Cooking from Scratch
Cooking from scratch is one of the most basic and hardest things that we can do to support a “healthy” lifestyle. Cooking from scratch means to prepare a meal using BASIC ingredients. Now I can hear you saying BUT I don't have time, or I don’t know how, or… fill in your reasoning. I have put together a few helpful tips to help get you started!
Make a Plan
In the beginning especially, having a plan is important. Zipping through a drive thru or grabbing take out is often more convenient., but I am not sure that it always saves time. There are many ways to meal plan- it doesn't have to be daunting. I like to plan our dinners for the week- keeping in mind our commitments and matching meals that fit. For example I am not roasting a chincken on a night that my kids all have activities. If you have plan you will have the ingredients you need on hand, you will get the meat out of the freezer in the morning. Not having to think in the moment of what you are going to create makes cooking a whole lot more simple! If you are curious to learn more about meal planning we run a workshop every few months.
Start Small
If this is new to you I recommend that you start small. We aren’t looking to create Michelin star meals. You don’t even have to make every meal from scratch. Start with one night and build from there. Maybe you start with making breakfasts or lunches. You get to decide! Get your family involved. You maybe surprised at who jump in to help! Also take a look in your area or online and find a class, ask a friend or pick up a basic recipe from the library. KEEP IT SIMPLE!
Use Recipes you Love
Make a list of meals that go over well in your household. Put a star beside those that don’t take a lot of effort and use few ingredients- these are great meals for busy midweek nights. Now there will be a transition period. If you are use to eating prepared meals your homemade meals will taste different. It may take sometime to adjust. Don’t give up, take baby steps. You will adjust and when you do your body, your mood and your whole self with thank you for it!
Prep Ahead & Cook Extras
For me I have the best success if I have prepared ahead. Cooking is often not the most time consuming part. It’s often the gathering and chopping. If you can find sometime on the weekend or even in the morning to chop the vegetable and have the meat out thawing things will be much smoother at the end of the day. I sometimes have time on the weekends and will even pre cooked part or all of a meal so that all we have to do is reheat.
I also have recipes that I like to batch cook and freeze. Meals like lasagna, chili, spaghetti, curries etc. I will often double (or more) the recipe and freeze as meals to grab and defrost.
Invest in Tools
Cooking from scratch is easier if you have the tools to get the job done. Now these don’t have to be fancy - a good knife, a frying pan, 2 pots, a cookie sheet and utensils are my favourites. A slow cooker and blender are great additions but not manditory. I love this article about how to set up a minimalist kitchen. Tools don’t have to be expensive you can often find a great selection at second hand stores!
Some of my Favourite Cookbooks
A cookbook or two to help give you instruction and inspiration is a great option. Libraries have loads! I love to use vegetarian cookbooks. I love to get new ideas for vegetable and seasoning- but I add meat as our family eats meat. I also love recipe books that give you the base recipe and then variations. Here are some great resources::
The Joyous Health Cookbooks: they are are 3 in total. They are pack with simple whole food recipes that often surprise my family.
Whole Food Cooking Everyday is a vegetarian recipe that is very easy to add in meat proteins or not! The recipes are maybe a bit more involved but offers a base recipe and then different variations.
Prep Ahead Meals from Scratch this is a book that I haven’t actually dug into but love the information and has come recommended my way a few times.
Just remember you aren’t looking to cook elaborate meals; just trying to feed yourself and others in your household. Keep it simple and fun. I hope that you found some help in the tips!
