Are you trying to cut back on takeout food and focus more on home-cooked meals? This small change can do wonders for your health and your bank balance. But finding the time and energy to cook a meal from scratch every evening can be difficult. To help you stay on track with this goal in 2020, here are some tips to help you cook more from home.
Make a meal plan
If you get home from work and you have to then decide what to cook and go out and get the ingredients for it, you’re more likely to give in to the temptation of fast food. The best way to stick to home cooking is to make a meal plan for the week ahead and do a big grocery shop so you have all the ingredients you need.
Meal prep
You can eat home-cooked food every day without actually having to cook every day. This is especially effective if you’re just cooking for yourself. You can cook a big meal at the weekend with plenty of leftovers, and then simply reheat a portion each evening. If you prefer more variety, then prepare a few different meals, freeze the leftovers in individual portions, so then you can rotate meals each day.
Get the right equipment
Make sure your kitchen is kitted out with all the appliances and utensils you need to become a home cooking pro. If you have old, blunt knives, then cooking will be more of a chore and you might find it more difficult to stick to. Treat yourself to new kitchen equipment and start getting excited about home cooking!
Make it enjoyable
Some people avoid cooking because they find it boring and a chore. If you feel this way, try to adapt the process to make it more fun. Create a cooking playlist so you can sing and dance around the kitchen while you cook. Add a TV to your kitchen so you can have some light entertainment on in the background. Cook with a partner or housemate to keep you company.
Create designated cooking spaces
Some people find it hard to motivate themselves to cook because they don’t have much countertop space to work with. This might be because of a small kitchen or due to cluttered countertops. Make sure you have enough space to prepare and cook your meals. This might just involve decluttering your countertops or renovating your kitchen in some way, such as adding a central island to provide more space.
If you want to revamp your kitchen countertops to create the perfect cooking and preparation stations, then contact Amanzi Granite for our natural stone countertops and installation services around Kernersville, High Point, and Greensboro.
