We all lead full lives these days, and I know that we struggle at times to put healthy meals on the table. Here are some tips to help you with the juggling act:

1. Put a value on it. We will only take the time to plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks if we actually consider it a priority.
2. Be prepared. Sit down for a few minutes each week to consider what you and your family would like to eat for the following week. Think about main meals, lunches, lunch boxes and snacks. Include main meals that will double as lunch the next day to save you time. When you have your menu planned, go through the fridge and pantry making a list of the ingredients you’ll need for the week.
3. Shop. Do you think we really need any tips on how to shop? We all know how to do that, right? Just a couple of pointers – Leave The Kids At Home! If taking the kids is unavoidable, ensure they have a full belly before you leave home. Come to think of it, make sure you have a full belly too. And for further backup, take some healthy snacks with you so that you are not tempted to stray into the chocolate aisle.
4. Set aside time. Aim to invest just 1 hour a week for baking. You’ll be surprised what you can make in that time and the difference it will make in your life. You could make a week’s worth of sweet treats for yourself and your family, which will save you money and save your waistline. I recommend that you always make a double batch of your favourite sweet treat, and store the second batch securely until needed. Also, when cooking main meals, make a double or triple batch and either refrigerate leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner, or store in meal size portions in the freezer. Write the name, date and serving size on some masking tape on the lid of the container.
5. 80/20 rule. The most important tip of all. Yes, there are weeks when we’ve had an hour in the kitchen, made our apple crumble and enough soup to last us until next winter. Then there are other weeks when it all goes pear shaped and we are reaching for the supermarket muesli bars for lunch boxes. There are weeks when we plan everything and eat really well, then there’ll be a day (or three) when we are on the run with a tin of tuna or a take away. Don’t worry. It’s what we do the majority of the time that’s important, so if you get it right most of the time you are doing just fine. Enjoy it all.