For healthy diet programs to be sustainable, they have to be convenient. We are all busy. Who wants to spend an hour cooking dinner after coming home starving and exhausted?

As a Certified Nutritionist, I help client find practical ways for my clients to build healthy diet programs that work for their lifestyles.

Healthy Diet Programs are Sustainable

Healthy diet programs that last are the ones that fit in with hectic schedules and are sustainable. Here are some tips to make healthy diet programs stick:

  • Use canned beans
  • Use frozen vegetables
  • Shop at Trader Joe’s (lots of interesting ways to use vegetables)
  • Get healthy prepared takeout
  • Order pre-cooked home delivered meals
  • When you cook, always double the recipe
  • Grill in the backyard and make lots of leftover vegetables
  • When you eat out, save ½ and eat if for dinner later in the week
  • Buy a healthy frozen dinner and add frozen vegetables
  • Buy a rotisserie chicken and use it three ways

Here’s a good example of a recipe that fits healthy diet programs. The preparation time is only 15 minutes.

Chickpea Curry Recipe

This recipe is made convenient with canned beans. Try this quick and healthy Indian recipe for an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want an additional vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower florets.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium serrano pepper, cut into thirds
  • 4 large cloves garlic
  • 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1-inch)
  • 6 tablespoons canola oil or grapeseed oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2¼ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes with their juice (from a 28-ounce can)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

  1. Pulse serrano, garlic and ginger in a food processor until minced. Scrape down the sides and pulse again. Add onion; pulse until finely chopped, but not watery.
  2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, cumin and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
  3. Pulse tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped. Add to the pan along with salt.
  4. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add chickpeas and garam masala, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more.
  5. Serve topped with cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition (per 1 cup serving)

Calories:        278

Fat:                 15 g 

Fiber:              6 g

Carbs:            30 g

Protein:          6 g

Click here to add this recipe to your healthy diet programs.