Life is busier and more expensive than ever before. Along with our work, family responsibilities, chores, and the occasional moment of relaxation, we’re encouraged to cook at home. Unfortunately, not everyone has the benefit of knowing how to cook, and you might not be inclined to fit it into your schedule.
So, why does it matter, and how can you learn?
Why Home Cooking Matters
Home cooking isn’t just a recent trend. It’s an intelligent way to save money and eat more healthily, all at the cost of a little time and effort. There are many benefits to home cooking, and once you get into the habit of it, it can be easier to incorporate it into your lifestyle.
If you are unfamiliar with the kitchen, don’t worry. While cooking at a high level requires a lot of skill and expensive ingredients and tools, you don’t need to know that. Cooking at home can be incredibly simple and even enjoyable if you give it a chance.
Learn a few quick, easy recipes to get you started. Figure out what essential ingredients you need to keep around the house and, as long as you have a knife, a chopping board, and a pan, you can cook a surprising amount of tasty dishes.
Meal Prepping
One of the best ways to save time and money, as well as ensure that you eat healthy, home-cooked meals is to meal prep. Meal prepping simply refers to preparing a large batch of food in advance and splitting it into meals.
The most traditional meal prep method is to basically make a huge amount of food and eat leftovers for a couple of days. This can actually be pretty delicious, some stews, casseroles, curries, and chillies are even better the next day. You can also make something from the leftovers, such as turning a stew into a pie.
But there are other meal prep methods that you can use as well. For example, you can prepare ingredients and mix them up to make different meals very easily. You can make a large batch of either a meal or a component and freeze it in portions. Chopped and blanched vegetables as well as mashed potatoes freeze incredibly well and make cooking so much simpler.
Use whatever method works best for you.
Pick Your Battles
Sometimes the best way to benefit from home cooking is to know that you have to pick your battles. Cooking everything from scratch is a great goal, but it’s not always practical. Instead, find healthy, affordable, and tasty premade options for other meals or treats.
For example, kids’ meal delivery services can provide a great customizable packed lunch for your children that they can take to school. Whether you use these meals every day or just keep some ready for those busy days when you can’t quite fit in lunch prep is up to you.
Every family and household is different, so find a balance that works for you and keeps you cooking.
I’m Eshé the lady behind the blog. That’s me cooking on the set of The Hairy Bikers. I LOVE food and I don’t mean I really like it. I mean my whole world revolves around it.