ELENA MCCOWN
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Shop My Favorites
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Prepear App
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Meals and Sides
    • Smoothies
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
  • Life
    • My Life
    • Programs
    • Workouts and Exercises
    • Wellness Information and Tips
    • Williamson County, TN Paths, Trails and Parks
  • Disclaimer/Privacy Policy/Terms of Service

Living Life Balanced Blog

How to Become a Better Cook

10/10/2018

0 Comments

 
​I hear a lot of you claim that you are not good cooks. I do not believe that is true! You just might need a little help! :) There are several things you can do to become a better cook, even if you are super busy and have no experience in the kitchen! Stop wasting money and calories by going out to eat every night, eating at home is normally the healthiest/cheapest option…you just might need to learn a few new tricks to pull it off!

For the super busy person who doesn’t have time to meal plan or buy groceries, there are always meal kit delivery services (like Blue Apron, Purple Carrot, Chef’d, Hello Fresh, Sun Basket, Plated, Terra’s Kitchen, Green Chef, Home Chef and more). These provide the ingredients delivered to your door and step-by-step directions on how to cook your meal. The only downsides are that they are normally more expensive than buying and cooking your own ingredients at home, plus some meals can actually be pretty high in calories. BUT, they are very helpful especially for a beginner cook.

For the average Joe who just wants to be able to prepare a simple, healthy, delicious meal at home (pain-free), you can follow the steps below. But first, to prepare your meals, obviously you will need the ingredients. You can either: shop at your favorite store and buy your own ingredients or if you want to save some time but spend a little extra money, you can opt for ordering your groceries online and either picking them up from the store or having them delivered to your house.
​
  1. Find a good looking recipe from a reliable source and READ the recipe before buying the ingredients. Then read it again all the way through before you begin cooking.
  2. Gather all ingredients, dishes, pots & pans, utensils, etc. needed for your meal to have available in close proximity as the recipe calls for it…aka, prepare your workspace.
  3. Be mindful and don’t walk away from your food as it is cooking (it is always important to keep an eye on anything while it is on the stove/oven/etc.).
  4. Taste as you go. If you aren’t sure that you will like a certain herb or spice, add it in small increments until you get the taste you prefer.
  5. Be patient. Don’t burn and dry out your meal just because you are in a hurry and cook it on as high heat as possible. Recipe directions are there for a reason.
  6. If you don’t like cooking, aim to prep larger portions of food at once so you can refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later to cut down on cooking time through the week.
  7. Want to cut down on time even more? Buy healthier store bought ready foods that are either: already cooked, frozen, pre-prepped or canned, to have on hand.
  8. While at the store, look for food options that are baked, grilled, roasted, steamed or fresh. Did you know there are already diced, ready to serve proteins and vegetables in the freezer, refrigerated or produce section? Head to the salad bar at your grocery store and gather your ingredients from there to be even speedier! 
  9. Balance your meals by including healthier selections from all the food groups such as lean proteins, dairy/dairy alternative, fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
  10. Start small. The more you do it, the better you will get…you just have to try!

Need more help than this? Contact me! I offer menu planning, recipe creating, grocery list making and grocery ordering services….customized just for you! 

*For the person who just doesn’t have the time to cook but wants healthy food, there are options that provide freshly prepared meal delivery services (like the Good Kitchen, Freshly, Prepped, Munchery, Fresh n' Lean, etc.), local pre-made meal pick-ups/deliveries or you can hire a personal chef ;)
How to Become a Better Cook: A guide by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN
Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Elena McCown, LLC will receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated! The information I provide is not to take the place of your personal physician’s advice and is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease. Please discuss this information with your own healthcare provider to determine what is right for you. All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. I share general health and wellness recipes, ideas, documents, motivation and other related information that is aimed to help you take your health into your own hands.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Elena McCown, LLC Health Coach in Franklin, TN

    About Me

    I am a food loving, activity seeking health coach who resides in Franklin, TN with my husband and two sweet dogs (Lola & Penny).
    ​

    Allergies

    I believe everyone should eat balanced and not cut food groups if you don't medically need to. All foods can fit in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, I have to avoid gluten and also limit myself with dairy, so my goal is to provide healthy, gluten-free/dairy-free recipes so EVERYONE can enjoy all foods, even if you do have to cut out certain food groups. My recipes are encouraged for everyone to eat, not just for those with sensitivities/allergies! Most of my recipes can be easily converted by using real dairy and whole-wheat in place of my allergy-free substitutes. 

    Search

    Looking for something specific? Everything can be found by category under the "Life" and "Recipes" sections on my website or you can search below.

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All
    Life
    Recipes
    Start Here!

    RSS Feed

Location

Find Out More

                  About                     Contact 
            Services           Online Programs
                    Blog                    Life
          Recipes            Prepear App
  Disclaimer/Privacy Policy/TOS

Connect With Me

@elenamccown

Newsletter

Picture
Elena McCown, LLC Health Coach in Franklin, TN
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Shop My Favorites
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Prepear App
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Meals and Sides
    • Smoothies
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
  • Life
    • My Life
    • Programs
    • Workouts and Exercises
    • Wellness Information and Tips
    • Williamson County, TN Paths, Trails and Parks
  • Disclaimer/Privacy Policy/Terms of Service