When I talk about “self-care”, you often hear me discussing manicures vs workouts OR salons vs kitchens.
I used to feel that self-care occurred in the nail salon as I went for my manis and pedis. I used to feel that self-care belonged in the hands of my hairstylist. My life is so busy today that going for a mani-pedi or having my hair done is no longer the “fun” it used to be, (unless I am with my best gal pals at the nail salon, sipping on champs).
Getting this type of pampering “self-care”, feels like more of a “chore” for me today. It’s something that goes on my calendar and needs to get done. What did the heck happen to me?
When I think “self-care” today, I think about preparing lovely, healthy food (among other things). But, for the purpose of this article, I want to discuss food. Food equals self-care for me, at this stage in my life. I am sure it may change in the future and I am open to that but right now, I want to love myself enough to feed myself healthily. No matter how busy I am, I am going to take the time to prepare healthful meals.
Let’s be realistic – it’s not going to happen 100 out of 100 days! That would be hard to manage and I do like to go out for lunches or good brunches BUT, the main stage for my food intake comes from my OWN kitchen.
I am a Sexy, Badass, Kitchen, Boss, Babe. Uh Huh… and I want you to be one too.
I am not talking about spending hours in your kitchen prepping and cooking and cleaning and being a slave. I am talking about creating simple, inexpensive, healthy meals for you and your family, and then having THEM clean up afterward. HA.
Why do so many of my lovely clients talk to me about how they hate cooking two meals – one for them and one for their family? I hate to hear how they complicate meal times. It makes me sad because it can be so much easier than this. Why not make ONE meal for the WHOLE family?
For example – ever hear about the “sheet pan meal”? Throw your lovely food on a cooking sheet, season, stick in the oven and serve. BOOM – dinner for a family of 4 or 5 or 6 and one pan for clean up.
What about the “crockpot hero”? Stick all ingredients in the crockpot, cook low and slow all day and serve. BOOM – dinner for a family of 4 or 5 WITH leftovers for tomorrows lunch.
I NEVER cook a separate meal for myself. I eat what I cook for my family with a few omissions. If I add potatoes or carrots in the sheet pan or crockpot, I avoid them when serving my plate. I don’t demonize these vegetables BUT I cannot eat them today. They raise my glucose and insulin levels and this leads to a very hungry lady an hour later.
Going back to the “sheet pan meals”….
Choose your protein first. You can use sausage, or pork or chicken or fish or turkey or whatever protein you have handy.
Next comes your beautiful vegetables. Choose your favorites and add the ones which your family love. I hate onions. When I add onions, I just add them to the corner because what would happen if the onion juice rolled onto my food LOL. See, even us nutritionists can have our “hangups”!
Season, Season, and then Season a bit more. There are so many options out there to give your meal that “original, and special flavor”.
Grab some healthy oils to drizzle over your sheet pan meal. Don’t go crazy here. Just add sufficient olive oil to elevate all the flavors and bring that meal to the next level.
Get the oven to a nice hot temperature to start with. This is the way to sear in all that flavor. Drop the temp and let it cook for about 25 minutes.
Set the table. Eat with the family and have them clear away the dishes. One-pan is a win/win for all of us.
See how easy that was? Isn’t that easier than hitting the drive-thru and sitting there feeling guilty and paying too much hard-earned money for a meal that tastes like fake food – because it is fake food.
It’s the same deal with the crockpot meal or the insta-pot meal or even the stovetop meals. If I cook a rice or beans with protein and veg, I choose to eat the protein and the veg. I don’t serve myself the rice or beans. Once again, it is not the devil reincarnated but it’s the carbs in those food items that make my blood sugar and insulin levels soar. I am not the spring chicken which I used to be. I need to take care of myself today.
This brings it back to the “self-care” which I was discussing at the beginning of this article. Planning meals like this for myself and my family is my way of honoring us. I want to be healthy for a long time to come and I don’t want to riddle my family with poor eating habits.
Sure, if I was feeding them chicken nuggets with french fries, I might think about making myself a separate meal but we don’t eat like this on the daily. My life is more simple through the use of real, whole, live, fresh, natural, good quality FOOD.
Here’s to you being a Sexy Kitchen Boss Babe!! I bet you already are.
