Dine Out in Your Own Kitchen

by Stacey Faske

Cooking at home offers so many rewards, from health benefits to saving money. Here are some strategies to help make home cooking into a more realistic part of our week so that time in the kitchen can be a joy, not a chore.

Stock the pantry: One of the biggest deterrents to getting started in the kitchen is the initial shopping. However, keeping cabinets filled with necessities means there’s always the possibility of dinner without having to resort to a) leaving the house, b) takeout, or c) a frozen burrito. This upfront investment will help us stay committed to working our way through all the great whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds we’ve added to our shelves. Buy these items in bulk and store them in glass containers. Not only will we have lots of options to choose from on hand, our pantry will so good, it will tempt us every time we open the door.

Shop at the farmers’ market: Every time we throw away food, think of the money we are throwing away. When we invest in higher-quality, fresh ingredients, we have an even bigger financial incentive to ensure those ingredients don’t wilt away in the fridge. Cooking is a habit-forming activity, just like going to the gym. We have to intentionally carve out time in our schedule if we want the practice to stick. Going to the farmers’ market on weekends is a great way to start nurturing the ritual of cooking.

Batch cook on a weekend afternoon: Setting aside an afternoon on weekends to batch cook for the week ahead is a strategy that can help most people strapped for time. Cooking in advance also makes us less wasteful: the beauty of planning ahead for one session at the stove is that we’ll use our veggies start to finish, without all those scraps left to wilt. Plus, we’ll feel inspired to actually eat those leftovers. We might toss a half-eaten container of last week’s restaurant leftovers, but we won’t want to throw away a delicious meal that we prepared with love.

Rely on one-pot meals: Whether we’re batch cooking on weekends or just making one dinner here and there, choose recipes that hit all the food groups and can be made from start to finish (think stir fries, casseroles and stews), and then round out those “mains” with simple building blocks like roasted vegetables and precooked grains. Once we have one hardy, complete dish, the task of making it into a meal becomes much simpler. Usually just a green salad will do, with no prep necessary. The fewer pots and cutting boards we have, the better.

Get the family involved: While cooking alone can be very relaxing, sharing the experience with those we love encourages quality time and builds wonderful memories. Invite our spouse, partner or roommate into the kitchen and prepare foods together for the week ahead. Don’t stress about perfection; veggies tastes great even when they’re not precisely diced and sliced. Stay focused on the quality of the ingredients we’re using and how good they will make our body feel. If we have children, ask for their help. They will have fun, feel a great sense of accomplishment and learn a skill that lasts a lifetime. We may even get them to eat something new.

Only drink wine at home-cooked dinners: If we’re the type of person that loves a good glass of wine with our meal at the end of a long day, use this as an incentive. We have to earn that glass. This can have a positive impact on two fronts. Cooking for ourselves means far fewer additives like sugar, salt and preservatives and full control over what we’re putting in our body.

Stacey Faske owns and operates Kale + Co., a Haworth, NJ-based company that creates and delivers delicious plant-based meals and snacks. She is also a contributing writer for Natural Awakenings magazine. For more information, visit LiveKaleAndCo.com.