Busy Schedule Solutions

So I haven't updated in over a month! It's so sad but I just haven't had much free time since school started to keep up the blog. However, I have been trying to keep up with developing healthy eating habits, which in the end is what it's supposed to be about. It's not always easy, and requires a lot of planning.

A lot of people complain that they, like me, are too busy to make lunch and bring it to school/work. I think that this is one of the pitfalls for people trying to eat healthy, because they either end up not eating, or eating out which is very hard to control.

Healthy *LOOKING* muffins and the like start to look pretty good when you are on the run, hungry, and didn't pack a lunch. However, this really isn't what you want to be eating through the day (you can just ask my friend Martha, she was a witness and occasional causality to my former muffin addiction)

One thing that I find a real life saver is to make big batches of food, pre-package it into Tupperware and freeze it. Then I just pull it out through the week and everyone I eat with is jealous of me. It's great!

Tonight for dinner I came home (after a full day of school, just like you!) and made asparagus soup!

This is not the soup I made! But it looks just like it and I forgot to take a picture!

 

Here is what I did:

Ingredients: Asparagus, cauliflower, a can of chick peas (I think mine was around 10 oz), some butter, water, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: I originally was going to use a broth for the base, but obviously I didn't have time to make a broth at home. So I went to the deli under me and looked at the broth they had. College Inn was the only brand they had and it was FULL of chemicals including autolyzed yeast extract, which is actually a re-branded version of MSG. So be careful that you don't turn your healthy soup into a pot of chemicals!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

1) I took a bunch of asparagus and cut off the white part at the end because I thought it would be too tough.
2) I took about 1/4 of a head of cauliflower and chopped it.
3) I boiled the two together in a pot of water for about 7 minutes with garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and some REAL butter (This is all I had, but onions and other stuff would be good too)
4) I took out the veggies and put it in the blender with some of the water that I originally boiled it in (but not ALL of it, you sort of have to eyeball it to see how much is enough)
5) I added a whole can of chickpeas to add protein and thicken the texture
6) I blended it all and added more salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top

This was super super easy and I made enough for three meals. It probably doesn't really have enough protein to be an ideal dinner but I ate a lot of protein through the day today so I wasn't too worried.

So if you have time for Facebook and  showering and watching TV, you have time to make your meals most of the time. I'll admit that I don't ALWAYS have a lunch packed, but I try to do it at least four times a week or so. Now I need to follow my own advice and start blogging more regularly!