Cooking is one of those things that you have to do every day whether you want to or not. A lot of people dread this part of their day because they find it difficult or monotonous. Here are a few quick tips that will make it less stressful and even something that you will look forward to.
1. Quality Utensils
Getting a thousand-dollar toaster is probably not worth your money, but investing in good quality cooking utensils can make a huge difference. A common problem every chef has is tearing up when they are cutting onions. A good fix is to get a quality knife. This will help you cry less when you cut onions, and it will make cutting things much easier. Similarly, if you find it hard to not burn things in a pan, even a non-stick pan, get a pan that has a thicker base.
This is slightly more expensive but it distributes heat much better which prevents things from burning easily.
2. Substitutes
One of the worst things is when you want to cook something but you are short on just one or two ingredients. Luckily, if you expand your cooking vocabulary, you will learn that there are many healthy substitutes in cooking that can be used for sweet and savory dishes. Moreover, if you are trying to keep the calorie count low, you can use alternatives that offer the same great taste but with far fewer calories.
This way, you don’t have to stuff your fridge and pantry with things you only use once every six months, and you save money by not having to spend on so many different ingredients.
3. Slow Cooking
After a long day, or on a lazy weekend, the last thing you want to do is go to the kitchen and cook. However, you don’t want to order food either because you are in the mood for something homemade. An easy solution is to look into some low and slow recipes for your next meal. Some of these can even be set up ten or twelve hours in advance. All you need to do is put everything in a cooking vessel and let it cook away while you attend to other things. A day or night later, you will have a meal ready to be served.
4. Drink Meals
In the summertime, it can feel like a chore just to eat. A good solution is to look into healthy drinks that can replace your meals. All you need to get is some protein powder and maybe a carb source if you want something really filling. Simply add the protein to any kind of milkshake you enjoy and you will have a proper meal on your hands in the form of a drink. This gives you all the nutrients you need without ever having to chew anything.
Making cooking easy is all about finding solutions that meet your needs. If you enjoy rice with your meals, getting a good rice cooker will be an excellent decision. Being able to cook healthier meals more easily will save you a lot of time and will make it much easier to stay in shape throughout the year. Most times, we compromise on the quality of food for convenience. Smart cooking will help you make the right choice more often.
