The Whole Kitchen Way to Wholesome Meals

What is it and why might you care about it?

Allison’s story makes a good illustration of the Whole Kitchen Way (R).  As related in an earlier post, Allison has enthusiastically embraced everyday good eating.  But every now and then she hits the vegetable exhaustion wall.  My advice as a kitchen coach:  take a break and make a super easy meal on those nights.   I even came up with the perfect “take-a-break” recipe:  Creamy Gingered Peas and White Fish, a 15-minute, totally healthful and yummy one dish meal.

Here’s the kicker, though.  The dish can be made in 15 minutes as long as you:

• keep a freezer pantry stocked with convenient frozen vegetables
• know to keep frozen fish filets and which ones to stock
• are familiar with ginger enough to use it as a main flavoring
• know how to buy and grate ginger
• have the tool to grate ginger in 10 seconds
• have that tool at your fingertips by the sink
• stock limes and fish sauce in your refrigerator pantry
• stock coconut milk, chicken broth and high-quality soy sauce in your pantry
• know how to deglaze a pan and not overcook fish
• have counter space for cooking that isn’t covered with clutter
• can access ingredients without lengthy searching
• can quickly lay your hands on cutting board, knife and measuring spoons and cups, and
• don’t forget to have some whole grain rice left over from the day before.

Did you ever stop to think of all the puzzle pieces that come together to create “the picture” of a healthful meal?”  Most people have only the recipe piece.  No wonder it’s so hard to complete the finished picture and get a good meal on the table.  It’s because we’re working with a half (or quarter) kitchen, instead of a Whole Kitchen.

Get a feel for this Whole Kitchen concept with the articles below:  You’ll find the Gingered Pea recipe, but also  information on planning for this kind of meal, integrating coconut milk into your pantry, confidently using coconut milk and why taking advantage of convenient frozen veggies shouldn’t be a source of nutritional guilt.  Hopefully, you’ll gain a sense of the Whole Kitchen “infrastructure” that, if it’s in place, makes the recipe an entirely manageable, 15-minute undertaking.

Would you like to begin feeling good about the meals you’re making and eating, like you’re doing your body a favor instead of filling it with the highly processed and refined  foods, filled with fat, salt and sugar,then flavored and colored artificially?  We don’t want to eat any more pesticide covered, chemically fertilized, environment-destroying foods.  Are you ready to learn a Whole New Approach to Healthful Meal Making, so you can begin enjoying the meals of your dreams?  The key lies in creating a supportive, Whole Kitchen.  Join me for the next Whole Kitchen Way to Wholesome Eating series, beginning Wednesday, August 11.