Thanks @SittingontheSidelines
I actually spend barely any time each day on food preparation, just food assembly. For me it’s all about creating a food environment that facilitates healthy eating a) without thinking about it and b) through incremental small changes. My top tips are:
Batch cook – I batch cook pasta sauces, stews, casseroles, curries, tagines, etc. in a big cook-off orgy every few months, then all I have to do most nights is defrost and rustle up a corresponding wholewheat / wholegrain accompaniment and starter salad each night. I also batch cook a different soup each week and live off that for lunches during the week, and take into work on office days.
Starter salad – I always have a starter salad before my main meal, which means I then eat a smaller main course and order my food intake to reduce blood sugar spikes, as well as incorporating about a dozen vegetables, herbs and spices into the mix too (all about the biodiversity!). I always keep a mix of frozen, tinned, and pickled / fermented (live cultured) veg to hand, or veg that lasts for ages (like radishes) to reduce waste. That means I only need to worry about having a couple of fresh ingredients in at any one time (e.g. green leafy veg, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado) and can assemble a true rainbow salad in just a few minutes, making sure to dress with extra virgin olive oil and top with herbs, spices and black pepper.
Add Pulses and Nuts / Seeds – I always add a pulse to every meal, e.g. if it’s a curry I add chickpeas, or if a soup lentils, or if a salad edamame beans, etc. This pads food out and boosts pulse / legume intake. Similarly, I always put a handful of mixed seeds on soup and salads, or flaked almonds on curries, or pine nuts on pasta, etc. Small and easy changes to incorporate into your day-to-day to boost biodiversity without additional effort.
Food Combinations – I know from the ZOE trial that I’m not good at processing carbs in isolation, so dress carbs with a fat, e.g. bread with avocado, pasta with cheese, curries with a dollop of Greek yogurt and kefir, etc. to reduce post-prandial blood sugar spikes and ensure holistic representation of different food groups.
‘Keep it healthy in the home’ - This is my motto, and one by which I also include office lunches as an ‘extension’ of that – and I keep any temptation foods (mainly Lindor chocolate) out of the house, so I can’t reach for it (if it's in front of me, I absolutely will - am only human!). That means that when I am out at a restaurant, at a friend’s house of with family, I can then splurge conscience-free, knowing that the 90% of meals that are eaten at home are healthy (and hearty – I don’t starve!).
Appreciate I have it easy in that I only have myself to cater for – but hope that helps at any rate.