November Nourishment: Eat Well, Spend Less & Make Life Easier

2 hours ago

4 min read

Simple ways to nourish yourself and your family, save money and spend less time in the kitchen – because eating well shouldn't feel like another full-time job!

November is here, the days are getting shorter, the evenings are darker, and life doesn't seem to slow down. Between work, family commitments, school runs, household chores and everything else on our never-ending to-do lists, finding the time to prepare healthy meals can feel like yet another challenge.

But here's the good news: eating well doesn't have to be expensive, complicated or time-consuming.

This month, I'm all about keeping things simple. Making small changes, choosing affordable ingredients and finding clever ways to prepare food that works around our busy lives. As a nutrition tutor, I am constantly asking my learners, what can you add to this meal to boost fibre, or protein or to include colourful seasonal vegetables?

One pain point for me is healthy snacks, how many crisps or chocolates or biscuits can one eat?

Healthy eating without the high price tag

When we're short on time, it's tempting to reach for convenience foods or order a takeaway. We've all been there! But with a little planning, you can create delicious, nourishing meals without stretching your food budget.

My top tips for November:

Plan a few meals ahead: Even planning three or four evening meals can make shopping easier and reduce food waste.
Make ingredients work harder: Eggs, rice, beans and seasonal vegetables are affordable ingredients that can be used in lots of different ways.
Prepare ahead: A little meal preparation at the weekend can make busy weekday evenings much easier. An example would be to air fry some chicken and cut into strips which can be used for salads, soups, sandwich fillings, I often buy these on offer and freeze so I can make these whenever I need.
Keep it simple: You don't need complicated recipes or dozens of ingredients to make something delicious. Minimal ingredients means less waste.
Use ingredients with multiple uses: I've recently discovered sesame, peanut butter and soya sauce for noodles, peanut butter can be used for toast, a snack with apples or pear slices, a creamy sauce for noodles and even make yummy cup cake icing! Another ingredient with multiple uses is Greek yoghurt, that covers granola pots, make cakes, thicken sauces, make pizza base and cakes! Greek yoghurt has the benefits of being good for the gut, a source of calcium and protein, has a longer shelf life and inexpensive too.
Swap convenience snacks for healthier ones such as boiled eggs, cooked chicken, houmous, crudites, pickled cucumbers, nuts and fruit and nut butters.

This month's recipe: Easy Soy Marinated Eggs

If you're looking for an easy, affordable way to add flavour and protein to your meals, these soy marinated eggs are worth trying.

They're simple to prepare, can be made ahead and are incredibly versatile. Enjoy them with rice, noodles, in a salad or simply as a quick snack when you're rushing between meetings or family commitments. The bonus is the soya juice marinade is already flavoured with garlic, spring onions and chilli so can be used to make stews, stirred into noodles and rice with no more prep required.

Ingredients

6 eggs
6 tablespoons soy sauce ( or 1/4 of the jar)
4 tablespoons filtered water ( top up to cover eggs in jar)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped ( leave for 10 minutes can increase health benefits)
1 x chopped Spring onions ( both green and white part)
Sesame seeds ( black or white)
A little grated ginger (optional)
Red chilli or chilli flakes ( optional)
1 large jam jar with lid

Method

Boil your eggs for around 7 ( jammy centre) –9 minutes, depending on how firm you like the yolks.
Transfer them into cold water, allow to cool and carefully peel. ( the cold water helps peeling bit)
Mix the soy sauce, water, honey, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a large jam jar.
Place the peeled eggs in a suitable covered container and pour over the marinade.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, turning the eggs occasionally so they absorb the flavour.

Keep refrigerated and enjoy within 3-5 days. ( the eggs will get more salty over time, so if watching your salt intake eat eggs earlier)

Serving idea: Slice your eggs in half and serve over warm rice with spring onions and sesame seeds. Add some steamed vegetables for an easy, satisfying lunch or dinner. Serve over rice noodles ( Rice noodles take about 5-6 minutes to rehydrate- so when hydrated, toss 2 cut eggs, ( cutting them lets the juices seep in) add some nori seaweed dust and spoon the soya marinade and lunch or dinner is stirred under 10 minutes!)

A little reminder: Make time for yourself too

As busy mums and professionals, we're often so focused on looking after everyone else that we forget about ourselves.

Eating well is one small way of investing in your own health and wellbeing. It doesn't need to involve expensive ingredients, hours of cooking or a complete lifestyle overhaul.

This November, let's take the pressure off. ( Christmas is next month which can be a job in itself) Make simple meals, use what you have, plan ahead when you can and remember that even small steps make a difference.

Learning about Nutrition

I teach at Wandsworth Life long Learning a course on Understanding Nutrition for Health Level 2. This course is free for Londoners ( subject to criteria) and my next course is due to start on Monday evenings early February 2027 over 10 weeks. This is a Level 2 qualification there are 3 assessments to complete. Look out on my Instagram to click on my booking link nearer the time.