As I walk into Kristine Peacock's kitchen, I'm immediately met with energetic playing kids (some hers, some friends of hers), a table filled with fresh cut-up veggies, and a healthy dose of "chaotic-ness". I am wholeheartedly welcomed into this joy-filled madness, offered a herbal tea, and I start to unpack my things.

I am referring to just this past weekend, when Meal Expert on Meal Garden and founder of Meals That Matter, Kristine, graciously invited me into her home to show me - first-hand - a thing or two about how she masters getting a healthy and home-cooked meal on the table for her family each and every night. Regardless of if birthday parties, ballet practice, or gymnastic class is on the schedule too. Some people may refer to it a miracle, others are perhaps a bit jealous, and can't help but give up at the thought of what that would take, but Kristine walks and talks a different story...

It’s all about repurposing - some might call it “leftovers”, I like to use the word “repurpose”.

And that's exactly what Kristine walks us through how to successfully (& deliciously) achieve for you and your family in the video we went on to film (check it out featured on our social pages this week).

The first step? Pick a protein!

Whether it be chicken breast, minced beef, mixed beans, etc. Buy it in bulk (often will save you some $$$) and then "batch cook". That might mean baking 6-8 chicken breasts all at once on a Sunday evening, enjoying a piece alongside a classic roast dinner plate with rice and veggies, and then throwing them into an Alfredo pasta dish the following Monday night, doing a stir-fry on the Tuesday, chicken fajitas on Wednesday, etc. etc.

Kristine advises that once you have that "key" ingredient decided on, it's easier to get creative and work around that for the rest of your week. Think of it like setting up some boundaries that influence and guide your choices. If you'd rather pass on thinking up these combinations altogether - Kristine once again has your back. She diligently put together one of our all-time favourite recipe collections in Meal Garden: Passport to Culinary Nutrition, and it's got everything from fully put together meals likes Moroccan Stew and a Chicken, Kale & Cauliflower Curry Bowl, to sides like Spaghetti Squash, all the way to exactly how to flavour some of these dishes with recipes for marinades and seasonings.

It's a collection I recommend for ANYONE intimidated by the idea of "meal planning", as it makes the perfect starting place for re-thinking about how you can "re-purpose" a few simple ingredients to make a diverse collection of tasty dishes that are anything but boring.

A lot of our Meal Garden users mention that some of the meal plans are simply not fit for their lifestyle - the idea of making several different recipes each and every day is 100% out of the question. We hear you loud and clear, and that's why we've partnered with Culinary Nutrition Expert Kristine - our expert in home-made, scratch-cooking - to bring you the guides and resources to make your journey to healthier, simpler, living as enjoyable and successful as possible.

Check out the video on how you can "repurpose" your way to ultimate healthy living for you & your family below.

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