Why Batch Cooking Will Change Your Life
We live in a world that’s set up to make feeding ourselves with nutrient dense food a total challenge. We know we should eat more vegetables, less processed food and less sugar, but when we are busy and rushed we’re more likely to grab whatever is in front of us for ease and convenience. By devoting only four targeted hours per week towards meal prepping you will give yourself nourishing food for every single meal without giving it another thought. What a relief. I’ve laid out my entire process for you in my step by step batch cooking guide so you can simplify your life as well.
We live in a world that’s set up to make feeding ourselves with nutrient dense food a total challenge. We know we should eat more vegetables, less processed food and less sugar, but when we are busy and rushed we’re more likely to grab whatever is in front of us for ease and convenience.
I used to always find myself saying things like “Yeah if I had a private chef I would eat healthy all the time,” or “If I had more time to cook I would actually be able to sustain this whole healthy eating thing.” That was when I was trying to work a full nursing shift, figure out what healthy yet delicious recipe to make for dinner, rush to the grocery store, prepare a meal, eat the meal, clean up and have enough time to relax before bed. It wasn’t working, clearly.
I had to figure out a new system and it was a total revelation once I finally did. In the quest to eat healthy, meal prepping is the number one thing you can do to set yourself up for success. By batch cooking, or making larger quantities of foods in one session, we make our lives a whole lot easier and free ourselves up to do all the things we love.
By devoting only four targeted hours per week towards meal prepping you will give yourself nourishing food for every single meal without giving it another thought. What a relief.
I’ve laid out my entire process for you in my step by step batch cooking guide so you can simplify your life as well. Click here to download my free guide to batch cooking >> You’ll get:
+ 7 day meal plan
+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two 2-hour sessions (life changing)
+ Grocery lists
+ Twelve of my favorite, easy recipes!
Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time! If you want to chat more about how to incorporate healthy whole foods into your diet successfully and how you might benefit from one-on-one health coaching, click the button below to book in a free 30 minute discovery session to chat. I'd love to hear from you!
Roasted Root Vegetables
These roasted root veggies have become a staple of my diet. I make a batch every single week! I fry an egg to have on top of them for breakfast, have some alongside greens and turkey meatballs for a super satisfying lunch bowl, or simply just have some on their own with melted coconut oil on top.
These roasted root veggies have become a staple of my diet. I make a batch every single week! I fry an egg to have on top of them for breakfast, have some alongside greens and turkey meatballs for a super satisfying lunch bowl, or simply just have some on their own with melted coconut oil on top.
You can make them with any veggies really, noting that root veggies usually take a bit longer to cook. If you are new to cooking or think you're miserable in the kitchen, this super simple recipe will totally change your mind.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients
Makes 5 servings
4 beets, cut into 1 inch chunks (can leave the skin on, it's easier to peel off when beets are cooked or you can just eat them with it on!)
1 small turnip, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 large carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 parsnips, cut into 1 inch chunks
Olive oil
Sea salt
Directions
Combine the beet, turnip, carrot, and parsnip chunks in a large baking dish and sprinkle with the sea salt.
Drizzle olive oil over the veggies
Bake for 45 minutes (stirring once) until everything is tender throughout.
Hope you enjoy making these veggies!
Want more gluten-free, AIP recipes? Get my 7-day AIP meal plan for free by clicking here! >>
In my free Autoimmune Paleo Batch Cooking Meal Plan you will receive:
+ 7 day meal plan
+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two, 2-hour sessions (life changing)
+ Grocery lists
+ Twelve of my favorite, easy, AIP compliant recipes!
Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
In the quest to eat healthy, whole foods, figuring out what to eat for breakfast can sometimes trip us up. We want something quick and easy but don't want to grab a doughnut or cheese croissant on the way to work every day. The key to an awesome, weekday breakfast involves the tiniest bit of meal prepping to set you up for the whole week. I've been loving this Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash lately. I make this on a Sunday, store it and heat it up in the mornings.
Photo by Brynn James (www.etsy.com/shop/brynnjames)
In the quest to eat healthy, whole foods, figuring out what to eat for breakfast can sometimes trip us up. We want something quick and easy but don't want to grab a doughnut or cheese croissant on the way to work every day.
In the mornings before rushing off to start our day, though, we don't always have time to whip up a nice veggie omelette to keep us full and nourished.
So where is the middle ground?
The key to an awesome, weekday breakfast involves the tiniest bit of meal prepping to set you up for the whole week. I've been loving this Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash lately. I make this on a Sunday, store it and heat it up in the mornings. Sometimes I'll even fry and egg and have that on top if I have time. Feel free to mix it up to your liking!
I dare say it's even delicious/impressive enough to make for a weekend brunch with pals! I hope you love it!
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
INGREDIENTS
1 sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes
2-3 links organic Italian sausage or breakfast sausage patty (casing removed if it's a link. Chose one without added sugar!)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 large handfuls of kale, chopped
3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil and melt.
Add the chopped sweet potatoes to the pan, stirring to brown, and sprinkle with of sea salt. Cook sweet potatoes for about 7 minutes. Cover the pan to let them soften.
When sweet potatoes are somewhat soft, break the sausage into small pieces (casing removed), add to pan and cook through.
Once the potatoes and sausage are browned, add the kale and 1 tablespoon water to the pan and toss to coat. Cover pan and allow kale to steam.
Add another tablespoon or so of water if needed. Stir together and serve hot!
If you want to chat more about how to incorporate healthy whole foods into your diet successfully and how you might benefit from one-on-one health coaching, click the button below to book in a free 30 minute discovery session to chat. I'd love to hear from you!
With Love,
Christina Tidwell, MN, RN, CHC
How To Make Perfect Pickles
Fermented foods are having a bit of a moment in the health food world right now. They're not actually a fad though. Like all of the best medicinal foods, ferments have been around for ages.
If you’re new to pickling, it’s a good idea to start with recipes that include vinegar, since they require less skill and produce more consistent results. My first brine pickle making attempt failed miserably (I got the salt water proportions all wrong. Too excited to read directions). So I'm going to provide you with both methods to pickle so you can experiment with each!
Fermented foods are having a bit of a moment in the health food world right now. They're not actually a fad though. Like all of the best medicinal foods, ferments have been around for ages.
Fermented foods go through the process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process acts to preserve the food, and creates vital enzymes, vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and lots of probiotics (good for you bacteria in the gut) [1].
Collectively our gut contains 500 species and 3 pounds of bacteria [2]. And if you're like "ewwww get it out!" I'm here to tell you that we actually want these little guys in our bodies for all the amazing things they do for us. The bacteria in our gut help us digest food, regular our metabolism, produce vitamins, regulate hormones, and help keep our gut healthy [3]. So we want to take care of them by putting good food into our bodies.
There are two ways to make pickles: vinegar and brine. Using vinegar is the most common way to pickle, but it drastically inhibits the growth of pathogenic microbes and yeasts and doesn't give us the variety of probiotics that fermenting in brine does. Consuming vinegar, however, is good for us in other ways. There is a lot of conflicting evidence regarding vinegar’s actual health benefits, but what we do know for a fact that the acid content can help to acidify the stomach and therefore aid in the digestive process which is huge. Read more here about the importance of stomach acid in the gut and why most of us actually have to little rather than too much (and then get dive deeper into this book by Jonathan Wright).
If you’re new to pickling, it’s a good idea to start with recipes that include vinegar, since they require less skill and produce more consistent results. My first brine pickle making attempt failed miserably (I got the salt water proportions all wrong. Too excited to read directions). So I'm going to provide you with both methods to pickle so you can experiment with each!
For this pickling adventure, we went to the masters. Here is Grandpa Rankin & Carol's Dill Pickle recipe. These guys are the real deal:
Vinegar Dill Pickles
Ingredients (For multiple quart jars)
3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar)
1 cup pickling salt or sea salt (any non-iodized salt)
Garlic cloves, peeled (2 cloves per jar)
Red pepper flakes or small hot red peppers (1-2 per jar depending on desired spice)
Fresh dill
Pickling cucumbers (we had 20lbs and used about 4-5 per quart jar, but you can do it with any amount!)
Directions
In a large pot heat water, salt and vinegar to boiling.
In each jar put 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 small hot red peppers or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a few fresh dill sprigs at the bottom.
Cut 1/4 inch off the blossom end of the cucumber. Find the blossom end by looking for the rough dot (instead of the smooth, indented dot) at the end of the cucumber. Why? There’s an enzyme in the blossom that can make the pickle soft and possibly unsafe to eat they tell me.
Stuff jars with pickles (we fit about 4-5 in each quart jar).
Top with more dill.
Fill jars (leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top) with hot brine liquid.
Seal jars and store in a cool, dry place for 6 weeks.
Open jars 6 weeks later and have yourself a pickle party.
Brine Pickles
Ingredients (for 1 quart jar)
4-6 small pickling cucumbers
1 quart water
2 tbsp sea salt
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 tsp dill seed
1/4 cup fresh dill
2-4 fresh horseradish leaves, grape leaves, or 1 oak leaf
Optional spices: Coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, cinnamon, and caraway.
Directions
Soak cucumbers in ice water for an hour to enliven them.
Place leaves, garlic, and spices in the bottom of a quart jar.
Add the cucumbers into the jar, packing them in tightly.
Dissolve the sea salt in the water and pour it over the cucumbers. If the cucumbers are not completely submerged in the water, add extra salt and water to cover them.
Leave 1-inch of space between the top of the water and the top of the jar and cover loosely with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth (if using cheesecloth, secure with rubber band). If using a jar with a clamp lid, remove the plastic seal. For screw tops, twist on half way.
Leave on your counter in a cool place for 3-7 days. Check daily. The liquid will begin to get cloudy and slightly bubbly. When pickles reach desired taste, cover and refrigerate.
*Recipe from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition