Home cooking is one of those things that most people want to get into, but struggle to make the leap. Cooking is a valuable skill that can save you money and help you to eat more healthily if you’re able to put in the effort. True, it’s always tempting to order takeout or kick up a ready meal and call it a day, but this can be a bad habit to get into if you do it every night.
Unfortunately, cooking is easier said than done. Parents are busier than ever, which is why we fall back on bad habits. However, once you start to develop your skills and fall into a routine, it does get easier and you will see the benefits.
Why It Matters
One of the things that hold people back from achieving their goals is a lack of motivation. If you don’t see the point of doing something, then you’re far less likely to make the effort needed to reach your goals. This principle is true when it comes to education, fitness, work, and learning any skill, including cooking.
You might argue that cooking for yourself is pointless because the restaurant and takeout food is convenient and tasty. Ready meals are another option, as you can have a meal in minutes. At the end of a busy day, these options are very tempting.
However, takeout and restaurant meals are so tasty because the people who cook them aren’t considering your long-term health. They taste good because they are loaded with fat, salt, and sugar. This means that they’re a great treat on occasion, but not a good idea to eat for every meal, especially if you’re trying to be healthy. Ready meals aren’t much better, as they are similarly full of fat, salt, and sugar to make them palatable.
Health considerations aside, these meals all cost a lot more money than it would take to make the same meal at home. In some cases, you don’t even save that much time. In the time that you wait for a takeout to arrive, you might have been able to put together a cheap, healthy meal that is perfectly tasty. The trick is knowing how.
Find Recipes That Work
One of the easiest mistakes to fall into when it comes to home cooking is choosing recipes that are too complicated or take too long to cook. When you’re just getting started with any skill, you want to start simple. The same applies to cooking, choose recipes that are quick and easy, so that you can get it on the table and ready to eat.
You should also cook things that you and your family actually want to eat. This sounds obvious, but you can be so focused on choosing something that is as healthy as possible that you end up cooking bland or boring food.
Healthy doesn’t mean bland. Use spices and fresh ingredients to make healthy food delicious again. An air fryer is a great tool for any busy family, as you can quickly cook tasty meals without too much fat.
You can even use your air fryer to cook treats. For example, this easy air fryer chocolate chip cookies recipe is ideal for beginners and children to tackle. Even better, you have some amazing fresh cookies to enjoy.
Get Your Kids Involved
One way to kill two birds with one stone is to get your children involved in cooking. This way, you get some home-cooked meals and you can spend more quality time with your children. It’s important for parents to bond with their kids and teaching valuable life skills is a great way to do it.
Teaching your children how to cook is important because it helps them to grow up to become responsible, independent adults. As well as teaching them the skill of cooking, you can integrate other skills and teach them how to apply what they learn in school in their lives.
If your children need to measure ingredients, then they need to know how to add and subtract, as well as convert different measurements. They might need to multiply or divide to scale a recipe up. They need to know how to read and follow directions. Once they’re old enough to handle a knife, they learn fine motor skills. They can flex their creative muscles in the kitchen.
Finally, your children can learn the responsibility of planning and cooking a meal. Even better, once they can handle the cooking once a week or so, that’s one less chore for mom and dad.
