It all starts with grocery shopping. You might think you do not have the time but you can make the time. If you really can’t find the time to get your ingredients then you can easily order online and get the groceries delivered straight to your door. So there are no excuses, you can easily take the first step and get the necessary foods items. If you think about it, cooking is a habit and you have to put in as much effort as any other habit you have achieved, therefore, look at it like a fitness class you schedule or when you set aside a few hours to watch your favourite show. You can set aside one hour a week to get your groceries for that week. There are no excuses, if you want to make it happen, you can, you just have to be committed to start cooking and reaping the benefits.
Then comes figuring out your basic kitchen necessities. This is your homework, you have to figure out the easy items you can keep in your kitchen for those last-minute meals and/or cravings. For example, you know you will need olive oil and spices to prepare basic meals. Opting for long-lasting carbs such as brown rice or grains and seeds such as quinoa and lentils are great to have in stock. Don’t forget your frozen protein such as chicken breasts that you can easily defrost and turn into a great meal. Keep simple, easy-to-make food items around your kitchen to keep you from making excuses and preventing you from being the best you.
Once you have finalised your kitchen essentials, start planning and writing down your food choices for the week ahead. Before you shop for your groceries, you have to somewhat plan, but be realistic and just list the items that you know you will feel comfortable cooking and eating. Don’t forget that you might already have some stuff in your kitchen so make sure to incorporate as much as you can so you do not let things expire and go to waste. Also think of meals that have similar bases and toppings as you can use leftovers for the next day’s meal.
To start, it is critical to look for meals that you love and that you can make with one pot or pan. When it comes to cooking, efficiency is the key. You need to cut out all the excuses so look for meals that don’t take too much of your time at first or you risk the chance of feeling overwhelmed. Remember, you can make a week’s worth of one meal (if you don’t get bored) and you can even freeze certain foods so you can enjoy another time. This goes back to the suggestion above where you can use the same base of your meal twice. For example, you might enjoy black rice with salmon one day but then use the leftover black rice with a homemade poke bowl the next day. There are even apps that help you by providing you a grocery list corresponding to the meals you choose. Most importantly, start cooking once a week then start gradually increasing the frequency the more you feel comfortable.
Enjoy the fruits of your success by sharing your meal with others and even better, giving away the leftovers to those in need like your neighbours who are still struggling with cooking or maybe the security guards in your compound who literally have no time to make their own food as they are taking care of your community. Cooking and food are beautiful experiences and are made to be shared with others.
Lastly, look for ways to motivate yourself like putting on your favourite songs and dancing as you cook or inviting friends or family over and making it a social even. Who said cooking couldn’t be fun? So gather your ingredients, friends and family and get cooking!
*The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.