As I have shared in my blogs, my HealthyBabyFitMom Facebook group and through Instagram, I love to cook. I do not love to necessarily cook elaborate meals but I love to cook healthy, relative easy and fast meals that taste great. I also love to go out to dinner to nice and unique restaurants. Going out for me is an indulgence as the cost is obviously quite higher and generally speaking you will be consuming more calories, fat, sugar etc. When eating out, I will often order things that I cannot make at home or do not want to try to cook at home such as sushi. Cost and health are the two main reasons I make an effort to cook most nights of the week.
Cooking is also a creative outlet for me. I am incredibly musically challenged (even though I LOVE music) and do not play an instrument. I really have no crafting skills (Caleb and BB2 are lucky they got and will be getting a baby book but that is about it in the scrapbook department). I once learned how to knit….8 years ago and have still not finished the scarf I started, maybe by the time Caleb goes to college. So cooking lets me be creative without it costing (most of time) tons of money, time and effort. If I make something that was not that great…I do not make it again. If everyone at the table gobbled it up, I make note and make it one of my staples.
I will admit that it does help having a professional chef for a sister who I can ask questions, troubleshoot recipes and call when things are going terribly bad. However, I have learned to troubleshoot on my own a lot more lately and think have become a better cook because I keep trying.
With that being said, I know most people do not LOVE to cook but cooking at home, even just a few nights a week can have a dramatic impact on your budget and health. Just like exercise, I think many people are overwhelmed by cooking. As Michael Pollan points out in his book Cooked “the amount of time spent preparing meals in American households has fallen by half since the mid-sixties” but yet we are obsessed with cooking shows and celebrity chefs. He continues that “there are now millions of people who spend more time watching food being cooked on television than they spend actually cooking it themselves.” We pay people to change our oil but do not watch them do it 🙂 so why is it we love to watch people cook but do not like to do it ourselves.
Now, I am not trying to get everyone to love to cook but having some basic cooking skills and kitchen confidence can go a long way to saving a lot of money and can have a significant impact on your health.
I tend to cook 4-5 nights a week. The other nights we will have something fast such as pre-made frozen salmon or turkey burgers and one night is often leftovers with a salad or some other vegetable, some nights we have social plans and once in a while we go out. I plan my dinners on Saturday and Sunday and shop for the entire week as I HATE going to the grocery store in the middle of the week for 1 clove of garlic. On the nights I have more time (Sundays, Fridays) I might make meals that require a bit more time. However, Monday-Thursday, all of my meals usually take me 30 minutes or less.
Though I do not like tons of gadgets (why do you need a banana slicer? How hard is it to cut a banana? ) I do have a few tools that I use all the time that I honestly think makes cooking easier and more efficient. The one tool that I use the absolute most that I did not include in my list because it is so common is a good set of sharp kitchen knives. I was given a great set of knives when I finished grad school and was really starting to cook. Quality knives can make all the difference so that is definitely the number one tool I would recommend for cooking.
Below are my top 5 kitchen tools that I use very frequently.
Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker
This is my beautiful huge slow cooker that I received for my wedding and is probably the wedding gift I use the most. I am so happy to see the slow cooker become popular again. It is so easy. You put everything in there and press on and it is so versatile! I often make soups but just used it for chicken tacos, as it makes the meat so tender and moist. You can make one pot meals or just use this for your protein source.
My mornings are a little hectic so instead of taking time in the morning to do it, I often prep the night before and stick the insert (some have an insert that is removable) in the fridge and then take it out in the morning and press on. 8 hours later, dinner is done.
If you do not have one, you do not have to get a fancy one like this. Target and other stores sell them for $15-$50.
Magic Bullet (or Vitamix or any high powered blender)
I use my magic bullet almost every day. I use it most frequently for protein shakes and smoothies. It is powerful enough to blend spinach and other vegetables. However, the new bullet comes with an additional blade and small blender attachment. I use this for hummus, pureeing soups, chopping nuts for coating and much more.
Wok (mine is a stovetop version)
This again was another one of my favorite and most useful wedding gifts. I love using it for making quick stir fry and curries. It cooks vegetables and meats quickly but keeps the vegetables crisp. It also cleans very easily too.
Cast Iron Pans
I just received these for Christmas and I love them. Not only are they better than Teflon and non-stick pans as they are chemical free (research shows the coating on non-stick pans can come off in your food) they cook food perfectly. They can go from the stove top to the oven and if you keep it well seasoned, it basically becomes a non-stick pan. Small amounts of iron can also be released into your food making your food more iron rich.
Clean Eating Magazine
I have a severe magazine addiction and love looking for new recipes. Hands down, Clean Eating is my favorite. I cook probably 85% of my meals from recipes from this magazine. Each issue is loaded with recipes. They also cover all types of eating plans from low-carb/paleoish to vegetarian to gluten free. Each recipe lists prep time, cook time and total time so you can pick and choose which recipes to cook on which nights. They have fast easy recipes and usually include some more elaborate recipes with educational tools and pictures to help you learn a new cooking technique. I keep all my old issues and tag recipes I have tried or want to try. All of the recipes are based on whole, real foods with vegetables, fruits and good quality protein as the focus.
What are some of your favorite kitchen tools? What do you use to make healthy meals easier? I would love to hear from you!
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for my top five workout tools!
XOXO Sara
Enjoy reading your post. I want to try more wok cooking. Grilling has really helped me plan healthier meals. I usually have to cook for 3 adult men as well as my kids. They usually like heavy calorie meals. Do you have a method to have men like the healthier meals?
HI Amber, thanks for your comment! Yes, the wok is so simple. You put it all in and stir. My husband also does not like to eat light but is pretty happy to have a home cooked meal…however, he might add extra condiments or I often add extra cheese to his salad or burger or whatever I make. I often do not eat buns or much bread but will serve his burger on a bun or a roll on the side of his meal. He is often happy with an extra helping of whatever I make too! Hope that helps a bit.
Where are your favorite family friendly places to eat out that wont ruin the workout you did that day? 🙂
Nick has shown me to cook meats to temperature rather than by how long they need in the oven. One of our go-to tools is a digital kitchen thermometer. I grew up with my mom over cooking the meat so I never knew meat could taste so juicy and still be cooked! 🙂
HI Cheryl, I am still looking for family fun restaurants as it is not that awesome to go out with a 2 year old. When I said going out….I meant take out too ;). We have tried the Mexican restaurant next to my house in the shopping center and he did okay there with cars and crayons but most of the time Adam and I eat out…it is when Caleb is with a sitter so we can actually enjoy it.