This post will share the 5 ways you can incorporate healthy, homemade food into nearly every meal.

This isn’t a goal that can be achieved overnight, nor should it be. It is something that you can work steadily toward, one 20-30 minute batch at a time, and the satisfaction of incorporating more homemade foods into your diet will be tenfold.

Eating homemade doesn’t have to feel daunting, but I know it does to most people. Dinnertime is at an 11/10 on many mom’s stress level meters. The notion that homemade will take longer is a false one; homemade can save time AND it can save time, and we all know time is money, right?

1. Can savory foods. Canning crispy carrot pickles, kid-friendly relish for hot dogs, peppers for adding to enchiladas, veggies to fortify your meals, condiments, and snacks. These savory foods fill in the blanks when the kids- and you- need something to snack on and you want to skip a pre-packaged and expensive faux-food.
2. Can sweet foods. Jam is the quintessential canned food because it is foolproof for a beginner. Many fruits are naturally high in acid, making them super-safe, they cook up quickly, and let’s be honest: jam is delicious. Homemade jam is miles more nutritious than store bought and when you make jam you are incorporating all or much more of the actual fruit than just the juice when making jelly. Canning sweet foods can also allow you to explore those canning recipes that use natural sweeteners so when you make your kids a PB&J the J is far more healthful than a jar from the grocery store shelf. Jam isn’t the only sweet thing you can preserve, of course. Strawberry syrup makes the BEST strawberry margaritas, maple whiskey peaches can top plain yogurt or a cheesecake, and the world of fruit butters – super smooth fruit puree cooked low and slow with minimal sugar- is one that will amaze the uninitiated and elevate your morning toast to delicious heights. Sweet preserves can be used to smother ham, to accompany a turkey sandwich, to marinade a cut of meat, to stir into a cocktail…they are infinitely useful far beyond breakfast.  
3. Can hors d’oeuvres or appetizers. Pickled pearl onions, dilly beans, skewers of spicy, herbed veggies, sweet and sour fruit (think cherries in pomegranate vinegar), homemade salsa and more fill in the spaces when an occasion calls you to bring something to the table that’s not quite a meal. Whether you are dressing a platter or a drink, this category isn’t to be overlooked as it is often filled in with a bag of chips and store bought, flavorless salsa. Replaced with homemade, the garden fresh flavors and colors shine and you’ll instantly feel satisfied and proud of your offering instead of unsure.
4. Can super versatile, main dish, eat all the time necessity items like tomato sauce or apple juice. Whatever is in your grocery cart week in and week out, learn to preserve it. Think about what you buy in bulk, what you try to buy on sale, what you always run out of. For my family, these items are tomato sauce and fruit juice. There’s only been one year since I’ve been canning that I didn’t preserve enough tomato sauce to last all year and I’ll never make that mistake again. There’s NOTHING that improved my cooking or my eating as markedly as canning my own staples. Decide to can just one of your basics and you’ll quickly see how easily your meals are improved.
5. Can a super special preserve. A hostess gift, or treasure for a bridal shower favor, or a thank you gift or the like is made even more special when it is a beautiful jar of marmalade or champagne jelly or a hot sauce from the hottest peppers in all the land. Sharing a jar of cherries preserved in wine, or other unusual, special treat is the final way I suggest you add homemade to every occasion; these occasions might be the least frequent but they are the most special and leave the biggest impression. 

I want to teach you all HOW to add more homemade to YOUR pantry shelves. I want you to sign up here & get instant access to the workshop!

In the hour, I’ll teach you the 4 steps to filling your pantry shelves with homemade food that you can reach for quickly- when life is bananas- and know it is healthy, wholesome, and delicious. I can’t wait to see you there!