Back to school is an important time of year for families all over the country. Numerous studies support the importance of nutrition for young people's learning. Good nutrition helps increase their capacity for studying, focus, retention, and energy. If you want to help your student excel at academics, athletics, or anything that requires physical and mental exertion, school lunches won't cut it. Growing minds and bodies NEED more! Whether you are feeding a family or just yourself, meal prep and eating healthy is a challenge. There are always plenty of temptations to undermine our efforts and lack of inspiration can keep us from putting in the effort to prepare nutritious meals. Time is also a big deterrent.
One way to make meal planning and prep easier is to cook in bulk. There are some efficient ways to do this. Kelley Herring delves into this in her article, "Make Back to School Easy, Healthy, and Delicious with Freezer Meals". In that article, Kelley even offers a free e-book with numerous helpful tips and healthy freezer meal recipes. The Instant Pot and Slow Cooker are the perfect kitchen tool to make this easy. Not only are they nearly fail proof options for healthy, nutrient dense meals, they are basically "set-it-and-forget-it" meal prep. Set aside a weekend afternoon to prepare meals for the freezer and you don't have to worry about what to make every night for the evening meal. One 3lb roast in the slow cooker can provide 12 - 4 oz portions of shredded beef or pulled pork that's super easy to heat and serve. Steam some broccoli and cauliflower as a side dish or saute some green beans in a skillet with garlic, red pepper flakes, and butter, and you have a meal ready in about 5 minutes. It's not just simple and quick — it's nutritious and delicous!
You can do the same with quality grass-fed ground beef, lamb, bison, or pasture-raised whole chickens or chicken breasts. Load up the slow cooker with protein, let it do it's thing, and then label and freeze the results for another day. This is a win for everyone and it's a great way to ensure everyone in the family, including your students, are getting the nutrition they need to succeed.
- The US Wellness Meats Team |
