You may be cooking for yourself now more than ever before. The option to dash into your favorite restaurant simply isn’t an option right now. Since you are spending more time at home, it is the perfect time to get reacquainted with your kitchen and use appliances beyond just the microwave.
Embracing cooking is a great way to have a healthy relationship between food and eating and it can also reinvigorate your creativity. Here are some tips to make cooking at home easier.
Make your own recipe book
Create a Google Doc to keep a running list of recipes that you like and like to make if you prefer it to be digital. If you prefer it to be paper, print out your favorite recipes and keep them in a 3 ring binder. The idea is to keep a running list of the things that you like so that you can quickly turn to them. It’s even more fun, once you get confident in the kitchen, to create your own recipes and keep them in your book.
Use simple ingredients when cooking at home
Keeping your ingredients simple is a great way to reduce the friction between you and your kitchen. Plan your meal prepping around those simple ingredients.
For example, if you prefer to cook with pasta than rice, focus on finding great pasta-based recipes. If you like salad, keep your favorite greens on hand so that you can prepare one quickly.
Using simple ingredients will make cooking faster and easier.
Focus on nutrition
Think about nutrition before you think about flavor. It’s easy to pick up things from the grocery store that you think will taste good but may not have the best nutritional value. This may be why your freezer is currently crammed with frozen meals.
Change your mindset to focus on nutrition and not flavor. Flavor can always be added in healthy ways without the extra fat at sodium that makes prepackaged foods taste better.
Simple ingredients such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and legumes can be flavored in a ton of different ways. The more processed items that you use, the more sluggish you will feel after you eat. Take this time in the kitchen to try new and fresh ingredients.
Base your shopping list on your menu
Even when ordering groceries to be delivered, it’s easy to add random items to your cart that cannot be used with a meal. Focus on deciding what you want to eat for the week and then make your grocery list based on that. It’s ok to also add in a few fun items. Honestly, you may get tired of what you cooked a few days in and you’ll some quick options.
These tips will make cooking at home much more enjoyable and may even help you continue to cook once you are able to go out to eat again.
Valet Maids is a maid service in Dallas that checks cleaning off your to-do list. Choose the maid service Dallas loves by calling 214-438-4804 or book online. We are your Dallas maid service!
