Balancing Health & Family

March 27, 2022March 25, 2022 Tex Appeal staff Carey Stites

These strategies help Carey Stites put dinner on the table while she focuses on recovery

Editor’s Note: This is the first column in a series about Carey Stites’ battle with breast cancer.

By Carey Stites | Photo by Becky Stinehour

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2021. Since the diagnosis, I have had chemotherapy biweekly and have had to deal with the side effects, including nausea, fatigue, GI distress and generally “not feeling myself.” Life can get pretty hectic in a hurry with work, school, school activities, sports and the other obligations we have on a daily basis. With all the external factors affecting family time — primarily mealtime during the week — the task of preparing meals at home (let alone sitting down together) can feel extremely overwhelming when you’re not sick. Imagine what it is like when you are dealing with a serious illness.

As a working mom and a cancer survivor, implementing the strategies below along with maintaining a standard of reality has helped me continue to ensure my family eats relatively healthy as we go through this process together. Thankfully, I do have help from my mom, a great cook, and friends who bring us food on days when I am not up to anything (or I just want to eat bagels). Yes, we do order out, as I definitely believe healthy eating is all about moderation, balance and practicality.

Planning, prepping and leftovers have been essential for our family as good nutrition is not only key for me as I navigate through breast cancer but for my family as well. Plus, everyone is learning how to help cook around our home and our menu has expanded from more than macaroni and cheese the past few months!

The family dinner hour is a crucial component of healthy living; however, it is important to note that family dinner does not have to fit into a stereotypical box. In the past, dinner time was likely the same time each night with the family formally sitting down to a meal prepared at home. Sufficient evidence suggests when families eat together they tend to eat healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables resulting in a lower incidence of becoming overweight.

In addition, sitting down to dinner together is one of the most simple and effective ways for parents to engage in their children’s lives and remain up to speed on daily events. Finding the time to have a regular meal together is easier said than done for busy families, however, implementing a few strategies can help facilitate a home cooked meal and the opportunity to sit together as often as possible and enjoy each other’s company.

Plan Meals Ahead of Time

This is a simple and effective way to prepare a meal at home and skip the drive-thru. Begin by allotting 10-15 minutes on the weekend to visualize your family’s schedule for the week. Taking a quick look ahead can show you which days may require a “quick” meal, what days offer an opportunity for a more “involved” meal and honestly, what days to order out/pick up food. Writing down a meal schedule or mentally noting the plan for the week can help simplify the process and help develop your grocery list.

Prep and Batch Cook

Keep the basics on hand and a part of your weekly shopping list. Start with items such as boneless/skinless chicken breasts, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato sauce, wraps, whole grain pasta, rice, frozen vegetables, whole grain tortillas, lean ground beef and milk. From this list of ingredients, a wealth of dinners can emerge such as fajitas, wraps, salads, quesadillas, pasta bakes and tacos. Having these foods on hand and on the weekly shopping list helps prepare a quick and relatively health meal in a snap if needed. Can you also keep boxed items, such as macaroni and cheese or a frozen lasagna on hand? Absolutely.

Batch cooking results in cooking less frequently and ideally prepping and cooking ingredients on one day. Meats are likely the easiest to batch cook; bake a fair amount of chicken breasts and shred, cut into bite size pieces or keep whole as needed. Meats can also be frozen and defrosted when needed to incorporate into recipes. Sauces like tomato sauce are also easy to batch cook along with casserole type meals such as lasagna and enchiladas.

Plan for Leftovers

Another meal plan strategy? Pair similar meals/ingredients on back-to-back days. Perhaps on Monday dinner is a one-pan Chicken Parmesan and the next day shred the chicken for tacos. Do not forget to embrace leftovers! Implement “leftover night” or use the extras to prepare a quick meal without the preparing and cooking. If Tuesday was fajita night, reuse the chicken, peppers, lettuce and tomato for fresh chicken salads on Wednesday (or leftover fajitas).

Revive the Slow Cooker

Do not forget about the slow cooker, but keep it simple! When preparing a meal in the Crock Pot it is easy to become overwhelmed because the meal needs to be prepped in the morning to have it ready when you walk in the door after school and work. Realistically the challenge of preparing a meal while trying to get yourself and the family dressed and out the door can be daunting; choose an easy recipe to “throw together.” A few chopped vegetables such as onions, carrots, potatoes and celery combined with your favorite meat and some chicken or vegetable stock will do the trick.

Recipe Resources

While there is always the chance some evenings will be so busy that gathering the whole family together for a meal can feel impossible, having a “home cooked” prepared meal at waiting at home can eliminate the need for the drive-thru and provides an opportunity for a healthier dinner.

The next time someone asks, “What’s for dinner?” you can respond with tasty recipes from one of these healthy websites such as Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili or Chicken Tortilla Casserole. Enjoy!

Carey Stites, MS, RD, LD, CPT, is a registered and licensed dietitian in Harker Heights. She obtained a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Texas Tech University has been a practicing dietitian since 2001. Carey is also an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer; she has promoted health and wellness through presentations, classes, writing and cooking demonstrations all over Texas.

Grilled Cheese with Peaches

8 slices whole grain bread
1 15-oz can of peaches, drained
8 slices low-fat cheddar cheese
7 1/2 cups spinach
4 teaspoons vegetable oil

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.

Place 4 slices of whole grain bread in the pan.

Layer (in this order) one slice of cheese, a handful of spinach, 4 to 6 peach slices, another slice of cheese, and a slice of bread on top of each original slice of bread.

After 4 to 5 minutes, flip each sandwich and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Notes: Try this recipe with other leafy greens, such as arugula, and other cheeses.

Source: Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion