Planning to Live in Retirement: Edition 9 Better Nutrition

     

Don't I wish I was so organized. Photo from Pexel.com free downloads.

     This is I guess a recurring theme for Wednesdays built from a seminar I took on retirement that emphasized the need to not only plan fiscally, but also for a change in lifestyle. One thing I am looking forward to is more time to have to plan and prepare meals. Now with just being myself, with occasional meals with my siblings or adult kids when they are here, pretty much everything is batch cooking because cooking for one results in extras. One of my hopes for weight loss and better health is linked to this post. 

     My son is still living with me-likely well into 2025, but things are in motion. His schedule also is varied, so modified batch cooking and having easy meals he or I can grab and reheat if we are on different schedules is useful. A few Saturdays ago when I was gone all day, he made chicken, mushroom wild rice soup, enough to feed an army, so I froze a few portion size containers, along with a larger container to reheat when we are both home. (A funny typo/autofill that I almost didn't catch-children almost replaced chicken in my son's soup, but I digress.)

     As from recent posts, it's no surprise I go out to eat semi frequently with my immediate family, siblings or friends. Besides the expense, and while we avoid fast food, the calorie and likely sodium levels are much higher than meals I prepare. These two things help motivate me to prepare much more healthy meals when I am at home, and much more fiscally sensible. I want to keep going forward on losing the excess weight and getting stronger but also manage the other health issues I have and may be prone to develop as I age. I'm looking forward to finding more recipes for meal options that have adequate protein, limited, but not fat free, and pair with good portions of vegetables and fruit. I don't want it all to be soups and hotdishes either, though I love both. 

     I tackled a bit of meal prep over the week.  Aldi has a Black Ben and quinoa burger that are delicious, but for over $3 or more dollars for 4 patties, I knew there had to be easy recipes out there. I used this as loose inspiration,  recipe for black bean quinoa burgers, altered seasoning and ingredients with what I had in the house, and voila, got 6 substantial burgers. I made a huge crockpot of dal, froze at least three portions that will work for us another night for supper, or for myself the full week my son is gone.

     Monday night I made turkey tortellini soup for Tuesday and for the freezer. Also, I  made a batch of four tuna cakes, which basically was just two cans of tuna mixed with mayo, bread crumbs, lots of garlic and onion, formed, coated in bread crumbs, and baked for 40 minutes at 375, flipped mid way. One on a bun ( brown and serve bought after Christmas for 25¢ a pack and stuck in the freezer) with a quinoa and assorted vegetable and cucumber salad was absolutely delicious. My son ate two, and there's one left to reheat in the air fryer. 

      These are the types of meals that might take a bit of prep ahead, but for taste and price, worth the time especially once I am not working 40+ hours a week. 

     My appetite is changing. I feel very full attempting to eat the portion sizes I ate even a few years ago. I remember that with my mom and see it with my MIL and older sisters. It would be too easy to not get my calories from the healthy stuff. I hear my MIL mention that she had a busy social day and therefore was just going to make a single serve pizza or a sandwich for dinner. Often her business was 2-3 activities each with coffee and a dessert or sweet of some kind, and not much of an actual meal. Though, I should say, my MIL is pretty healthy, active without a list of medications to take each day, so at 84 she's doing something right. But, dessert and coffee as her main meal is probably not it. 

     I read some blogs that make volumes of meat and vegetable ahead and reheat for multiple days, and then repeat. I'm not looking for that as meal prep, though that's a perfectly fine option if it works for you. I just prefer more variety with different flavors, but do eat and like leftovers for lunch the next day or to freeze half or in portions for a future meal. How are you all navigating the extra time you might have to prepare meals? Have you found any blogs or YouTube channels or just basic cook books that have given you ideas to try?