We no longer have time to relax, have fun, do the things we like best. We always live in a hurry, with the minutes counted. And this daily rush is changing, day after day and for the worse, our relationship with food.
Some of us, perhaps, are already aware of it, while others do not even pose the problem. But to make us reflect on this sad reality there are the data of the Fipe survey, the Federation of the country's public businesses, which tell us what are the new eating styles of the villagers. Well: only 32,7% of respondents said they cook for lunch (many work). But the problem is that even at dinner, only 53% of us start cooking. Many prefer to have their meal brought home (30,2% have already tried doing it online).
Not only that: even those who spadella dedicate an average of 37 minutes a day to this activity. Definitely not many.
We feed out of necessity, not pleasure
"Eating has lost that value of conviviality, relationship and passion, which has always been present in the culture of the villagers", comments Dr. Daniela Bavestrello, psychologist and psychotherapist in Rimini.
«One only fills one's stomach to silence hunger, to satisfy a physiological need, without wondering if the choices are healthy and, last but not least, without feeling any pleasure. Eating well, satisfying the body and mind, is not a priority for those who are always in a hurry. And the consequences, unfortunately, we have them under our eyes every day: the number of people both overweight (36% of the population) and obese (11%) increases».
We must learn to organize ourselves
If the time we have available is short, while the risks for our well-being are many (from cardiovascular problems to diabetes, from inflammatory diseases to tumors), we must do our utmost to to make the most of the minutes we have available exploiting what in the Anglo-Saxon world is called "batch cooking", a strategy also illustrated in detail in the new book Serial cuisine by Keda Black (Guido Tommasi Editore, € 27).
The watchword is organization: «Over the weekend we can draw up our own weekly plan: we indicate the meals that we must prepare (to take to the office or to eat at home), making sure that everyone is always provided for a source of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice or other grains) and one of proteins (meat, fish, eggs, cold cuts, legumes ...) », advises Dr. Diana Scatozza, dietician.
«Haste must not make us lose sight of the balance and the variety of the menu. Also, let's not forget to predict lots of vegetables and a couple of fruits every day. We make our shopping list, we go to buy what we need, we cook and arrange the food prepared in the refrigerator and freezer, as appropriate ».
Pay attention to the deadline
«For" batch cooking "to work, the duration of the various foods»Recommends Dr. Giorgio Donegani, food technologist.
“For example, we can buy the salads in an envelope for the first two days of the week e carrots, fennel, celery, cherry tomatoes for subsequent ones. In the fridge they resist very well (if we want we can already divide them into single portions) and are very quick to prepare (for example in dips, with good extra virgin olive oil).
For the former we can think of cold cereal salads (to be distributed in individual containers and stored in the refrigerator) or on vegetable and legume soups (to be portioned and stored in the freezer in trays that can also be put in the microwave). For the seconds, ok a fish fillets and slices of meat, which cook quickly. In short: with a little method and a pinch of imagination, going back to eating well will not be difficult ».
Watch out for additives
If you focus on ready meals to save time, pay attention to the ingredients. "Try to avoid foods that contain preservatives. In general, remember that the fewer additives there are in a product, the better, ”says Dr. Donegani.
The batch cooking manual
“Batch is the idea of cook in advance for the whole week», Explains Keda Black, author of this new book which teaches how to organize oneself to“ cook one day and eat one week ”.
Here's how to get organized.
- Make a list
The first move is write a detailed list of everything you needand to make the dishes of the week. "This will also allow you to avoid unnecessary purchases, saving money and reducing waste," explains the author.
- Save time
60-90 minutes in the stove, Keda Black assures, are enough to cook in advance and then freeze the dishes for all dinners of the working week. The manual proposes well 13 menus, all illustrated, with specified also cosati is used both for cooking (pots, pans, mixers ...) and for preserving (number and size of containers).
- Try a typical menu
Monday: Nicoise salad. Tuesday: stuffed vegetables. Wednesday: pasta with olives and goat cheese, buttered radishes. Thursday: avocado and sauteed rice. Friday: sage ravioli, cucumber salad. Bonus recipe: baked fruit. All with 90 minutes in the kitchen on Sundays.
(Marzia Nicolini)
