I often hear from people that they don’t have enough time to cook and I get that, really I do. However I strongly believe that an important piece to a healthy lifestyle is cooking our own food. So I think it’s about time we took our kitchens back.
Now I know sometimes it’s quicker or easier to grab food on the go or throw something in the microwave, but these packaged processed foods contain so much sodium and food additives we aren’t even aware of. Some of these ingredients are words I can’t pronounce or aren’t even foods at all, instead they are chemicals made in a factory. When we cook our own food, we know exactly which ingredients are going into our meal.
This is why I’m a big advocate of the meal prep. Meal prepping is actually designed to save us time. I like to take Sunday as my meal prep day, but you choose the day that works best for you. I use this time to prepare foods I’ll be able to eat for the week. This doesn’t have to be a big task and you don’t have to cook fancy meals. I make a batch of brown rice and a batch of quinoa that I will be able to use as my grains in different meals during the week. I also roast and saute vegetables so I have options to choose from. Sometimes I put together actual full meals to take for lunch or a pot of soup I’ll use as dinner a couple nights.
There does need to be some planning of an idea of the food you would like to eat before going to the market. In the beginning it can seem like a daunting task while looking through recipes but you will begin to realize which meals work for you and your cooking style. Make sure to stock up on staples such as spices, garlic, onion and different herbs to add flavor so you won’t have to buy those every time. Once this becomes a habit you will realize that the health benefits outweigh the hassles of cooking. So put on some music, get your pots and pans ready and take your kitchen back!
Wellness Wednesday,
TK
