The Experts Weigh In: Meal Planning 101 (Part 4)

Image via healthyceleb.com

BY: KIRSTI PESSO, CONTRIBUTOR

Now that you know the basics of meal planning, are you ready for some easy weeknight meal ideas? Yes? I thought you might say that!

MONDAY

Raw veggie platter with hummus

Grilled chicken: in a taco, bun or wrap with avocado and a veggie of your choice. (If you are using tacos, use this as an opportunity to have some fun and throw a taco party! Kids will love to see little bowls with all sorts of things they can layer on to make their tacos. You could also substitute fish or mushrooms for the chicken!)

A side of broccoli or other green of choice

TUESDAY

Raw veggie platter with guacamole

Pasta night options: Baked ziti with spinach, pumpkin and cheese, pasta with pesto sauce (use kale, walnuts and some seeds to amp up the nutritional value of your sauce), spinach and cheese lasagna or spaghetti/penne with turkey or beef meatballs (or portobello mushrooms as a meat-substitute).

A side of roasted garlic cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas or another green or non-starchy veggie of choice

WEDNESDAY

Raw veggie platter with pesto sauce (by making your own sauce, you can sneak in avocado, kale and spinach!)

Fish: Coat in panko/almond meal/seasoning of choice to make baked fish sticks or grill, bake or lightly saute a piece of wild salmon or white fish. You could also use chicken for kids who don't like fish and make chicken nuggets from scratch.

Corn on the cob or corn/peas/edamame mixed into brown rice (makes a great side!)

THURSDAY

Raw veggie platter with tahini dip (1/2 cup tahini, 1 clove garlic, 1 lemon juiced, 2 Tbs. tamari, and 1/4 cup water blended)

Healthy pizza night: We use Ezekiel brand sprouted muffins as the base and they are just fine for my kids and husband. Pizza parties are fun - let kids get creative with toppings and encourage them to make funny faces as they go! You can also turn the muffin into an egg pizza or a toasted sandwich using a flipped egg, avocado, cheese and tomato slices.

If pizza's not your thing, try a non-meat burger tonight (either salmon, quinoa or lentil-based).

Side of roasted Brussels sprouts or greens of your choice

FRIDAY

Tonight is all about leftovers from the week (or something simple!). You can repeat a weeknight meal and mix things up slightly! Use fish in place of chicken and make a brown rice, chicken and veggie bowl. Try  to use up all the foods you didn't finish during the week because before you know it, it's kitchen restocking time for another week of freshly prepared meals!

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OUT-OF-HOUSE SNACK PLANNING

When doing your weekly shopping, it is also important to consider buying foods that make for easy, portable snacks. The following are some ideas to always have on hand - foods that can easily be tossed in your bag so you (and the kids!) are never hungry on the run.

These snacks will also help bridge gaps between meals and prevent you from overeating before lunch or dinner!

• Raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
• Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) - combine with nuts to make your own trail mix!
• Dark chocolate chips (good for a quick pick-me-up, especially after workouts - or to add to trail mix!)
• Apples, mandarin oranges and bananas make for great portable fruit options!
• Healthy snack bars (but beware! always check the ingredient list!)
• Homemade nut butter sandwiches (using raw, unsalted almond butter)
• Carrot sticks

Wow! We've certainly covered a lot of great information this past month! We looked at why it's so important to take the time to plan and organize yourself, your kitchen and your meal structure so that the 5 pm scramble doesn't leave you empty-handed! Your kitchen is the core of the home and having it well-stocked will give you the power to prepare quick, healthy meals for your family!

With some new ideas and a fresh approach on shopping and cooking, getting wholesome meals to the table won't be stressful any longer! Just follow the guidelines I've given you, and I guarantee you will have a happy and healthy family!

Kirsti Pesso is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach (CHHC) and a certified ACE personal trainer. Currently living in Westchester, New York with her husband and two little daughters, she grew up in Australia where she spent much of her childhood in her father's professional kitchens. This instilled in her a deep connection and love for food. Her own personal journey and education has allowed her to merge her love for food with health and wellness. For the last 11 years, nutrition, fitness and holistic living have been a priority for her and her family.  With a deep passion for cooking healthy and clean meals, Kirsti has made educating her family on nutrition and healthy living, a priority. Also, having a background in psychology and social work has allowed her to connect her  extensive knowledge and education in the health and wellness fields, and help others who seek to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Kirsti has simultaneously been running a successful freelance hair colorist and styling business and has been in the industry for nearly 25 years in Australia and New York. She has a loyal following, due in part to her holistic perspective on hair. 'Healthy In Beauty Out' was born out of Kirsti's love, passion and deep understanding that beauty is an inside job. Her business reflects a culmination of many different pillars of wellness and beauty,  and combines her talent and education in the areas of nutrition, food, fitness and hair. In addition to her freelance services as a colorist and stylist, you can seek more of Kirsti's advice on healthy living, fitness and beauty, by visiting her Facebook page. To learn more about how you can live a clean, healthy and beautiful life, join Kirsti on her 11-day comprehensive Cleanse Program. To learn more, visit her at www.healthyinbeautyout.com. 

The Experts Weigh In: Meal Planning 101 (Part 3)

Image via powergirlfitness.com

BY: KIRSTI PESSO, CONTRIBUTOR

We've covered the importance of planning, how to detox and stock your kitchen and now let's get down to the specifics of meal planning! Keep in mind that kids get bored easily. And just like adults, kids eat with their eyes. I know my own children love when something is presented in a fun and creative way, and sometimes just that is enough to spike their interest in what you are serving.

So let's dive into how to make your selections easy and stress-free!

To make things simple, I have listed below categories of foods from which to build a balanced meal. These are the main staples that you could use to mix and match and come up with loads of meal options. I will follow this piece next week with a Monday-Friday dinner plan to show you how easy it is to make small changes to create a whole new meal.

As a note, all meats/poultry are organic and grass-fed when possible (and kosher in our house). Where possible, choose organic, pasture-raised meats and eggs, as well as dairy, and always follow the dirty dozen (highest in pesticides) list as a gauge for fruits and vegetables.

RAW VEGETABLES

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Avocado
• Mixed peppers

COOKED VEGETABLES

• Broccoli
• String beans (haricot verts)
• Sugar snap peas
• Sweet potatoes
• Corn
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Green peas
• Edamame
• Spinach

STARCHES/CARBOHYDRATES

• Soba buckwheat noodles
• Pasta (quinoa and brown rice pasta)
• Taco shells
• Ezekiel brand sprouted burger buns
• Ezekiel brand sprouted muffin (used for pizza base)
• Gluten-free brown rice tortillas (for enchiladas)
• Sprouted brown rice
• Lentils
• Brown rice lasagna sheets

PROTEIN

• Chicken breast
• Turkey (for meatballs)
• Chicken (for meatballs)
• Fish (wild salmon or white fish such as wild cod, striped bass or sole)
• Eggs (organic and cage-free)

DAIRY

• Organic and grass-fed cheddar and mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Organic grass-fed butter
• Grass-fed organic ricotta cheese

When creating a meal, try to include some healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, a clean protein and non-starchy veggie options. This way you know you have all your bases covered for a well-balanced meal!

A note on shortcuts - take them!! Use store bought bottled tomato sauces (just be sure to check for added sugar, sodium and preservatives. There are plenty of options now that contain 5-7 ingredients and they are huge time savers! Triple-washed bagged salad greens can be bought to avoid the time it takes to wash your own. Store bought whole-wheat ravioli makes for an easy and quick lasagna at the last minute. Pre-cut your veggies and make dips ahead of time. Marinade chicken cutlets and bread chicken and fish ahead of time for baking into fingers later. I cut and season my sweet potatoes earlier in the day so they are ready to go at the last minute for baked fries. Prepare your grains ahead of time - they keep very well in the fridge! Basically, do as much as you can early on in the day or week so that you are really only PULLING dinner together! Make life easy on yourself!

Image via seriouseats.com

STEP 1: RAW VEGGIE PLATTER WITH DIP

These raw veggies are a great source of complex carbs and they're great to prepare ahead of time. When my kids get home from school, they always want to snack so I have learned to always start dinner with a raw veggie platter and a dip (hummus, avocado, tahini or pesto). Make it look pretty and colorful, and talk to your kids about the importance of eating a rainbow. Mix things up, and be patient because what kids don't like today, they may love tomorrow.

Now, for those kids who simply won't eat raw veggies, try to tide them over with the healthiest part of their meal first - such as baked sweet potato fries, broccoli, corn on the cob or any other veggie or healthy starch. The other great thing about starting out with some raw veggies (aside from buying you time to pull together the rest of the meal) is that the fiber is very filling. A small amount of protein with complex carbs and fats will probably suffice for the rest of dinner!

STEP 2: DECIDE ON YOUR PROTEIN

Will you be having chicken, fish, turkey or meat? Or is it a meatless night? Determine how you will prepare and serve your protein. Are you enjoying your grilled chicken breast in a burger, wrap or taco shells? Or maybe you're doing baked chicken or fish fingers? Once you choose your base, the options are endless! On a meatless night, eggs make for a wonderful dinner. My children love to request flipped eggs served in either a grilled cheese or as a side to veggies and a starch. Quinoa, salmon or lentil burgers are also an amazing protein rich, meatless option. Hey, I am ALL FOR meatless nights!

Image via topics.nytimes.com

STEP 3: DECIDE ON YOUR STARCH/CARBOHYDRATE

On a night containing meat, fish or poultry, you might want to add a grain or starchy carb like brown rice, quinoa or poasta or a taco/bun option. We always use sprouted bread/muffins as our pizza bases or for a burger or wrap. Pasta made with brown rice and quinoa is also a great way to boost the nutritional content of dinner, as are wraps or enchiladas made with brown rice, sprouted and gluten-free tortillas. Baked sweet potato fries would also fall under this category and are a favorite in my house (and let's be honest, a much healthier alternative to regular fries!).

STEP 4: DECIDE ON YOUR NON-STARCHY GREEN VEGGIE

This is an easy step. Always make sure some greens are added to EVERY meal. These are your lifelines - your detoxifying foods that help fight disease and build immunity. Get creative and be patient, but find ways to get your family to LOVE greens. In our house, broccoli with lemon, sea salt and olive oil is a hit! Roasting vegetables also brings out wonderful flavors - try roasting Brussels sprouts (they are so easy to love!).

STEP 5: INCLUDE SOME FATS

Make sure to include some healthy fats, as this macronutrient is an essential part of a balanced meal. Think avocado, olive and coconut oils, nuts and seeds. Some vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning your body needs fat to be able to benefit from the vitamins. So healthy fats such as olive oil will actually make the vitamins in your green veggies available to your cells.

STEP 6: ARE YOU SERVING DESSERT?

I know this is a big debate in some households. The general rule we have is that dessert can be had IF we are out and at a restaurant, but at home, it's fresh fruit and a light snack after dinner. I am not up for desserts too close to bedtime, and yes, fruit has sugar (but it also has fiber in it to slow down sugar's effect on the body!). I try to promote the less sweet fruits such as berries, and sometimes, my kids are satisfied with just a bowl of popcorn or pretzel things with almond butter.

Now that you're familiar with the components of building a healthy meal, I'll be back next week with a sample Monday-Friday meal plan to help jumpstart your success in the kitchen! Stay tuned!

Kirsti Pesso is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach (CHHC) and a certified ACE personal trainer. Currently living in Westchester, New York with her husband and two little daughters, she grew up in Australia where she spent much of her childhood in her father's professional kitchens. This instilled in her a deep connection and love for food. Her own personal journey and education has allowed her to merge her love for food with health and wellness. For the last 11 years, nutrition, fitness and holistic living have been a priority for her and her family.  With a deep passion for cooking healthy and clean meals, Kirsti has made educating her family on nutrition and healthy living, a priority. Also, having a background in psychology and social work has allowed her to connect her  extensive knowledge and education in the health and wellness fields, and help others who seek to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Kirsti has simultaneously been running a successful freelance hair colorist and styling business and has been in the industry for nearly 25 years in Australia and New York. She has a loyal following, due in part to her holistic perspective on hair. 'Healthy In Beauty Out' was born out of Kirsti's love, passion and deep understanding that beauty is an inside job. Her business reflects a culmination of many different pillars of wellness and beauty,  and combines her talent and education in the areas of nutrition, food, fitness and hair. In addition to her freelance services as a colorist and stylist, you can seek more of Kirsti's advice on healthy living, fitness and beauty, by visiting her Facebook page. To learn more about how you can live a clean, healthy and beautiful life, join Kirsti on her 11-day comprehensive Cleanse Program. To learn more, visit her at www.healthyinbeautyout.com. 

The Experts Weigh In: Meal Planning 101 (Part 2)

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 BY: KIRSTI PESSO, CONTRIBUTOR

I feel confident that by now you appreciate that creating healthy meals requires a plan, even when your schedule seems overloaded! The first place to begin organizing is in your kitchen - after all, one's health begins in the kitchen! Having a well-stocked kitchen will allow you to create meals with ease and have options when in a pinch!

Organizing your kitchen is a two-step process. First, you must detox (aka. throw out the trash!). This means getting rid of everything that does not support clean, healthy eating. It requires removing all of the trigger and tempting foods. This step is essential in order to make room for wholesome healthy foods and lays the foundation for a kitchen you can be proud of.

Image via thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com

THE KITCHEN DETOX

Ok, so what should you purge? Get the largest garbage bag you have and be prepared to be brutal - out of sight, out of mind and out of your body! Remove anything that is not close to the source OR rather, the way nature intended (at least for the most part). Here is a great starter list...

• Processed/packaged foods and prepared dinners
• Foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Food that contain hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils (aka. trans fats)
• Canned soups, which are full of salt and preservatives (though they are OK occasionally in a pinch)
• Anything WHITE - pasta, flour, sugar, bread, rice
• Sauces and salad dressings with sugars, sodium, chemicals and preservatives
• Foods that have lengthy ingredient lists with words you cannot pronounce
• Foods with food dyes such as red/blue/yellow dyes
• Foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and MSG
• Candy, cookies, and other packaged treats
• Artificial sweeteners (all of them!)
• Sodas and other sugary drinks

Image via etsy.com

THE KITCHEN STOCK-UP

Congratulations! You have taken out the trash and now you can create a list of staple foods to build a kitchen you will love. It is literally the room in the house from where you nourish your body and soul AND create health and beauty from the inside out. Keep a list as you run out of items, so that you can always be sure your kitchen is well stocked!

Your first shopping trip after the purge may be huge as you build your staples and essentials. From there, you will just supplement as needed with fresh produce for meals that week. 

PANTRY ITEMS

• Pasta (brown rice or whole-grain), including gluten-free brown rice lasagna sheets
• Sprouted pasta (penne, spaghetti, etc.)
• Buckwheat soba noodles
• Rice (basmati, brown, wild)
• Quinoa
• Gluten-free old fashioned oats/gluten-free steel cut oats
• Millet
• Non-GMO organic taco shells
• Dried lentils (Beluga, red, green)
• Dried mixed beans (great for soups/stews)
• Low-sodium organic canned beans (chickpeas, navy, kidney, adzuki, great northern, pinto)
• Dried mushrooms (porcini, shiitake)
• Sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
• Olives
• Capers
• Tomato sauce/paste
• Bottled artichokes (in water)
• Jarred peppers (piquillo, roasted red, chipotle)
• Low-sodium organic veggie stock
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Medjool dates
• Dried cranberries and apricots
• Flours (oat, buckwheat, coconut, sprouted whole wheat, quinoa, almond, brown rice)
• Sugars (coconut, brown)
• Ground almonds and walnuts (great for breading chicken and fish)
• Baking soda/powder
• Raw honey
• Real maple syrup
• Tahini paste
• Gluten-free tortilla chips
• Unsweetened organic apple sauce
• Bottled marinara sauce (low-sugar)
• Canned wild-caught salmon
• Canned sardines
• Whole-wheat Panko bread crumbs
• Dark chocolate bars/chips
• Plain popcorn

Image via kitchencoach.tumblr.com

 HERBS & SPICES

• Himalayan sea salt/kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Dried spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, mustard, red pepper flakes, ginger, sweet and hot paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, curry blend, coriander, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice all spice)
• Dried herbs (basil, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, black and white sesame seeds)

OILS & CONDIMENTS

• Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
• Extra virgin coconut oil
• Toasted sesame seed oil
• Ghee (clarified butter)
• Raw, unfiltered apple cider
• Red & white wine vinegar/balsamic vinegar
• Rice wine vinegar
• Thai curry pastes
• Lite coconut milk
• Vacuum-packed miso
• Wasabi powder
• Nori seaweed wraps

FRIDGE

• Goat's milk/Kefir
• Vanilla unsweetened almond milk
• Coconut water
• Ketchup (without HFCS)
• Hummus
• Organic, grass-fed butter
• Salsa
• Dijon and grain mustard
• Wheat-free tamari and coconut aminos (a soy/gluten/wheat-free soy alternative)
• Organic cream cheese
• Hard cheeses (like Parmesan and Gruyere)
• Feta or goat cheese
• Smoked salmon
• Organic omega-3 eggs
• Ezekial brand sprouted English muffins
• Heat-sensitive oils (toasted sesame oil, flaxseed oil, almond and walnut oil)
• Brown rice gluten-free tortillas (these freeze well)
• Vegetables - cucumber, squash, butternut squash pumpkin, zucchini, baby carrots, peppers, kale, spinach, arugula, cauliflower, red cabbage, carrots, celery, leeks, romaine, beets, sprouts, green onions, sweet baby peppers, etc.
• Fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, cilantro
• Fruits - berries, melons, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins
• Horseradish
• Ginger
• Fruit spreads
• Seltzer water
• Nut butters - almond, peanut, walnut

OUT OF THE FRIDGE VEGGIES

• Onions
• Garlic, ginger, shallots
• Sweet potatoes
• Avocado
• Tomatoes

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 FREEZER

• Nuts (almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts)
• Chia and buckwheat waffles
• Egg wonton wrappers (great for quick lasagna or homemade ravioli)
• Ezekiel brand sprouted flax bread
• Sprouted bagels
• Shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
• Seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia and hemp)
• Frozen veggies - peas, edamame, spinach, okra, pumpkin puree
• Frozen fruits - mango, berries, pineapple, peaches (great for smoothies!)
• Organic chicken cutlets
• Organic chopped/minced chicken, turkey, beef
• Ezekiel brand sprouted buns
• Ezekiel sprouted tortillas
• Whole wheat ravioli

THE BASICS OF SUPERMARKET SHOPPING

So your kitchen is clean and you have a grocery list in hand. Let's go shopping! But before we step foot in the store, let's go over some basic rules of thumb to get the most out of your shopping experience. Remember, you need only make the good choices once. You can't eat poor quality foods at home if you did not bring them home to begin with!

1. Never go to the supermarket hungry, as you are more likely to throw in items you don't really need.
2. Go with a list and stick to it. A list will keep you focused on what you need, as well as keep you in the healthier perimeter of the store. There is where you will find all the fresh produce. The center aisles are the danger zones - full of processed foods. This is where corporate marketing and bogus health claims are in full swing. Watch out for foods that claim to be "low sugar" or "fat free". These foods usually contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which is far worse than regular sugar. Enter these aisles at your own risk!
3. If possible, try to shop alone. Taking small children to the supermarket can pull and tug you in directions you don't want to go in. The checkout aisles are notorious for their candy and other evils that sadly, all kids want.

Image via coachwoot.com

The most obvious thing to think about when you start loading up your trolley is to pick REAL FOOD - whole, unprocessed, raw foods that come from the earth - not food items that are man-made in a factory. Try to limit foods that come in packages, boxes, cans and containers. Avoid foods that have lengthy, hard to pronounce ingredient lists (5-8 ingredients max).

Marketing statements on food items have very little, if any, regulation by the FDA. It's your job to be your own nutrition label detective. Labels offer up useful information that will help you make an informed decision about the food you purchase. Notice how you will never see a label with health claims on fresh produce.

Organic or not? Is it really worth the investment? Well yes, for some things it certainly is. Organic foods are void of pesticides, chemicals, GMOs and synthetic fertilizers. By buying organic produce, you are supporting local farmers who follow sustainable farming methods, while also investing in your community (as opposed to factory-farm powerhouses). As a consumer, this is empowering!

Because organic produce doesn't use chemical fertilizers and are grown the slow, old-fashioned way, they have a chance to absorb all the complex nutrients found in the carbon-rich soil (just like a good marinade). These organic fruits and vegetables have time to develop a thicker cell wall and therefore, more concentrated flavors. They are also packed with more antioxidants, vitamins and phytochemicals than regular produce.

If you can't buy all organic, I suggest checking out the Dirty Dozen list here. These 12 fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides and should be purchased organic when possible. Other items that should always be purchased as organic are eggs, meat/poultry and dairy (basically, all animal products).

If you have the option of shopping at your local farmers market, take advantage! Here the prices are lower, the nutritional quality is higher and everything is fresher. Produce in the regular supermarkets has often traveled far and wide so by the time it reaches the shelves, the nutritional value is highly depleted.

Look at you! You are nearly on your way! Your kitchen is stocked with a wonderful selection of staples, sure to allow you the tools to create any meal of your choosing! Hang tight because next week, we'll talk about exactly how to create meals with ease! If you've "fallen off the wagon", it's time to get back up and get your family eating well again! I'm here to help!

Kirsti Pesso is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach (CHHC) and a certified ACE personal trainer. Currently living in Westchester, New York with her husband and two little daughters, she grew up in Australia where she spent much of her childhood in her father's professional kitchens. This instilled in her a deep connection and love for food. Her own personal journey and education has allowed her to merge her love for food with health and wellness. For the last 11 years, nutrition, fitness and holistic living have been a priority for her and her family.  With a deep passion for cooking healthy and clean meals, Kirsti has made educating her family on nutrition and healthy living, a priority. Also, having a background in psychology and social work has allowed her to connect her  extensive knowledge and education in the health and wellness fields, and help others who seek to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Kirsti has simultaneously been running a successful freelance hair colorist and styling business and has been in the industry for nearly 25 years in Australia and New York. She has a loyal following, due in part to her holistic perspective on hair. 'Healthy In Beauty Out' was born out of Kirsti's love, passion and deep understanding that beauty is an inside job. Her business reflects a culmination of many different pillars of wellness and beauty,  and combines her talent and education in the areas of nutrition, food, fitness and hair. In addition to her freelance services as a colorist and stylist, you can seek more of Kirsti's advice on healthy living, fitness and beauty, by visiting her Facebook page. To learn more about how you can live a clean, healthy and beautiful life, join Kirsti on her 11-day comprehensive Cleanse Program. To learn more, visit her at www.healthyinbeautyout.com. 

The Experts Weigh In: Meal Planning 101 (Part 1)

Image via courthousesquare.net

BY: KIRSTI PESSO, CONTRIBUTOR

Welcome to my four part series on how to keep a healthy home and kitchen in this busy world we live in! It's a topic I feel so passionate about because I know that many people struggle in this area as they try to juggle work and family commitments. The truth is, life has become complicated! And overly busy! As a result, we have to find ways to save time. Unfortunately, many families are taking short cuts in the kitchen and have lost the ability to keep a clean and healthy home while also preparing fresh, healthy meals. Indeed this can have detrimental effects on your health and the health of your children.

There is nothing more important than your health, and this begins with what you put inside your body. Your health begins in your kitchen!

WHO AM I?

Hi, I'm Kirsti, a busy working mother of two. I consider myself a one-stop shop when it comes to food, nutrition, fitness, beauty and hair information, tips and tricks! I have always loved my food. I was so fortunate to grow up with my father (who was a self-taught chef) and my mother (who was an incredible home cook). My siblings and I grew up watching, learning, living and experiencing food - both at home and in our family restaurants. Food and cooking was always at the center of our lives and the essence of our conversations. We were directed, guided and influenced by food and, as a family, were consumed by our love and passion for it. Cooking became our expression of love, life and our culture. Nutrition, however, took a back seat. We just ate - we didn't consider nutrition. It was different back then. I grew up on all the things my children will never know about - white bread, white pasta, soda, candy galore and yes, lots of white sugar.

Image via bunkycooks.com

Fast forward to today - one of my deepest passions in life is food, cooking and food's relationship to healthy living. When my father had a heart attack 11 years ago, healthy eating and living took center stage. I started to become curious about what I was feeding my body and my food's connection to my overall health and well-being. This put me on my current path of really understanding in a deep way the important connection between the food we eat and the state of our health - inside and out. 

We truly are what we eat.

Despite the busyness of life, I have made it a priority to prepare freshly cooked meals for my family - even on days when I barely have time to breath. It's been so important and a true priority of mine to educate them. I have been speaking the nutrition language to my children from day one and taking the time out to do so has totally paid off!

I am confident that with some guidance and proven tools, you too will be able to plan and implement ways to keep your family away from unhealthy processed foods because you have the tools to prepare simple (yet wholesome!) meals made from real ingredients. I want to leave you feeling confident about the how to plan, organize your kitchen and prepare fresh weekly meals without any stress. 

Ok, so let's break this down... Part one of the series will focus on the importance of planning and having a strategy to set you up for success. Part two will move into your kitchen setup, as well as supermarket tips and navigation. We will look at how to detox and stock your kitchen to churn out easy, quick meals. In part three, we will look at ways to build your meals, and in part four, I will give you some easy weeknight ideas that can be mixed and matched to create lots of new recipes for your repertoire. Once you have your system down, mealtime will be stress free! These practices will become second nature! But first, let's get a few things straightened out!

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAN?

Creating a healthy home does not just happen. Hands down, one of the biggest barriers to eating healthfully is not having a plan. Most of us don't even know what we're having for dinner until late in the afternoon and early evening, let alone for the rest of the week! Once that late afternoon scramble sets in, we tend to head in the direction of convenience. It's easy to see why things usually go south from there! 

Unfortunately, these last-minute decisions usually include ready-made boxed and processed foods that are loaded with artificial preservatives, sodium, sugars and unhealthy fats - as well as additives, chemicals and all sorts of "nastys" that are less than ideal for anyone, especially growing children. Having a plan is essential and will give you the confidence and tools to meal plan with the best of them!

Image via superstock.com

WHERE SHOULD YOU BEGIN?

The best way to start is to pick some time - either at night or during the day, just once a week - that you will be able to devote to planning and organizing yourself. For me, Sunday nights after the kids go to sleep works best. This way, I start the week feeling organized and ready. I go through my entire kitchen, throw out perishables that have seen their better days, and write a flexible weekly meal plan. From here, I compile my big grocery list based on things I have run out of during the week and items I will need moving forward. I decide when I will shop and which markets I will go to depending on my needs. I often visit multiple markets to get everything I need (Shopping happens to be very pleasurable for me, but I know for some, it's not. If it's easier for you to buy everything from one supermarket, then by all means, do so!).

When planning out your week, consider the following...

• Which nights of the week that you will be home for dinner?
• Which nights of the week that you will be out later or won't have more than 20-30 minutes to prep?
• Who else will be home for dinner on those nights? Your partner? Children?
• Which day is realistic for you to get to the market for fresh produce?

Keeping these guidelines in mind...

• A balanced week will look something like this (unless you follow a specific diet) - fish (1-2 nights), poultry (1 night), possibly lean red meat (1 night), vegetarian (the rest of the week)
• Have one easy back-up for fussy eaters (I don't encourage giving too many options)
• Try to plan some meals that will freeze well, make good leftovers or involve some advanced prep to make it easier come dinner time!

Once I know what nights I won't be home and which days look super busy, I can then start to plan meals according to their preparation speed. In other words, the easiest meals are placed on the busiest days. I try to consider ahead of time which days I might have a chance to get home during the day to do some prep work or which days I will have to pull things together prior to dinner time. If I can do any prep work in the early morning before taking the kids to school, such as marinating or chopping veggies, it is so helpful! I also leave sticky notes for myself to remind me of things that need to be taken out of the freezer either the night before or the morning of so I am not stuck with rock solid chicken 1 hour before dinner time! When you think about these things ahead of time, dinner will be smooth sailing!

Image via makesandtakes.com

When designing my weekly plan, I make sure to consider balance and variety! Friday nights are excluded from my weeknight plans as we observe the Sabbath (and that means a traditional meal that requires no planning). Weekends are more lax. Sunday night is "free night" - here my kids get to decide what's for dinner. This is a wonderful tool for empowering them to have input into what they eat. I am more flexible with them on free night. They usually choose something like pasta, pizza, enchiladas, eggs on toast, grilled cheese and avocado sandwiches, BUT even free night meals are freshly prepared with raw and cooked veggies always added in!

So you see, it's really quite simple. Sometimes just having a game plan and asking the right questions is all it takes to set yourself up for success. Yes, you do have to take some time to figure it out, but hey, that's a small price to pay for getting on top of the meals that you are bringing to the table. You will want to kiss yourself for taking the time to get organized ahead of time. It's a wonderful feeling, when dinner revolves around knowing you have everything you need to put a wholesome, tasty meal on the table...

...and your family will thank you too!

Stay tuned for my second post next week where I will cover how to set up your kitchen for success and how to navigate the supermarket so that you are able to bring home the good stuff! Once you get these tips down, the "5 pm Dinner Scramble" will be a distant memory!

Kirsti Pesso is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach (CHHC) and a certified ACE personal trainer. Currently living in Westchester, New York with her husband and two little daughters, she grew up in Australia where she spent much of her childhood in her father's professional kitchens. This instilled in her a deep connection and love for food. Her own personal journey and education has allowed her to merge her love for food with health and wellness. For the last 11 years, nutrition, fitness and holistic living have been a priority for her and her family.  With a deep passion for cooking healthy and clean meals, Kirsti has made educating her family on nutrition and healthy living, a priority. Also, having a background in psychology and social work has allowed her to connect her  extensive knowledge and education in the health and wellness fields, and help others who seek to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Kirsti has simultaneously been running a successful freelance hair colorist and styling business and has been in the industry for nearly 25 years in Australia and New York. She has a loyal following, due in part to her holistic perspective on hair. 'Healthy In Beauty Out' was born out of Kirsti's love, passion and deep understanding that beauty is an inside job. Her business reflects a culmination of many different pillars of wellness and beauty,  and combines her talent and education in the areas of nutrition, food, fitness and hair. In addition to her freelance services as a colorist and stylist, you can seek more of Kirsti's advice on healthy living, fitness and beauty, by visiting her Facebook page. To learn more about how you can live a clean, healthy and beautiful life, join Kirsti on her 11-day comprehensive Cleanse Program. To learn more, visit her at www.healthyinbeautyout.com.