What a Clever Batch
What a Clever Batch
Slurp your 5-a-day, everyday
Finding the time to cook nourishing meals can sometimes feel as easy as hula-hooping on a surfboard amidst an orange weather warning.
More often than we'd like to admit, we end up mainlining the fastest meal solution onto our table or settling for convenience food when our bodies deserve better.
The bad news is that we are likely overloading on additives, excessive salt, and nutritionally-void fats, sabotaging our energy levels and our mojo. Gah!
We all seem to be suffering from a chronic lack of time. So what are we going to do about it? Start batchin’.
Soup is the easiest place to start, as not only is it simple and affordable to make, but it’s easy to store too. You don't need a big freezer – just a single drawer will do. Soups can be frozen in individual portions using recycled glass jars (see photo above) or flat freezer bags. This way, you can manage your freezer's inventory with a simple Sharpie and a roll of masking tape. Both withstand freezer moisture and will help you feel like a worthy disciple of Mary Poppins and Marie Condo. (Just don’t fill the jars completely, or they’ll smash once frozen. I fill mine 80% which works s treat).
Veggie-powered soups are to my freezer, what SPF is to my skin. Without them, I would simply burn. My freezer is intimately linked to my sanity. When I know there are nutritious soups inside its doors, I relax and bypass the pressure to cook every single night.
Soups can help you eat well while straddling a demanding schedule. They’re one of the best ways to bump up your daily veggie intake without much effort (basically sauté and purée). You can transform just about any soup into a complete meal by topping with protein in the form of a poached egg, grated cheddar n’guac, bluecheese and pecans, fried black beans, crushed hazelnuts, or lentils. A crisp salad to the side will add a swag of extra nutrients and smugness. If you like this shortcut, next week I’ll be sharing lots more ideas on how to updgrade soups to suppers (souper suppers?!)
For larger families, I recommend doubling up on the recipes below and freezing leftovers to service crazy weekdays and murderous meltdowns. Otherwise, leftover soup can happily sit covered in your fridge all week long.
Love, light, and NutriBullets,
Susan Jane
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// Ginger & Roasted Squash Soup//
For 6 servings