As the kids head back to school, families will start getting back into their weekly routines. For many parents, that means cooking dinner in the evenings.
WCPO 9 consumer reporter Taylor Nimmo sat down with a local nutritionist for some suggestions on how to cook healthy meals that won’t break the bank.
Dr. Jennifer Wittwer with the Christ Hospital has some ideas to help you plan healthy dinners for the entire week — all while saving some money.
“I highly recommend that families base their meals around vegetables,” Wittwer said. “They’re high in fiber, colorful, so that means they have a lot of vitamins and minerals.”
Wittwer said for an ideal, well-balanced, healthy meal, you should try to fill half your plate with vegetables, then incorporate a lean protein and a whole grain. She said vegetables and other healthy options don’t have to be expensive.
“Frozen vegetables are an excellent way to get vegetables cheaply, and they last a long time, where some of the fresh produce goes bad quickly,” Wittwer said. “Frozen is a wonderful option.”
As busy schedules start to pick back up, Wittwer said healthy eating can often be put on the back burner. That’s why she recommends planning ahead.
“Crock pots, if families have the capability of cooking in a crock pot, are excellent options that to make a large batch of meals that can be frozen and then easily distributed throughout the week,” she said.
She said preparing food in large batches can save you both time and money throughout the week.
“That also goes for good protein sources, so preparing your protein ahead of time with options of things like freezing it or keeping a big bowl,” she said.
For example, you could cook a large amount of chicken, and then pair it with different vegetables or other side dishes to add some variety.
“And then cooking it plainly, and then you can add different variety of spices or toppings throughout the week to sort of mix it up,” Wittwer said.
Wittwer said it’s important to keep nutrition a priority, even when operating on a budget.
“So it could be that you may be paying for it in other ways in the future,” she said. “We are what we eat, and so if you're not paying upfront for it with good nutritional options, sometimes that can impact your health later on.”
Wittwer said planning and prepping meals ahead of time is not only going to help keep the nutritional value but will also help you avoid ordering takeout when things get busy, which will save you money as well.
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