By: Noelle Comeaux, Registered Dietician at CIS Intensive Cardiac Rehab
“I don’t cook; I don’t know how; I burn everything!” Cooking is fun for some and can be a form of entertainment or relaxation. But for others, it can be stressful, a hassle, and something they do not want to worry about.
However, cooking at home is one of the best ways to make sure you are eating healthy. You know exactly what is going into the dishes you are preparing. Now more than ever, cooking at home is a necessity.
During the quarantine, take some time to improve your cooking skills or cook a recipe that you’ve felt takes too much time before. Here are some tips for cooking at home:
- Be a planner. Make sure you have a plan on what you will be cooking, not only daily but weekly. Rounding up recipes and making a grocery list will help you prepare for what you will need. One of the keys to keeping you cooking “healthier” is focusing on buying and cooking fresh and whole ingredients.
- Think outside of the box. Habitually people cook the same meals over and over again. We can all fall in the trap of exhausting the same recipes! Instead of preparing the same foods, be creative and broaden your recipe portfolio, dive into a new cookbook or follow a new food blogger on social media to build your recipe pool.
Practice makes perfect. Don’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty in the kitchen. You may not be able to perfectly chop an onion or butterfly the shrimp, but try your hand at it. No one became an Olympic champion by performing one time. - Broaden your pallet. Your taste buds develop and change as you age, so that fish that you may have found a little to “fishy” 10 years ago may be your favorite new flavor.
- Spice up your plate. Do not always turn to salt or heat to add flavor to your recipes. Try your hand at becoming an herbalist, adding herbs such as rosemary, tarragon, basil, oregano, fennel, and dill (not just the trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery).
Though we are in difficult times, the lessons and skills that you may acquire now may make some of the biggest differences in your overall health down the road.
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