If you want to maximize how healthy you eat, then you need to find time for home cooking. Home cooking is by far the healthiest way to eat. You can control all the ingredients that go in; you can ensure that everything is organic or is thoroughly washed to your satisfaction. You can even put in your own food. However, after a long, busy day, chopping onions and carrots does not exactly appeal, so that means you need to find ways to enjoy the process a little more. To help you out, here are a few tips:
The Environment
Start within the absolute basics. Is the kitchen a space you want to spend time? If not, then you need to put a little effort into making it a more enjoyable space. Perhaps this is a simple as decluttering and keeping the surfaces clean and tidy, but perhaps you need to upgrade it a little. Unless you are going to do a complete refurb, you might need to get a little creative. Try changing the faucets and all the cupboard and drawer handles; how about putting up a new backsplash to something that offers you a little inspiration? You could repaint, put up a few pictures, or install some floating shelves and pout plants up. Maybe you need a little seating area. If you a working with a small space, then there are plenty of space-saving ideas out there. If you are serious about cooking more, you will find a few ways to enhance the kitchen.
Mindfulness
There are many benefits to mindfulness, from a reduction in the amount of stress we feel to enhancing our ability to enjoy the present moment and more. Cooking can be a time when you reap the benefits of this practice. Instead of seeing cooking as a chore, try and enjoy the small things, focus on the sound of the chopping, the sizzling of food in the frying pan, the aromas of all the different ingredients, and the texture of foods on your fingertips as you pull things apart or marinate something. The more present you can become, the better you will feel.
Be Experimental
Getting creative in the kitchen can definitely heighten the experience. Using new ingredients, spices, and herbs, and cooing processes, can turn what was once a chore into a learning session or a science experiment. How about buying random vegetables at the supermarket, ones you have never bought before? How about asking the kids to choose one? You can either find a recipe around it or make something up yourself. You could try having a themed night, like an Indian food night on a Monday and a Mexican food night on a Wednesday. You could try this Mexican street corn recipe. If you have children getting them involved can make it even more fun. You can learn about cuisine from around the world while trying new ingredients and honing your cooking skills. Not to mention creating a broader array of meals that you all love.