We are often looking for the quick way. We want the shortcuts. We want to be promoted right away. We want to get rich right away. We want to be accomplished today. These are some of the things that we want to fast track in our lives. And it seems that even our cooking and meals are being drawn under this philosophy. We often prefer quick and easy recipes that we disregard the health values of the food we eat. Quick and easy recipes need not be unhealthy. Everything can be healthy with the right combination of ingredients and a proper way of preparing them.
One of the downside of quick and easy ways of cooking is that we often substitute fresh products with processed ones. This is so we can prepare our meals faster. We go to bottled and canned ingredients just to keep up with the time element of preparing and cooking the meals. Although, some products would claim that no preservatives have been added to their products. Prioritize these product lines when doing your weekly groceries.
So the best thing really is to rely on only fresh ingredients. What you can do is shop and prepare the ingredients beforehand. This will cut a load off your cooking time. You can now cook meals faster and have more time enjoying your meal.
Another way is convert an existing recipe into something healthier. Learn to substitute unhealthy ingredients with healthier ones. If the recipe is going to cook noodles, go with wheat noodles. Replace meat with high grade varieties that have less fat in them. The substitution can even be a little drastic. You can go with the vegetables you like instead of sticking with that the recipe tells you.
Also, learn to minimize or reduce the amount of the unhealthy parts of the meal you are preparing. Salt, for example, can be bad if you use too much. Just keep the salt to a minimum, don’t go adding excessive amounts to what you’re cooking. The same goes with butter, cheese, cream, and sugar. The taste will be affected, naturally, but in the long run you can have a healthier meal plus you will appreciate more the natural tastes of the ingredients during a meal. The vegetables are crisper and the tastes are fuller. .
Look for better ways to prepare your meal. If the recipe tells you to fry your chicken, why not broil it or grill it instead. There will always be some healthy options that you can use to prepare your meals. The kitchen and the recipe book should not tie you down with convention. Sure there are standards, but learn to think and experiment with your cooking. Now if your objective would be preparing a fast and easy meal, experimentation may not be the good way to go. Nevertheless, using different ways to cook your meals can get quite satisfying and at times surprising results.
Quick and easy recipes can be quite healthy if you just put your mind and put some extra effort into your cooking. Sure, the easy and quick ways are very tempting but not having the right nutrients is just not worth sacrificing over speed and convenience. But why sacrifice the other when you can have both.
A healthy way of cooking meals faster and simpler than before should be your new approach in cooking your meals.