For the month of June, I made a number of commitments to myself, including following the guidelines laid out by Michael Pollan in his book Food Rules.  

Following these rules wasn’t terribly difficult, as I already practiced a number of guidelines laid out in the book.  But where I got tripped up the most was on the days I was working long hours and needed quick, convenient meals and beverages to make it through the day.  

Whether your crutch is fast food or packaged microwaveable meals, here are a few of the things I found helpful to plan ahead, so that I did not depend on modern convenient foods when following Pollan’s Food Rules:

Prep Breakfast and Lunch the Night Before

When we’re running late for work, or have to grab a quick meal in between meetings, we simply don’t have time to prepare a meal.  But if we think and plan ahead, we can overcome this matter of inconvenience.  Prepping breakfast and packing lunches the night before are the best way to ensure we’ll eat proper meals the next day.  I try to package small salads in plastic containers to make sure I cover my plant intake needs, and always keep a salad dressing mixture of 2/3 part olive oil, 1/3 part balsamic vinegar, with dashes of salt, pepper and crushed oregano in my office.

Make multiple dishes ahead of time on Weekends

Take advantage of lazy Sundays to prep 2 to 3 dishes that can easily provide lunches for each day of the week.  Soups and stews are easy to prepare ahead of time, and ideal for packing a lunch that can be re-heated.  I love to roast a chicken for dinner, carve up the remaining meat that same day and create a tasty chicken salad, and then use the bones and carcass to prepare a homemade chicken broth.

Know which Foods are being Harvested

Keeping tabs on which foods are being harvested in your area at the given time will provide you the ability to plan your meals and shopping list in advance.  If tomatoes are about to come in season, you’ll have time to research recipes that you can make use tomatoes.  And having a set of recipes at the ready will allow you to know exactly which ingredients to add to your shopping list.  When tomatoes finally do come in season, you’ll be prepared!

Shameless plug:  This tip is the reason that I created the local seasonal foods guide on Foodgeeks.

This is a photo of duck breast prosciutto, which is quite simple to make.  It’s the wait that makes it difficult.  But with patience, you’ll experience a slice of perfection.  Here’s the recipe:

http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/21838

Cioppino is so crazy delicious on a cold winter night!