Ask a Dietitian

March is Nutrition Month and this year dietitians want Canadians to get back into the kitchen and

“Simply Cook and Enjoy”. Healthy eating at home doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated and can save you money. However, a recent poll suggests that 43% of Canadians are not cooking for themselves or their families at home on a regular basis, even though they know they will eat better.

Here are some tips to get you cooking and eating more at home.

1. Have a plan. Know what meals you are going to cook that week and stock your kitchen with what you need on the weekend

2. Have breakfast for dinner.

-Top a baked potato with sautéed spinach and mushrooms and top with a poached egg.

-Fill a tortilla with scrambled egg, diced tomato, cheddar cheese and salsa

3. Enjoy a sandwich for supper.

-Fresh roasted turkey breast with avocado, tomato and lettuce

-old cheddar, sliced pear and spicy red pepper jelly

-roast beef, roasted red peppers and red onion

-hummus, cucumber, feta and shredded carrots

4. Double up on Breakfast.

-Make a double batch of oatmeal and reheat it during the week. Top with walnuts and berries.

-Make a double batch of pancakes on the weekend and refrigerate or freeze to enjoy during the week. Just pop them in the toaster and top with your favorite fruit or almond butter and bananas

5. Make a big pot of soup on the weekend to enjoy for lunches during the week.

-Sautee onions, celery and any leftover vegetables you have from the week before, add your stock, lentils, barley, tinned tomatoes and herbs.

6. Cook with the kids! The kitchen is a great classroom.

-Start with easy tasks like peeling and grating vegetables or stirring batter. On weekends or when you have more time, include older kids in the whole recipe. Teach them to read the recipe from start to finish before starting. Then pull out all the ingredients and utensils needed to prepare the dish. Being organized helps make sure you don’t skip a step or important ingredient

7. Try Create-it-yourself meals to suit all taste buds.

-family taco night (add ground turkey with or without spice, shredded lettuce, tomato and cheese)

-chicken or bean fajitas (sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms, avocado, salsa, Greek yogurt and cheese)

-Pizza night (serve up a variety of toppings and cheese and let them create their own)

8. Have smoothie ingredients on hand for quick after school snacks.

-frozen berries, bananas, juice, yogurt, milk, soft tofu, almonds, tinned pineapple and frozen mango chunks are great ingredients to start with.

9. Make delicious dinner salads.

-leftover pork roast, on salad greens with leftover roasted beets and sweet potato, sliced fresh pear, crumbled blue cheese and walnuts

-Leftover grilled salmon on arugula with orange pieces, purple onion, and steamed asparagus

-Greek salad with chickpeas and leftover rotini

10. Use new recipes for inspiration! Download the free iPhone or iPad app called Cookspiration at www.cookspiration.com for daily recipe ideas to suit your needs, whether you’re in a hurry, cooking in bulk or you need some kid friendly ideas. There are photos and nutrition facts for each recipe.