LETTER

Easy meals for a healthy school year

 

Back to school time is fast approaching and families also have to think about lunches, which is not always easy with busy schedules. Getting healthy meals on the table fast is easy with these time-saving tips:

Chop extra fruit and vegetables when preparing meals so you have extra for lunches, snacks, and meals the next day.

Cook on the weekend. Make, then freeze, meals for the coming week -- soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes, and chili. These will also come in handy on busy weeknights.

Cook twice the chicken or ground beef you need and keep extras in the fridge to make chicken salad, enchiladas, chili, or spaghetti sauce the next day.
    
Ask the kids to help. By involving children in preparing food, they’ll appreciate meals more and learn important life skills. Kids can wash and peel vegetables, tear up lettuce, mash potatoes, wash and cut fruit, drain and rinse canned beans or lentils, and stir a pot.

Stock up on healthy grab-and-go foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grain pita pockets, yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs.

Jean-Christophe Senosier,
Health Canada
Quebec