But I Don't Have Enough Time!

I know there are skeptics and naysayers out there in regards to my "localvore" way of eating and feeding my family because of the amount of time everyone thinks it takes.  The key to successful healthy eating is organization and planning.  For those of you with desk jobs or the usual 9-5 work day there is almost always a few minutes a day - whether it be a 15 minute coffee break or a few minutes on your lunch break where you can sit down and write up a menu for the coming week's meals.  I try to divide my list into each day with lunch and dinner listed (breakfast is usually the same every morning); I find it also very helpful to plan to cook a large casserole or pot of soup at least once a week so that it can be used for leftovers and that way I don't have to cook some of the nights.  If you're short on time during the work week but have an extra hour or two on the weekends when you're fixing dinner try to prep or make another of your meals ahead of time and freeze it or have it ready to be thrown together in a few minutes. When I'm preparing something in advance I try to double or triple the recipe and freeze the extra portions to stock up the freezer for those nights I'm in a pinch and don't feel like cooking.
  When grocery shopping, in order to make your trip the fastest possible, organize your shopping list into the appropriate food areas in your grocery store (i.e. produce, meat, dry goods, dairy, etc).  Think about the way you travel through the store and list the different categories in that order.  This little bit of organization ahead of time can save you lots of time from running back and forth across the store trying to find the last few items on your list.  To make your trip even faster, shop with another adult or teenager in your household and give them half the list!
  My previous blogposts mentioned going to farmer's markets on the weekends to stock up on produce and other local goods and you may be telling yourself "the hell with getting up early in the morning on the weekend to go produce shopping!"  There are some other great benefits other than just picking up some local fruit and veggies, however.  Many farmer's markets have ready made meals all prepackaged and ready for purchase like homemade pasta and pasta sauces, baked artisan breads with toppings baked in that are great for do-it-yourself pizzas and ready made desserts.  A lot of food vendors have set-up shop at their local farmer's market as well, so it's a good place to get breakfast and that takes one more meal off your list that you have to prepare.
  I find it very refreshing to get up and grab a cup of coffee or tea at the market, walk around with James and see what looks good, and take the dog out for a long walk.  Getting up and doing something on the weekend also helps me be more productive the rest of the day.  I find I get a lot more done when I get up and be productive right-off-the-bat versus lounging around the house with my cup of tea.  Farmer's markets are also a great place to take the kids - it gives them a place to run around, interact with people and learn about the different things that farmer's grow in their area as well as expand their food palette.
  Hopefully these tips help you out with your busy schedules and allow you to more easily prepare healthy meals for you and your family!  Bon appetite!