The daily grind. You rush to work, grab whatever is most convenient for lunch, tackle your workout and then it’s on to your home with the inevitable question of “what’s for dinner?”. It would be a dream for most of us to walk in the door to a delicious, healthy, already-prepared dinner. As a personal trainer my days begin with wake-up times as early as 4:00am, long before thoughts of dinner cross my mind. I stress the importance of diet with my clients as we train, in terms of their results and overall energy level when working out.  The difference in our energy levels and motivation is most easily noticed when we skip a meal and our blood sugar dips too low, or when we settle for a food out of convenience. Food is an important part of the wellness equation and should be a joy, not a  stressor in our day. I want to share with you a few of my favorite resources for creating one-pot healthy meals, using everything from your oven to your crock-pots. It is National Slow-Cooker month, after all!

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Minimize the number of pots and pans you use. No one wants to clean millions of bowls or scrub surfaces after a long day away from home! You can layer veggies and meat with seasonings, spices and liquids to create a delicious, healthy meal. One of my favorite resources for healthy dishes Runner’s World. In this article, they share great dishes you can make right now using seasonal root veggies, like carrots and turnips, combined with a roast and brussels sprouts. All you need is 10-15 minutes the night before to prep, chop and layer your dinner. Wake up in the morning, pull your dish from the fridge, place it in your crock pot, turn on the crock pot on ‘low’ and head out the door with no worries about what to eat when you return for the evening. Easy, right?

To be on the safe side, integrate these tips when storing and eating your delicious home-cooked and healthy meal:

[box] CHILL OUT Cool slightly, then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container. Don’t leave out longer than two hours. [/box]

[box] REMEMBER TO EAT Finish leftovers within three to four days, or freeze and use within one to two months. [/box]

[box] DEFROST SAFELY Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge, making sure the container stays at 40° F or cooler. [/box]

[box] BE CONTAINER SMART Stick to microwave-safe containers. Plastic tubs or bags may transfer chemicals.[/box]

And if all of this information still isn’t enough to convince you about the wonders of making one-dish healthy meals, check out the customizable kitchen wares you need we discovered on the blog 52 Kitchen Adventures, featuring the customizable Crock-Pot. Wouldn’t this make a cool gift for someone trying to improve their diet?

I would love to know YOUR go-to healthy dishes for weeknight meals! Are you a fan of using a crock pot? How do you keep it healthy, simple and fast? If you have any questions or are looking for a few Vision Fitness and Wellness-approved weeknight meals, leave a comment below and your trainer and guide to health will be with you shortly!