5 halal & budget-friendly ways to eat well during a busy week
Fatimah is a Motherland Mogul writer based in Nigeria. She has written over 6,500 minutes of television while working on African telenovelas like Battleground: The Final Showdown, Unbroken and EVE on Africa Magic. When she is not writing, she shares food recipes and tips on her Instagram page – @lazyhalalkitchen. In this article, she shares 5 tips for fellow Motherland Moguls on how to eat well on a busy schedule. As a bonus, she’s kept it halal! If you live and work in a busy city like Lagos or Johannesburg, you are more likely to have an unhealthy diet. It’s easier to find a quick unhealthy bite than cook a healthy meal when you are busy. However, working hard should never be at the detriment of your health. In addition to eating well, if you are Muslim like me, it’s important in your daily life to keep your diet in line with the guidelines of the Qur’an. Halal? Haram? Mashbooh? – What does it all mean? Here are my tips on 5 simple and affordable ways to eat well while on a busy schedule. 1. Keep It Simple Eating soups, stews, wraps, smoothies, and sandwiches are a great way to maintain a halal and healthy diet when you are busy. Focus on using ingredients that are versatile, easy to get, and quick to prep. You can never go wrong with tomatoes, peppers, canned corn/beans, and eggs. 2. Use Everything Before you think you need to spend money restocking groceries, think about your unused ingredients. Are you really done with that remaining bowl of frozen bananas or can of unopened cashews? Don’t be afraid to break a few rules and get creative with your recipes. Try swapping out flour for bananas and oatmeal to make pancakes. Substitute cooking cream with cashews to make a plate of creamy pasta. Blend up your peanuts to make a sauce that can work for rice or pasta. Not sure what to make? Use sites and apps like Yummly, Supercook, and MyFridgeFood to figure out what you can make with the ingredients you have. 3. Use It Again! Do. Not. Ever. Waste. Food. It is halal to stay nourished by eating all you have been blessed with. Food waste is also the largest contributor to climate change. Whatever the reason, it is important for all of us to keep our food consumption sustainable. So you made a huge pot of soup and you’re no longer feeling it? Reheat your soup, add a bowl of water and throw in a cup or two of rice or pasta. You are saving time, money, helping the planet and raking up those blessings. Most importantly, you are staying healthy so you can crush work. 4. Buy Only What You Need If you’re a foodie like me, the temptation of buying everything from the grocery store or market is real! Going grocery shopping without a plan is the worst thing you can for your bank account. Make a list and buy only what you need for the next two weeks. This is especially important if you don’t have time to prep your meals. Buying in bulk will overwhelm you, strain your wallet and lead to food wastage. Think about what you’d like to eat (or remake ?) and focus on buying the products for that. 5. Prioritize Quality It is halal to eat in moderation and keep your plate healthy. Staying committed to eating well is easier when you pay attention to what’s going on your plate. When you are busy, find time on your weekend to make a huge bowl of healthy salad that can last for the week. A halal lifestyle of nourishment is – ⅓ food, ⅓ water, and ⅓ air. No matter how busy you get, make sure you prioritize your health by eating well, drinking lots of water. and getting a good intake of air from exercise. What tips will you use to stay committed to eating well? Foodie? Get your eats on in Joburg at #SLAYFestival2020