Cooking at Home

Eating out at restaurants offers a lot of great things–convenience, variety, and a stress-free meal. But there’s a big downside to eating out, too: high calorie counts, more sodium than meals cooked at home, and a bigger hit to your checkbook. If you want to watch your wallet and your waistline, consider cooking more meals at home with some of these easy tips!

Tip #1: Stock Your Pantry

On busy days, a well-stocked pantry can be a lifesaver! You should be able to throw something together that’s tasty and healthy in no time. Have some kitchen staples stocked, add in some fresh ingredients, and you can create hundreds of meals at home, often faster than eating out.

Tip #2: Start a List of Fast, Easy Recipes

Here are some websites that will help you start building your make-it-in-minutes recipes:

Tip #3: Plan Ahead

Make a meal plan on the weekend for the upcoming week. Some people use a 3X5 index card—one side has lunch and dinner meals for the week, and the back has a grocery list. Others use cool apps like ZipList, GroceryIQ and Out of Milk. Don’t forget to check your pantry to see what you already have on hand.

Tip #4: Double your Recipes

Leftovers are the best friend of the home cook – double your recipes and portion out leftovers into individual servings. Freeze some and eat some of the others for lunches throughout the week. If your weeknights are busy, set aside an hour or two over the weekend for cooking prep: chop vegetables ahead of time, thaw meat, or make a double batch of soup or casserole.

Tags: Cooking, cooking at home