Hacks for making healthy cooking easier

Do you start the week intending to cook every meal you eat at home, only to find yourself grabbing takeaway on more days than you enter the kitchen?

We all know that a home-cooked meal is more likely to be a healthier choice than takeaway or eating out, but sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to cook, especially when dialling for delivery is so easy. Other days you might have cleared your schedule, only to find that all you’ve got left in the fridge is a few drips of milk and a bendy carrot.

We asked Public Health Nutritionist Charlotte Morrison to share her hacks for easy home cooking, to help you conquer your kitchen and make healthy choices regularly.

1. Plan ahead

If you’ve set a goal to cook at home more often, the first thing you should do is create a plan to help you succeed.

“One of the key things,” says Charlotte, “is just spending half an hour on the weekend, or when you have time, to think about what you’re going to eat in the week.”

Meal planning isn’t something you have to do months in advance. A week-to-week plan will allow you to consider your schedule, the ingredients you already have or need to purchase and what you want to eat, then plan accordingly.

“Think about where you’re going to be, how much time you’re going to have, when you’re going to do the shopping and how often you’re going to do the shopping,” says Charlotte.

Part of creating a meal plan that you can stick to is being realistic about the time you’ll have to cook. Not every meal has to be home-cooked; if you know you’re going to have a night out or you’ve got a really busy day coming up and might not have time to cook, put that in your meal plan, too. Charlotte encourages people to be honest with their goals when writing a meal plan: trying to create a new gourmet feast every night might not prove doable for busy households.

“Are you going to be out and about and you’re going to grab something at a local shop? Will you be rushing one night, so it’s just going to be toasties, or will you have a bit more time, so you’re going to be able to make that recipe that’s been stuck on the fridge for ages?” Charlotte says asking yourself questions like these, and answering honestly, will help you write a meal plan you can stick to.

Want to know more about writing a meal plan? Check out our handy guide to meal planning and downloadable meal plan template.

2. Shop smart

Heading to the grocery store without a list is a great way to be sucked in by sales on items you don’t need, while forgetting to buy the one ingredient that’s necessary to your recipe.

One of the best things about a meal plan is that it helps you create a shopping list. Once you’ve thought about what you’ll cook for the week, check your fridge, freezer and pantry for what you’ve already got, then write your list to fill the gaps.

“Buy appropriate food that you can store in your pantry or fridge or freezer, so that you’ve got the ingredients or the choices there that will fit into your life for that week,” says Charlotte. “Also check out weekly specials or buy fruit and veggies that are in season to help with the budget.” If you’re not sure what’s in season, use our fruit and vegetable seasonality charts as a guide.

You can take shopping to next level with this guide to healthy shopping, which will help you understand how to read food labels and avoid being sucked in by marketing.

3. Bulk cooking

Shopping and cooking in bulk can help you save money and time, two things everyone appreciates having more of.

“If you’ve got extra time,” says Charlotte, “cook up more serves of a dish and put it in the fridge for the next day or the day after, or put it in the freezer, so when you’re planning in two weeks’ time you know there’s a meal already there.”

Cooking in bulk can also allow you to buy ingredients in bulk, which often makes produce cheaper.

Whether you’re buying or cooking in bulk, it’s important to put food safety first. When you’re cooking food to store in the fridge, consume it within three days of cooking, or freeze it if you plan to eat it later in the week or save it for a busy day.

“Everyone needs to be aware of potentially hazardous foods and practice behaviours that can keep food safe to consume,” says Charlotte. “If you’re confident food safety practices have been followed, you can store leftovers in the fridge and consume within 3 days – and that’s the same if you’re buying it takeaway.” You can read more about safe ways to store and prepare food with our food safety guides.

“You can also freeze pasta or rice, so if you’re bulk cooking, just make sure that the food is not steaming anymore and then put it in the freezer.”

If you’re buying perishable foods in bulk, check the ‘used by’ or ‘best before’ dates and separate out and freeze portions that you’ll use later to minimise food waste. Check out these handy freezing and meal prep tips to help you make the most of your bulk buy or cooking.

4. Don’t dismiss frozen produce

Frozen fruits and vegetables can save time when cooking and can be bought and stored in bulk, ready to use whenever you want to cook. And in extra good news, they’re usually just as good for you as fresh produce.

Charlotte explains, “Frozen fruits and veggies are frozen very quickly after they’ve been picked, so they’ve got all the nutrients in there.”

When it comes to frozen fruits and vegetables, it’s all about how you cook them.

“Don’t overcook them,” says Charlotte. “One of the tips with frozen produce is that if you’re putting frozen fruits or veggies into a dish, don’t necessarily thaw it first. For example, put your frozen veggies straight into the casserole, curry or stir-fry.

“You have to think about which dishes they’re appropriate for. For example, frozen broccoli won’t come out the same as fresh broccoli when you cook it, so you just have to think about how you cook them, how you use them.”

5. Pressure cooking and slow cooking

With the right utensils, pressure cooking and slow cooking can be simple ways to cook healthy meals in bulk.

Slow cooking allows you to cook meals like stews, soups or curries over time, with some slow cookers using timers so you can put all your ingredients in and then ‘set and forget’, leaving your meal to cook during the day and be finished when you’re ready to eat. Pressure cooking uses pressure to cook the same types of meals in a much shorter amount of time.

But are slow cooking and pressure cooking healthy ways to cook your meals?

Charlotte says yes: as long as you’re putting in the right ingredients.

“If the water-soluble nutrients from fruits or vegetables are lost into juices or sauces, of the dish, and you eat these juices, then that’s good,” says Charlotte.

Many traditionally slow-cooked meals are meat-based, so make sure you add lots of vegetables into your recipes. You can also experiment with other proteins, like beans or lentils.

“If it fits in with your life, it’s an easy way to get in a good home cooked meal with lots of veggies,” says Charlotte. “Mix it up: as long as it keeps you inspired to keep eating those veggies and home cook more healthier options.”

6. Get others involved

Sharing the cooking responsibilities can maintain your stamina for cooking at home.

“If you’ve got children, get them involved,” says Charlotte. Children might not be able to cook a whole meal from scratch, but they can help with preparing ingredients, finding recipes or cooking alongside you. We have a collection of kid-friendly cooking recipes that you can make with your little ones.

If you’ve got a partner or other adults living with you who aren’t top chefs, put them in charge of making simple meals on busy days, like toasted sandwiches, heating up meals that you bulk cooked or bought pre-prepared. For cooking skill tips for the whole family, view these ‘how to’ videos.

Thanks to Public Health Nutritionist Charlotte Morrison for sharing her insight and tips.

Source: Healthier Qld