From Jamie’s Blog

I love Jamie Oliver!  I find his recipes easy to follow and they work out for me every time, even when I have to alter ingredients to make it kosher.

Jamie Oliver over the last few years has become passionate, not only about his cooking but about cooking healthy food and reducing obesity in children.

When I read his article, “how to organise your kitchen for healthy eating” I knew I wanted to share some of his ideas.

I am a believer in planning and Jamie says that if you want to be able to eat healthy, you need to plan your pantry.http://kasheringyourlife.co.za/index.php/2015/06/30/i-own-my-kitchen/

Sometimes you don’t have the fresh ingredients on hand.  However, takeaways should be your last choice not your first.

So Jamie says that he always has beans, whole wheat pasta, coconut milk, curry spices, tomato sauce and nut butters (I don’t have those, except for peanut butter). He also says he keeps lots of basic grains like quinoa, buckwheat, oats, barley and millet. Changing out your white rice and flour to wholegrain versions is always a good start.

Nuts and seeds are also very handy.   I usually have sunflower seeds, pine nuts, sesame seeds and chickpeas on hand as they are great for adding to salads and other foods.

His next suggestion is something I have started doing:  Keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on the table for the family to help themselves. I take out fruit from the fridge each morning and put it into the bowl.

I do not buy sweets, chips or chocolates and school snacks are dried fruit, (I do use the Safari fruit sticks once in a while), pretzels, and nuts and raisins. I am not strict on sweet intake, I just believe that if they aren’t there then no one is tempted (especially me!).

If you are sitting down to watch television, why not put a bowl of fruit out for people to snack on?

Remember that buying fruit that is in season is a lot cheaper that buying imports or beginning of the season fruit.

Another thing he suggests, and this is also something I have recently started, is buying in bulk and freezing.  I am even doing this with fresh herbs. Yes, it is a little time consuming but it is definitely cheaper. I buy bulk bags and I own what used to be a vacuum sealer, but is now only a sealer, and I bag my pre-prepared veggies, seal them and freeze them.

If you can, cook in bulk and freeze. So far this is something that has eluded me! Partly I think because if it is available my vultures…..I mean family, will eat it. So, often the food doesn’t make it to the freezer.

Another thing Jamie advocates is getting rid of clutter. He says that you get rid of any appliances you don’t use. Go through your utensil drawers and you will be surprised to find how many doubles you have. Last week I wrote about what you really need in your kitchen. If you haven’t used it in a year, you are unlikely to ever use it again.  Get rid of it!

Another tip from Jamie’s blog, is about water.  He, like me, doesn’t like plain water and his suggestion is infused water.  You can put cut fruit, herbs or spices into the water.  Put the water into the fridge overnight and 8 hours later you have flavoured water the healthy way.

When changing a lifestyle and a life time’s worth of unhealthy habits, it is best to do so in small steps and gradually introduce the healthy options into your family’s diet.  You will find less resistance if they don’t actually know it’s happening.

What tips do you have to help keep your meals healthy?