If you’re keen to get healthy this summer, one of the best ways to do this is hone your cooking skills. When you cook at home, you have total control over what goes into the dishes you create, and it’s a lot less tempting to indulge than when you’re faced with a menu packed full of delights at a diner. If you usually give a load of excuses as to why you don’t cook more, here are some solutions you may find helpful.
I don’t have time to cook
There’s an assumption that it takes hours to prepare a healthy meal, but this simply isn’t true. You can rustle up healthy dishes in minutes with minimal effort. It takes approximately 3-5 minutes to boil a portion of fresh whole grain pasta and warm some chopped tomatoes, spinach, basil, and garlic in a pan with a splash of olive oil. You can also create hot salads, meat and vegetable dishes, omelets and soups within minutes. Another option if you are pushed for time, especially in the week, is to batch cook on the weekends, freeze individual portions, and then warm them up when you get home from work. Options like casseroles, soups, chili, and fish pie work really well.
There’s no point in cooking for one
It may seem like a lot of upheaval to cook a meal from scratch if you’re eating alone. However, you should always prioritize your health and eating a home-cooked meal is likely to be much better for you than ordering a takeout or buying ready-made dishes. If you live alone, your partner works away, or the kids tend to eat earlier, consider investing in a countertop oven. You can do everything you’d normally do in a larger range, but you’ll save energy and money. New Kitchen Life has a great post that really digs into the best new countertop ovens, so it’s worth having a read and seeing if a new investment could prove a worthy addition to your kitchen. Batch cooking is another great solution for this problem. If you know you’re only going to be catering for one, you just need to remove one frozen portion, defrost it, and then warm it up when you plan to eat.
I don’t have the skills
It’s true that some complex dishes require a lot of culinary skill, but unless you plan to serve Michelin-standard food, there’s no reason why you can’t make tasty, simple dishes at home. You don’t need all the latest gadgets or years of experience to grill meat, boil potatoes, and steam vegetables, and you can follow step by step guides and recipes. You’ll find that you become more confident the more you practice, and you may even find that you have hidden talents.
Cooking at home is an excellent way to start eating a healthier, more balanced diet. When you buy ready-made food, you order in, or you go to a restaurant, you may not know what’s gone into that dish. At home, you have control of the ingredients, and you can decide how large a portion to serve. If you’re not a maestro, you don’t have much time available, or you feel like there’s no point in cooking for one, there are benefits to cooking more at home. Hopefully, this guide has inspired you to try and hone your culinary skills.
Comments