Taking action

When it comes to living healthy there are many small steps we can take action with. Being proactive versus reactive with our health can make all the difference. This entails helping your body stay healthy versus trying to heal your body after the fact. However, both are worthy causes and can help you stay healthy longer.

Eating well

Here at LTC TREE we want you to stay healthy as long as possible. We help you prepare for your long-term care planning while also hoping you never need it. Just like with any other insurance, the goal of long-term care insurance is to help you cover the steep costs of the unexpected. However, if you’re lucky, you may never need to touch your long-term care insurance policy. While some aspects of our health may be out of our control such as accidents or genetics. There are certainly other aspects we can help manage when it come to our own health.

Fueling foods

We know that a healthy relationship with food can help combat excessive weight gain, brain fog, and fatigue. Food is used to fuel our bodies and provide energy however, as we know it can also be very tasty. Aside from this, food is oftentimes used as reason to socially gather. These combinations can sometimes make overeating easier than we think. In addition to overeating, there also exists the temptations to purchase convenient or fast foods from restaurants or stores. While enjoying the occasional meal away from home is certainly okay, it can make it difficult to know exactly what you are consuming.

At Home

What’s the best way to know what you are consuming? The best way to know exactly what you are eating is to prepare and cook it yourself! Purchasing fresh ingredients and preparing them in the kitchen yourself can help you remain in control of ingredients, portion sizes, and nutrients. Plus it gives you the option to prepare meals exactly to your liking.

Cooking can be both fun and an overall enjoyable experience. However, we know that cooking can also have its own inconveniences such as consuming more time, resulting in a messy kitchen, and a general learning curve. Perhaps, you have a busy work schedule or are not well versed in the art of cooking. You like meals to be quick,easy, and tasty and therefore, eating out is easier for you.

Make it easy

We hear you, as cooking can sometimes take countless hours, tedious preparation, and an expert skill level. On top of that, deciding what to cook can add on an additional challenge for some. Luckily for you, today’s innovations in the kitchen can make preparing healthy and tasty meals both convenient and fast. They can also help save you the hassle of utilizing many pans and thus, save time on clean up. Specifically, one pot tools like the Instant Pot can can make fast and easy meals attainable for everyone.

Instant Pot

The instant pot is similar to a crock pot and offers a slow cooker option however, it can also cook entire meals in as little as five minutes. This technology helps deliver tasty and flavor packed meals in short time frames through the use of instant pressure cooking. The Instant Pot eliminates the need for countless dishes and extensive cleanup by allowing you to toss all of your ingredients into one pot. Even more added convenience when you consider the fact that, you can toss in your ingredients, seal the lid, set the timer, and walk away. Returning to a ready to go and delicious meal.

What to cook

So perhaps, you already own your very own instant pot but have yet to use it. Are you at a loss for ideas on which meals to prepare? Don’t worry because today we’ve got you covered on some tasty and sensible meal options. All of these meals are Instant Pot friendly, ingredient minimal,and packed with flavor. Give them a try and let us know what you think in the comments below. You can also feel free to edit these meals to your preferences by subbing proteins or adding in extra ingredients. All of these meals are easy to prepare which means they can be re-created by even beginners but satisfy even the most eloquent of at home chefs.

The meals

For a list of these meals and how to prepare them continue on below. Please note that these recipes do not belong to LTCTREE and have been compiled from various authors linked below. Here you will also find step by step instructions on how to prepare these meals and which settings are required. We hope that you will enjoy these meals and that they can make healthy dining easier for you.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut up (about 1 1/2-inch pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice (measure carefully for best results)
  • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/3 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or water
  • 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 3 cups fresh small broccoli florets

Braised Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 slices of Bacon, sliced into 1/2″ pieces, fried and drained
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 pound Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 4 Chicken Breasts, *see note*
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • Fresh Parsley, minced for garnish

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 12 ounces Andouille Sausage cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • 1 medium Onion chopped
  • 1 medium Green Bell Pepper seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium stalk Celery chopped
  • 3 Garlic Cloves diced
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Thyme
  • 1 cup Long-Grain White Rice regular NOT instant rice
  • 1 14.5-ounce can Diced Tomatoes undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 12 ounces medium-size Cooked Shrimp (41-60 count)
  • 4 Scallions thinly sliced

Salmon with Garlic Potatoes 

Ingredients:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, rough chopped (or sub 1–2 tablespoons granulated garlic)
  • 1–2 cups carrots, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 x 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, and juices or 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes w/juices
  • 1  small 4-ounce can, mild green chilies
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen) left whole
  • 1 cup dry black beans or sub 1-2 cans black beans, or sub corn-see notes
  • 4 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • juice from 1–2 limes
  • optional: for a smoky heat, add a little chipotle

If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about Long Term Care Insurance be sure to visit: LTC TREE for more information.