One of the best habits that materialized in my quest to eat well is making a pot of soup or chili every Sunday year round. Long ago I realized that one of the greatest contributors of eating junk was the lack of time. Many times it was impossible to cook a healthy meal when we had to be out the door to make a practice, meeting or game. In the olden days, these nights consisted of fast food runs or microwaving something out of a box. Neither choice was inspired by eating a well balanced diet.
Everyone will tell you that planning is the key but when I first started my quest to eat better, the extra time to meal plan was not always plentiful. I did however start a ritual to make a pot of soup or chili each week and make sure we have some great bread on hand. We can have it for a meal, take it for lunch and count on it in a pinch for a quick dinner later on in the week if required. If a second meal is not needed, it freezes very well. Believe me, unlike canned soup which does not inspire me to freeze the left over portions, my homemade creations are something I never think twice about saving for a rainy day.
Now that I have established this wonderful habit, I can’t imagine ever being happy with merely opening a can of soup. Sure, I’ll use canned soup from time to time in a recipe but straight out of the can and onto the dinner table is a thing of the past. Many of my creations are inspired with the vegetables in season at the time. If it’s cauliflower, I google a recipe for cauliflower soup. Tomatoes have inspired an unmatched roasted tomato soup. I alternate, chowders, clear broth, cream, cold and hot soups all year long.
The benefits are tenfold. We always have food in a pinch in just minutes. We are eating healthy and always expanding our repertoire of Sunday creations. Soup is a great dinner, a wonderful complement to a sandwich or salad. and a fantastic meal starter. It has replaced fast food and less healthier meal options in our lives and it's one habit that I can’t imagine life without.
