of these tips by having fun exploring new recipes and flavors, trying batch cooking as a family, and turning snack prep into an opportunity to talk about nutrition with your children
