Make Healthy Meals

If you haven’t done a lot of cooking in your life, it can seem pretty intimidating. Many recipes look really complicated. And of course we’ve all had to taste the results of cooking disasters. Why subject yourself to that?

One of the best reasons to learn to cook is that it gives you more control over what you’re eating. It’s also cheaper and generally healthier than eating out. How healthy depends on what you’re making, but at least you have the control if that’s what you want.

Fortunately some foods are very, very easy to make.

Pasta

Pasta in general is very easy to make. Fill a pot about half full of water. Put it on the stove and turn the burner on. When the water boils, add some pasta. You’ll need to guess at how much you need for the number of people eating and the size of your pot.

The pasta is done when it is tender. When I worked at an Italian restaurant, the chefs would check to see if the spaghetti was done by throwing individual pieces it at the wall. You don’t have to do that. Use a spoon or fork to retrieve a piece from the water when it starts to look about right (about 10-15 minutes in), and blow on it to cool it before tasting. If it’s not crunchy, it’s done.

You can finish this off with a jar of your favorite sauce.

Frozen Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are wonderful, but if you’re just getting started, practicing on the frozen ones can be easier. And all you really need to cook them is the microwave.

Put the vegetables in a microwave-safe container. That’s plastic or glass, in case you’re that far inexperienced, although I think most people can microwave now. Add just a touch of water and cover lightly. A plastic lid, plastic wrap or paper towel will do the job.

Cook time depends on quantity. When in doubt, remember that you can add to the cook time as needed. The water will help to steam the vegetables.

As you get comfortable with frozen veggies, you can give fresh ones a try. Chop them up first, and just add a little water for steaming. As you get more comfortable you can use olive oil or your favorite spices to make things a little more interesting. Garlic and lemon juice work well for many people.

A key thing to remember is that overcooked vegetables taste awful! Most are best if they are still just a touch crunchy. If there’s a vegetable you’ve always hated, it could well be that you’ve only ever had it overcooked. This is particularly true of vegetables such as broccoli which many people seem to overcook. It’s an entirely different taste if cooked for a shorter time.

Stir Fry

It doesn’t take long at all to master a basic stir fry. You chop up your meat and vegetables and cook until done in a frying pan with some olive oil, soy sauce and a bit of sugar to counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce. Add other spices and flavors to suit your taste. Use a spatula to keep stirring the food around until it’s all cooked.

Probably the only key thing I would add is that you will slowly learn which vegetables need to be in there the entire time, and which need much less cooking. Carrots, for example, take longer than zucchini to become tender.

Find Recipes You Want to Try

The big thing to remember about cooking is that you’re following directions. Start out just doing that with simple recipes you find, and work your way to whatever complexity you desire. As you get comfortable you can learn to play with the recipes a little and figure out what you can switch around for the flavors you prefer. Cooking can be a great way to express your creativity once you get comfortable with it.

For many people lunch is one of the great challenges of healthy eating. The healthy options that are easy enough to bring to school or work just get to be so routine. Fast food and eating out quickly becomes more appealing.

Lunch doesn’t have to be just sandwiches, salads and wraps, however. You can get more creative about it.

The first thing to consider is whether or not you will have access to a refrigerator and microwave. Both of these really open up the possibilities. You can keep many foods cold enough with a well insulated lunch box and ice pack, but there aren’t good substitutes generally available for reheating food safely.

If you’re able to keep your food cold and reheat it, you can bring just about anything you want for lunch. Despite how many people feel about leftovers, they really can be a great option. If you freeze a wide range of them you don’t even need to limit yourself to the previous night’s dinner, which can help with the boredom factor.

But let’s say you’re pretty well limited to cold lunches. No facilities to reheat food for one reason or another. What then?

You don’t need to limit yourself to your standard foods. You can dress up even basic sandwiches to make them more interesting.

Try using pesto rather than mayonnaise, for example. You’ll get a much more interesting flavor out of it.

That’s kind of thing is the key. Don’t settle for plain flavors. Roast a pepper and add it to your sandwich. Add olives if you like them. Switch up the cheese. Buy better bread.

Salads can be improved similarly. Get something better than a plain head of lettuce. Try romaine, spinach, whatever suits you. Throw in artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, a touch of feta cheese or whatever appeals to you while keeping things fairly healthy.

You can even take some inspiration from those premade lunches kids like. Bring the ingredients to build a quick pizza on a tortilla. You may not be able to melt it all together, but you can roll it up and get a good meal. Don’t limit yourself to pepperoni and red sauce. Be creative.

The thing to remember is that you’re bored with your lunch because you haven’t decided to make it interesting. If you can work with a wider range of ingredients you can make your lunches healthy, simple and interesting. Build the habit and you’ll find out that it’s really not that hard.