How to Make Home Cooked Meals Easy
When you think of “healthy cooking” what comes to mind? Probably lots of chopping and slicing and brining and browning and lord knows what else that you don’t have time for, right? There’s no shortage of food blogger posts about easy weeknight dinners, healthy slow cooker recipes, or healthy recipes. But mostly, these ‘easy’ recipes involve a hundred steps and 900 ingredients.
The problem with home cooking is the mental image of WORK and ENERGY and TIME. It is one of the main roadblocks to changing eating habits- because, well, it just feels like it would be really hard and time consuming and a major energy suck, so we don’t do it. Especially when you can just open a package and reheat. Especially right now because life and the world is a huge, massive energy suck, so we’re working with less bandwidth than usual.
But here’s the deal: It CAN be that way. But it doesn’t have to be. Yes, processed foods are easier, but they are also usually full of unpronounceable ingredients and contribute to inflammation and weight gain. So, I hate to break it to you, but home cooking is a BIG piece of the puzzle when it comes to eating in a health supportive way.
I can hear you moaning from here, so let me assure you- recipes with more than 5 ingredients and 3 steps send me packing. While occasionally I enjoy slowing the process down to make a nice, slow, home cooked meal, for the most part I’m trying to just get through the week with my sanity intact. So short and easy is the way to go.
One way I’ve done that is by making the same few meals over and over. There are a few stand bys that I’ve relied on a ton over the years that I always come back to for 2 reasons: they are VERY easy, and they are VERY tasty. Here’s a quick rundown of a few meals in my rotation:
Easy Weeknight Meals for the Home Cooking Averse
-Sheetpan chicken tacos with lettuce wrap or Siete tortillas, or turn them into rice bowls
-Sheetpan of “what’s in the fridge” - meat I have + whatever veggies I have + spices, almost always a Balanced Bites blend. Sheetpan dinners in general are a huge timesaver. (Here’s a great rundown of some recipes.)
-Easy weeknight tacos (add chopped veggies to the meat to up the nutrient intake)
-Slow cooker meat (chicken breast, pork loin, or brisket) with a bottle of low sugar bbq sauce, served with baked potato wedges and a quick coleslaw made with a bag of shredded slaw mix from the grocery store.
-Baked fish with butter/chopped shallots/chopped parsley & lemon, steamed broccoli & brown rice
-Roasted chicken thighs with a Balanced Bites spice rub, cooked with roasted veggies I have on hand (i.e. sweet potatoes, beets, brussels sprouts)
-Bunless (use iceberg lettuce) hamburgers with baked sweet potato wedges
-Slow cooker chili
-Zucchini noodle “pasta” with slow cooker bolognese or meatballs if you have the energy
-Chicken wings, tossed with a Balanced Bites spice (I like Smoky blend for wings); baked on parchment paper on, you guessed it, a sheet pan. Usually served with a fresh salad or some roasted veggie since I’m already using the oven!
These recipes take the guesswork out of weeknight meals and the repetition means I’m not always fumbling my way through recipes- I know what I’m doing and can do it quickly. Removing the obstacles. That’s what it's about.
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What are your favorite frequent go-to recipes?
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This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.sourceandsproutnutrition.com/disclaimer