It’s 6pm and you’re just getting home from a long day at work. You pick up the phone to order takeout, again. You’re beating yourself up because you’ve made a commitment to eat healthier and ordering takeout all the time isn’t aligned with your goals.
I get it. Cooking takes planning, time, patience. And maybe you don’t even like cooking. So how do you stick to your healthy goals while spending less time in the kitchen?
Fortunately, we are living in a time where we have access to so many healthy and nutritious prepared ingredients and meals. If cooking does not bring you joy, or you don’t have the time to make everything from scratch, these tips are for you!
It’s fairly easy to just sort of “assemble” meals, and not actually do any prep work or cooking besides sticking something in the microwave. This means, less time in the kitchen and more time for things you actually enjoy.
ACCEPTANCE
Perhaps you need to accept that you don’t actually like cooking. You don’t have to force yourself to like something. It isn’t necessary to enjoy cooking to eat healthy! It is possible to “hack” healthy meals.
MAKE IT FUN
Think of something fun you can add to the process that you enjoy. Having a show playing in the background, turning up the music, or listening to a podcast or audiobook.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
No need to overcomplicate this! A home cooked meal does not mean you have to make everything completely from scratch. A simple dinner can consist of microwavable rice (I personally love the Seeds of Change brand), rotisserie chicken and pre-bagged salad “kits” where you just add dressing. Less cooking, more “assembling”.
COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE
When you make dinner, cook a double portion so you have enough for lunch the next day. Or, make a large batch and enjoy it for multiple meals throughout the week!
PLAN YOUR TAKEOUT
Add some healthy take-out into the mix. I recommend having a go-to list of restaurants on hand with dishes that align with the way you want to eat. You can make ordering take-out intentional and planned in advance so that you don’t impulse order pizza again.
ORDER PREPARED MEALS
Check out services like Daily Harvest, Freshly and Sakara Life to have prepared meals delivered straight to you! Minimal prep required.
SEMI-HOMEMADE HACKS
Trader Joes and many other grocery stores offer foods that are already prepared and can be combined easily to make a meal. Check out this list of easy combos from Trader Joes for inspiration.
BUY PRE-CHOPPED
Use fresh or frozen pre-chopped veggies whenever possible. No washing and chopping greatly reduces prep time! Pre-made salads or stir-fry mixes are excellent choices.
GO FROZEN
There are many great frozen meal options out there, and all you have to do is stick it in the oven! Some healthy brands: Trader Joes, Evol, Love the Wild, Amy’s, Kashi, Saffron Road.
STORE-BOUGHT CONDIMENTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Store-bought dressings and sauces can be a lifesaver. There are so many good healthy options out there. Just make sure you check the ingredients label and make sure you can recognize and pronounce the ingredients. I like to order my sauces and dressings from Thrive Market (Use this link for 25% off of your first order!).
I hope this sparked some new ideas for you! As always, I would love to hear how it goes in the comments.
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