Nutrition
Tips for easy cooking
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any of us can benefit from making it easier to prepare food from scratch. This may be particularly true for people managing variable energy levels and physical limitations on a day-to-day basis. Making the most of opportunities and adopting simple approaches to cooking can make it easier to enjoy healthful meals.
Starting simple A nutritious breakfast is a great way to kickstart the day, but what if mornings are a struggle? Overnight oats can be prepared the night before, and can include nutrient-dense toppings like fruit, seeds and nuts. If you’re a fan of breakfast cereal, go for a wholegrain option and defrost some frozen berries in the fridge the day before so that you can add fruit with minimum fuss. The vitamin C in the berries will boost iron absorption. Even something as simple as peanut butter on wholemeal toast and a small glass of orange juice provides a good source of protein and one of your 5-a-day. If you use a couple of slices of soya and linseed bread fortified with extra calcium, it also provides more than a third of your daily calcium target.
Frozen and canned fruit and veg Some people shun frozen and canned fruit and vegetables believing that they’re inferior to the fresh stuff. In reality, they’re both convenient and nutritious. You can even buy frozen chopped garlic and onion, saving energy, time and tears!
Batch cooking If your energy levels vary from day to day, it might be helpful to make multiple portions of meals when you feel up to it. Homemade curry, casserole, Bolognese and chilli are great ready meals. You can refrigerate extra portions for a couple of days or freeze them if you need longlasting options. Batch cooking with friends and family can be a valuable experience for everyone involved. You get to enjoy each other’s company while working as a team to produce meals for the week ahead. Social dining is also good for wellbeing.
Online shopping Removing a trip to the shops from your schedule can free up time and energy for food preparation. It might also make meal planning easier by allowing you to focus better on what you need to buy.
Thriving We’ve produced lots of handy food and nutrition resources for our Vegan and Thriving campaign, which are available at vegansociety.com/thriving. If you’re thinking about experimenting in the kitchen, check out the batch cook options in our bank of balanced recipes. If you’re an older vegan, take a look at dietitian Elena Tsompanaki’s practical tips under ‘What Health Professionals Say’. Heather Russell, Dietitian
Issue 1 2020 | The Vegan 21
