It’s Time to Get in the Kitchen

Posted: Nov 17 in Obesity and your Health, Weight Loss Blog, Weight Loss Surgery by

Cooking is a bit of a hot trend right now. The healthy habit that many families have relied on daily for centuries is seeing a bit of a comeback. It’s only been in the last 50 years or so that cooking has seen a real decline. Once drive-through windows and chain restaurants became popular, many families started opting for easy ways to eat dinner that doesn’t involve getting the kitchen dirty. A recent study found that less than 30% of American families cook dinner every night. However, families who do cook every night are far more likely to eat healthier. This is why cooking at home more often is one of the first things that you will be encouraged to do as you start to focus on improving your health.

In the past few years, cooking has become especially popular thanks to the invention of cook-at-home boxes. These kits are loaded with all of the fresh ingredients you need to cook a healthy meal. It prevents you from having to go to the food store and sort through ingredient options on your own, and is a great resource for those who are unsure of how to get started with healthy eating. However, you don’t need to rely on those kits to help you get through the week eating healthily. Finding a few simple recipes and learning a few staple skills can make a huge difference when it comes to your performance in the kitchen.

How to Get Started

If you are someone who eats out a lot, or who relies on pre-packaged meals to help get them through the week, then the idea of getting in the kitchen and cooking healthy meals night-after-night might sound rather intimidating. Cooking your own meals is a great way to take control over your diet, and to ensure that you are getting the healthy foods and nutrients that your body needs to help you lose weight.

Try starting with simple meals that focus on lean proteins and easy vegetables, like:

  • Baked chicken and broccoli
  • Grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette
  • Ground turkey tacos

However, going from zero experience in the kitchen to a master chef isn’t something that will happen overnight. Rather than putting those types of expectations on yourself, it is a better idea to make healthy goals in the kitchen that are reasonable and possible for you to live up to.

Every meal that you cook during the week is one more healthy meal under your belt. Appreciate what you are able to accomplish, and start small. Rather than making the effort to cook seven nights a week, try setting the goal to cook two nights a week at first, and then after a month of doing that successfully push it up to three or four. Do whatever you are capable of. Setting reasonable goals for yourself is a great way to accomplish new things and to stay motivated as you work towards losing weight.

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