Whether the family consists of four or one person it makes no difference. Cooking meals at home, avoiding the consumption of packaged food or lunch and dinner at the restaurant, is the first step to take care of your diet. All this, thanks to a bit of planning. We talk about this topic with Dr. Elisabetta Macorsini, nutritionist biologist of Humanitas Mater Domini and Humanitas Medical Care Arese.
Menu of the week
The watchword is planning. Rather than settle for leftovers, pre-cooked dinners or take away, try to experiment with a method that will make cooking for one or more people a manageable and feasible thing. Just make a plan. Take the time to note down the menu of the week, being careful to vary your diet as much as possible, and a list of things to buy. This will make it easier to shop and give you everything you need when you’re ready to cook, as well as ensuring a variety of foods.
The indispensable
In the pantry you should never miss vegetables, legumes, oilseeds and fruit. The same applies to whole grains: rice, barley and pasta. Take advantage of your freezer and prepare small portions that can be easily defrosted at the occasion. This method can be used for bread, meat, fruits, and vegetables. Freezing keeps food fresh longer and helps prevent waste. It also saves you time when you are in a hurry and you don’t have the opportunity to cook a complete meal. Look for dishes made from foods from different nutritional groups: meats, whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
Be sure to write the date and content on the packages and move the older packages forward as you add new food to your freezer.
Prepared food can also be a resource. In particular, low-calorie vegetable soups, perfect on days when you don’t have time or don’t want to cook.
