How to Make Your Life Easier and Healthier in the Kitchen - and with Kids!
I’m a mum as well being a naturopath, nutritionist and recipe developer. I love creating simple and healthy recipes (gluten free, dairy free and sugar free) to share with you all.
Between my line of work and feeding my family, most of my time is spent in the kitchen. It gets busy and it gets messy, but it is a lot of fun. To make my life easier you will notice I am always using my Vitamix blender!
To ensure my toddler and I get to spend as much time as possible together, you’ll notice my recipes are quick and simple enough that she can join in on the fun. Preparing our meals together is a great way to get my little one involved in the kitchen and excited about nourishing food!
After becoming a mum, I have learned quite a few tips and tricks to make meal times happy and healthy and I am excited to share them so you and your family can enjoy these precious moments together.
Meal plan
Plan ahead. Know what you are going to cook that night so you already have the ingredients on hand. Each weekend I fill out our meal planner with some of our family’s favourite dishes for the week ahead. This helps me reserve energy needed throughout the week, especially after a typically long day as a mum and business owner.
Keep a shopping list
When you stick to a shopping list of the items you need to make your healthy recipes, you are less likely to be tempted to add unnecessary ingredients and treats into your trolley. This will save you money in addition to supporting your health. Keeping this list on your fridge is a great way to do it.
Meal prep
Each weekend set aside one hour to do a little meal prep to support your week ahead. This might be chopping some vegetables, cooking a pot of quinoa, roasting a tray of veggies, making some healthy snacks, pre-freezing smoothie packs or making a soup.
Keep it simple
Meal times don’t have to be stressful or complicated. As I share in the recipes within my online program, I like to stick to minimal ingredients and focus on nutrient density rather than fancy dishes.
Get the kids involved
Kids usually want to be involved so give them small jobs they can do. They will feel important and appreciated and it will free you up to easily cook. I get my daughter to help me put the ingredients into the Vitamix and with mummy’s help she loves to turn the dial and watch it make incredible meals.
Have a well equipped kitchen
Make sure your kitchen is well equipped with whatever makes life easier for you. If there is one appliance that I can’t live without it would have to be my Vitamix blender. It’s something that I use every single day.
Here are just some of the ways my Vitamix blender makes my life so much easier and healthier:
- We regularly enjoy healthy smoothies. I include veggies in them too and the Vitamix blender does an amazing job making them silky smooth and hiding them. My little one has no idea she’s drinking a smoothie with zucchini, cauliflower and pumpkin! I disguise the flavour with whole fruit such as banana.
- It makes soups from whole veggies to a silky smooth soup! Soups are also a great way to incorporate bone broth into our family’s diet for gut health.
- I use it to make quick and healthy snacks such as dips. We try very hard to avoid additives and preservatives in food so we make a lot of snacks such as dips ourselves. We make hummus and other dips (again with extra hidden veggies).
- I make homemade healthy sauces (satay - recipe from my ebook, pesto, sugar free tomato sauce, etc.) in just minutes.
- I make healthy lunch box snacks such as my family’s favourite sugar-free banana bread that uses the Vitamix blender to reduce mess and save time.
- We try to avoid the thickeners and gums in store-bought almond milk and coconut milk so I prefer to make our own. I’ve tried other machines, but the Vitamix blender makes it silky smooth every time due to its design and high power. This saves a lot of money and is much fresher. This is ideal when using flaxseed meal as the oils in seeds (and nuts) are very fragile so making flaxseed meal fresh is best.
- The Vitamix blender is also one of my favourites as it’s very easy to clean. You just add water and detergent and blitz!
- Most weekend nights we enjoy fun family treats. Keeping with my healthy food philosophy I make healthy versions of some of our favourites such as banana nice cream instead of ice cream or chocolate mousse made from avocado instead of the sugar filled version. Another reason why I love my Vitamix blender.Make appliances easy to access
Keep regularly used appliances easily accessible in your kitchen. You are more likely to use their help if you don’t have to sort through a cupboard to get to it. I have my Vitamix blender on our counter top, next to our kettle.
I hope these tips help!
Casey-Lee x
Nutritionist, recipe developer and mum.