Close

Archive for category: Food For Thought

by

O-Tip of the Week: Track What you Eat

Our O-Tip of the week series delivers valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of September, a month of back to school and back to reality, our O-Tip series will provide you with OT-approved ways to put the focus back on you.  This week’s O-Tip can help with physical self-improvement by helping you properly fuel your body.

How do you know if you are getting the essentials or getting too much of the things we shouldn’t have without tracking what you eat?  We challenge you to fully track what you eat and drink for one full week (or longer for lasting success) to help you find out if you are getting what your body needs.  From there you will be able to make appropriate changes to your diet.  Try the My Fitness Pal app which analyzes the foods you eat and shows you how much of each nutrient (ex. protein, iron, essential vitamins) you have consumed.  You can also use this free (with paid options) app to count calories, track hydration, exercise and more.

by

Nourish Your Noggin with These Delicious Dishes

The choices of WHAT we eat are becoming increasingly important as research is finding more and more connections between certain foods and their effects on our bodies.  The following from Eating Well provides recipes that can help to fuel our brains to assist with concentration and memory, and keep our minds in tip-top shape!

Eating Well:  Brain-Boosting Dinner Recipes

by

O-Tip of the Week: Avoid Cross-Contamination… Prep Separately

Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of March, Nutrition Month, our O-Tip series will feature kitchen hacks to make your meals more nutritious, less time-consuming and more convenient.

Combat cross-contamination by using multiple cutting boards.  Avoiding cross-contamination and the risk of foodborne illness by having separate boards:  one for meats and one for fruits, vegetables and other.  Easily distinguish between boards by labeling them with a permanent marker or by designating different coloured boards for different food types. 

by

The Costs of Convenience

Do you remember a time when eating out was for a special occasion, or when grabbing takeout happened once and a while?  For this generation, it seems that meals at restaurants and from takeout windows have become more of a regular occurrence than a special treat.  Why is this so bad?  Well other than the higher cost and lower nutritional values think about what this is (or is NOT) teaching your children?  In fact, the following article from the Huffington Post argues that this generation has prioritized convenience over cooking so much that “the simple act of cooking — a health-preserving life skill — is a skill that risks extinction.”

The Huffington Post:  Teaching Your Kids To Cook Is More Important Than Teaching Them To Play Soccer Or Hockey

by

O-Tip of the Week: Tricks for Tear-Free Onion Prep

Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of March, Nutrition Month, our O-Tip series will feature kitchen hacks to make your meals more nutritious, less time-consuming and more convenient.

Do you love onions but hate the stinging, teary eyes that result when you chop them?  Try this awesome hack that will leave you dry eyed… Place the onion in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes prior to chopping.  If you forget, you can always try the trick of sticking a piece of bread in your mouth while you chop.

by

O-Tip of the Week: Cook once… eat twice (or more!)

Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of March, Nutrition Month, our O-Tip series will feature kitchen hacks to make your meals more nutritious, less time-consuming and more convenient.

If you want to save time, energy and money while eating your healthiest meals then it’s time to learn to love your leftovers!  And leftovers no longer need to mean the exact same meal – learn to re-purpose them!  Take a look at these delicious double recipes care of Health Magazine.

Health:  Cook Once, Eat Twice Meals

by

O-Tip of the Week: Plan Ahead – Shop once!

Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of March, Nutrition Month, our O-Tip series will feature kitchen hacks to make your meals more nutritious, less time-consuming and more convenient.

Do you know the biggest way you can save time, energy and money each week?  Plan ahead!  Planning your meals for the week not only allows you to ensure you are eating healthy meals every day, but saves you unnecessary trips to the grocery store throughout the week.  Try our printable weekly meal planner to help you on your way!

by

Tips for a Healthier Dining Out Experience

Eating out for pleasure is always a treat, however, for the many who find dining out to be a large part of their work-life on a regular basis, restaurant dining can lose its appeal!  Although recently more restaurants have expanded menus to include healthier options, large portion sizes and high sodium levels can put the diners’ health at risk.

Learn some great tips on how to make healthier choices when dining out in the following article care of Forbes Magazine.

Forbes:  How To Eat Healthy In A Restaurant

by

O-Tip of the Week: Heart Smart Diet Tips

Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living. 

For the month of February, Heart Month, our O-Tip series will feature Heart Smart Life Hacks.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation states that high blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and a leading cause of heart attack.  Help prevent your risk, and lower your blood pressure by trying the DASH ( Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension) diet.  

Learn more care of The Heart and Stroke Foundation:  The DASH Diet to lower high blood pressure

 

 

by

Meal Preparation: Tips to Save Time and Energy

Making healthy and satisfying meals takes a lot of time and energy.  For those living with injury, illness, or the effects of aging cooking can become something that easily zaps precious energy.  The following care of Tru-Therapy Kitchen, an OT website focused on promoting optimal function and independence in the kitchen, discusses 5 great “hacks” that can help save time and energy when making meals.

Tru-Therapy Kitchen:  5 Energy Conservation Tips for Meal Prepping