Cooking meals at home can seem like a chore, especially in the modern world, where everyone is always so busy. At the end of a long and tiring workday, ordering food can seem like the easiest option. But this convenience comes at a cost, as it can take a toll on your physical health and well-being. Preparing meals at home gives you more control over the ingredients you use, ensuring the food you eat is fresh and wholesome, which boosts your energy and supports your immune system, lowering the risk of illnesses and allowing you to control your weight.
If you always find excuses for not cooking nutritious meals, we’re here to tell you that getting started with it doesn’t have to be so complicated. You don’t have to spend countless hours in your kitchen following elaborate recipes – simple meals are nutritious, too, and it can take around 20 to 30 minutes to prepare them. So, are you ready to embark on this journey of mastering the art of healthy cooking? If so, keep reading!
Consider the foods you usually enjoy eating
What are the foods that you love the most? Think of what you consume regularly, whether salad dressings, tomato sauce, gluten-free bread, crackers, and so on. This is important because it will help you determine what ingredients the recipes should include.
This is also a great moment to take a look at your current diet and see if it really supports a healthy lifestyle. If it doesn’t, you can consider making the necessary changes. Simply put, healthy eating is about variety – you need to include foods from five major groups by following the amounts recommended. These food groups are:
- Fruit;
- Vegetables;
- Fish, nuts and seeds, lean meats and poultry;
- Yogurt, milk, cheese;
- Grain cereal foods in the form of whole grains or varieties of high cereal fiber.
The daily servings differ depending on each individual’s age and gender, so it’s crucial to research expert recommendations to ensure you’re making the right choices for your diet.
Look for some simple recipes
When first learning how to cook healthy at home, it’s probably not the best idea to start with a recipe that requires 25 ingredients, several tools, and takes more than 2 hours. If you do so, it will be easy to label healthy cooking as too complicated, and you will probably not want to do it again anytime soon. Luckily, healthy eating can be straightforward- all you have to do is search for easy recipes. There are plenty of them on the Internet, whether you want to cook soup, pasta, or chicken. You can also look for basic recipe templates that you customize as you please, depending on your own tastes.
For instance, one of the best ideas for a healthy and delicious breakfast is toast – all you have to do is put a slice of bread in the toaster and then load it up with the toppings you like, whether hummus, avocado, nut butter, or ricotta. Another great breakfast idea is going for egg recipes, as they are a great source of protein. Don’t worry – this doesn’t mean you have to stick to omelets and plain fried eggs – there are plenty of egg recipes you can try.
Stock a pantry
Cooking at home will be a lot easier with a well-equipped pantry, saving you money and allowing you to try that heavenly-looking recipe you found on the Internet. If you don’t have a pantry, there are many ideas you can draw inspiration from for both traditional kitchens and contemporary ones. You’ll be surprised how much variety you can make with minimal ingredients and the right spices and herbs in your pantry! So, take a look at your pantry and see if you have everything you need to cook all those tasty recipes you’ve researched.
If not, don’t worry; you can always start slowly and pick one pantry category at a time, such as oils, flour, spices, nuts, grains, and so on. Remember to purchase ingredients you enjoy using to avoid letting them hang out in the pantry for a long time and wasting food. Lastly, always keep health in mind when stocking your pantry – after all, your goal is to choose ingredients that support your health and not detract you from it.
Choose fresh ingredients
Vegetables and fruit always have a better taste when they are in season. When preparing your meals, it’s recommended to buy them locally to lower the distance they have to travel until they get on your plate. This will improve their flavor, helping them last for a longer time in the fridge. Besides, cooking with tasty ingredients is always a better experience!
The point of eating is to nourish your body with vital minerals and vitamins that will keep your body healthy and strong, and that’s what fresh ingredients can provide. Besides, unlike what people usually believe, healthy eating isn’t necessarily more expensive. In fact, a well-rounded diet can be more cost-effective in the long run. So, make sure to choose the best product by using some simple tips. For instance, when buying vegetables, don’t just consider how they look but also how they feel and taste. Also, pay attention to their color, as this is an excellent indicator of their ripeness and freshness.
Ready to enjoy tasty and nutritious home-cooked meals?
Convenience food can sometimes sound like the best idea when you have too many responsibilities for the day ahead. But there’s really nothing more important than taking care of your body and health. Also, did you know that processed foods can also affect your brain? It’s true- food also impacts your mood, and if your meals are high in hormones, unhealthy fat, and calories, they will leave you feeling irritated and tired while also exacerbating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
So, why not start cooking at home instead by following the simple tips mentioned above? This way, you will enjoy tremendous benefits for your health and well-being. Eating wholesome meals will ultimately boost your happiness – that’s because you will feel better in your own body, which will naturally make you more energetic and joyful as well. Remember, keep things simple, and don’t be afraid to experiment – in time, choosing healthy foods will become a habit. Once you notice the difference in your life, you will likely choose home-cooked meals over eating out as many times as possible.
