Guiding Stars: Nourishing Meals With Five Ingredients or Less
Originally published on Guiding Stars Health & Nutrition News
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of the impact cancer has on the diagnosed individual and their loved ones. Among the many outcomes of treatment can be physical and mental exhaustion for daily activities like cooking. Nutritious, easy-to-make meals, with just five ingredients or less, can help. This approach combines ingredients to build balanced, nourishing meals that come together with less time and effort. It also embraces affordable ingredients that are easy to store when accessing groceries is difficult.
Step #1: Protein
Begin by making versatile proteins that are easy to prepare and flexible to use in a variety of dishes. The key is to choose options that can be prepped easily and cooked in thirty minutes or less. Consider the size of cuts of chicken or meat for faster cooking (go for smaller meatballs and make meatloaf in two small loaf pans, for example). Vary the seasonings and preparation methods for even more flexibility and versatility.
Step #2: Make It Into a Meal
Next, add ingredients as puzzle pieces to bring simple meals together. This approach, rather than meal prepping, satisfies different preferences and works well with fluctuating appetites and meal timing. The goal is to have the following four options on hand to bring dishes together without a recipe in minutes:
Grains and Starches
Aim for a variety of grains and starches, including starchy vegetables. When possible, choose whole grains, which provide a variety of micronutrients, fiber, and protein. Be sure to include nutrient-rich, colorful starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or butternut squash. And think about convenience first! Look for Guiding Stars earning frozen or shelf stable products that can be prepared quickly and with less effort. Or visit the produce section for pre-washed or diced options that save you time. Some other items to consider are microwavable grain pouches, frozen or steam-in-bag potatoes, whole grain wraps, soba noodles, and bean-based and higher-protein pasta.
Fruits and Vegetables
Colorful fruits and vegetables provide an assortment of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals. In the produce section, go for pre-washed greens and veggies to use in quick salads and sides. Make easy-to-work-with options like grape tomatoes, mini sweet bell peppers and cucumbers, baby carrots, clementines, and grapes regulars on the shopping list. Choose frozen options or no-salt-added canned options too, which are easy to store and convenient to prepare. And don’t forget wild blueberries, diced mango, and other frozen fruits for flavorful, nutritious smoothies or oatmeal.
Nutritious Add-Ons
Keep a variety of ingredients on hand to boost the nutrition of your dish. Choose easy “add-ons” that deliver heart-healthy fat, fiber, and other nutrients. Go for options like edamame (frozen, shelled, steam-in-bag), which adds 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber in just a half cup. Or choose no-salt-added canned beans, guacamole or hummus, or nuts or seeds.
Flavor Add-Ons
Lastly, make any dish more interesting with salad dressing, salsa, pico de gallo, herb blends, spices, tzatziki, or other flavorful dips or sauces. These flavor add-ons can help you elevate a simple sandwich or recreate leftovers. They can also bring international flair to a rice bowl or simply add something extra to a traditional plate.
Looking for simple recipes that are made from five ingredients or less? Go for one of these Guiding Stars earning options:
Guiding Stars is an objective, evidence-based, nutrition guidance program that evaluates foods and beverages to make nutritious choices simple. Products that meet transparent nutrition criteria earn a 1, 2, or 3 star rating for good, better, and best nutrition. Guiding Stars can be found in more than 2,000 grocery stores and through the Guiding Stars Food Finder app.
*Image by Freepik
