Get Over the Mental Drama of Cooking
Over the past two months, I have been dedicated to being in the best health of my life. Although this month hasn't been a pound loss month, I made huge strides in decreasing the frequency we eat out. Eating out was something that was a big part of my childhood. There were times that we definitely ate out more than at home. Our family had a lot going on with my parents working full time and us kids were active in 4-H and other extracurricular activities, so it was better to just go out to eat.
This practice of eating out continued into my adulthood. In my mind, cooking was this thing that took away from activities that I would rather be doing. Cooking was complicated, took a lot of time, and don't even get me started on dealing with the dishes. So, I chose to go out to eat instead since in my mind it was more convenient. Most of what I had was things that I thought were easy to fix like frozen dinners, smoothies, or snacks. I am a bit ashamed to admit how much food I wasted because it went bad before I used it.
When I look back on why I failed it's because I had so much mental drama about cooking and meals. The reality is that cooking does not have to be complicated and does not have to take a lot of time.
Here are five things I did to get over my mental drama and reclaim the kitchen:
Get an Instant Pot
The instant pot is one of the best investments I have ever made and I believe everyone should own one. I have used it to make everything from corned beef and cabbage to spaghetti squash to egg bites (sous vides). Having my instant pot has gotten rid of my excuse for time. The best part is there is so many recipes online and even a Facebook community you can join to get tips and tricks.
Dedicate a Day for Meal Prep
Sunday is my schoolwork, chores, and meal prep day. I usually make foods in large batches. The meal I really focus my meal prep energy on is lunches since that is the meal I have the least control over since I am at work. I try to keep it simple and focus on salads or vegetable soups.
Get a Food Delivery Service
Shopping for food was another piece of the mental drama I had around cooking. I would buy way too much at the store and waste so much of my time. I love Instacart for it's convenience and save so much money and time. The stores are packed on Sunday and it would be over an hour to get the food with delivery. The worst is if you are at the store and aren't sure if you have an item. Now, I order food while I am relaxed at home in my PJs with a cup of tea. The cost of my grocery bill has dropped by over $100 a month and I get better quality food.
Cook your Cheat Meals
One of the main reasons I would go out to eat is because in my mind it felt like an indulgence. The only problem is that foods at restaurants tend to be packed with way more calories. According to this article on WebMD, a dinner at an Italian restaurant is ~ 1700 calories and ~1500 calories at an American restaurant. Not to mention the cost of a meal being at least $40.00 per person if you are getting a glass of wine, appetizer entree, dessert, and tip.
My husband and I do our cheat meals at home and turn it into a date night. We made chicken fettuccine alfredo, some wine, for dessert two ice cream cookie sandwiches. Afterward we curled up on the couch and watched an old movie. It was perfect! Our total cost was ~$20.00 and calories intake was ~1000 calories. We saved money and got to spend quality time together not in a restaurant.
Be Creative and Find Healthy Alternatives
A big reason for focusing on cooking at home was for health. Thanks to social media platforms like Pinterest and Facebook, the sky is the limit with creative and healthy food alternatives to popular foods. Recently I made spaghetti and instead of noodles used spaghetti squash. Thanks to my handy dandy instant pot, the meal was ready in less than an hour. It was so good and is one of our favorite dishes to have in the evenings if we want something a little richer but not an official cheat.
It's only been two months but I love the control I now have over what I am eating and the impact it has had not only on my health but on my fiances and relationship. If you find yourself eating out way more than you want, I challenge you to reclaim your kitchen and try the tips I have listed above.
This practice of eating out continued into my adulthood. In my mind, cooking was this thing that took away from activities that I would rather be doing. Cooking was complicated, took a lot of time, and don't even get me started on dealing with the dishes. So, I chose to go out to eat instead since in my mind it was more convenient. Most of what I had was things that I thought were easy to fix like frozen dinners, smoothies, or snacks. I am a bit ashamed to admit how much food I wasted because it went bad before I used it.
When I look back on why I failed it's because I had so much mental drama about cooking and meals. The reality is that cooking does not have to be complicated and does not have to take a lot of time.
Here are five things I did to get over my mental drama and reclaim the kitchen:
Get an Instant Pot
The instant pot is one of the best investments I have ever made and I believe everyone should own one. I have used it to make everything from corned beef and cabbage to spaghetti squash to egg bites (sous vides). Having my instant pot has gotten rid of my excuse for time. The best part is there is so many recipes online and even a Facebook community you can join to get tips and tricks.
Dedicate a Day for Meal Prep
Sunday is my schoolwork, chores, and meal prep day. I usually make foods in large batches. The meal I really focus my meal prep energy on is lunches since that is the meal I have the least control over since I am at work. I try to keep it simple and focus on salads or vegetable soups.
Get a Food Delivery Service
Shopping for food was another piece of the mental drama I had around cooking. I would buy way too much at the store and waste so much of my time. I love Instacart for it's convenience and save so much money and time. The stores are packed on Sunday and it would be over an hour to get the food with delivery. The worst is if you are at the store and aren't sure if you have an item. Now, I order food while I am relaxed at home in my PJs with a cup of tea. The cost of my grocery bill has dropped by over $100 a month and I get better quality food.
Cook your Cheat Meals
One of the main reasons I would go out to eat is because in my mind it felt like an indulgence. The only problem is that foods at restaurants tend to be packed with way more calories. According to this article on WebMD, a dinner at an Italian restaurant is ~ 1700 calories and ~1500 calories at an American restaurant. Not to mention the cost of a meal being at least $40.00 per person if you are getting a glass of wine, appetizer entree, dessert, and tip.
My husband and I do our cheat meals at home and turn it into a date night. We made chicken fettuccine alfredo, some wine, for dessert two ice cream cookie sandwiches. Afterward we curled up on the couch and watched an old movie. It was perfect! Our total cost was ~$20.00 and calories intake was ~1000 calories. We saved money and got to spend quality time together not in a restaurant.
Be Creative and Find Healthy Alternatives
A big reason for focusing on cooking at home was for health. Thanks to social media platforms like Pinterest and Facebook, the sky is the limit with creative and healthy food alternatives to popular foods. Recently I made spaghetti and instead of noodles used spaghetti squash. Thanks to my handy dandy instant pot, the meal was ready in less than an hour. It was so good and is one of our favorite dishes to have in the evenings if we want something a little richer but not an official cheat.
It's only been two months but I love the control I now have over what I am eating and the impact it has had not only on my health but on my fiances and relationship. If you find yourself eating out way more than you want, I challenge you to reclaim your kitchen and try the tips I have listed above.
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