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As someone who likes to cook a minimum of five times a week, I’m here to share and help new cooks troubleshoot issues with cooking at home. This is your Quick Start Guide to Cooking at Home for Beginners. I hear from friends, family, and colleagues all the reasons why they want to cook at home to save money and eat healthier but think they can’t. The excuses I’ve heard for not cooking include: I don’t know how since no one taught me, I don’t have all the right equipment, thinking about recipes gives me a headache, grocery shopping sucks, and I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
Here’s what to expect:
Shop Smarter
The Kitchen Tools You Need
The One-Two-Step of Spices and Seasonings
Think about Where You Shop
Keep it Stupid Simple with Recipies
Make it Fun and be Inspired
Also see, 5 Tips for Eliminating Grocery Shopping Anxiety.
Why Cook at Home
According to a TD Ameritrade survey, 34% of Americans significantly saved money by not eating out, a behavior that was driven by COVID. You could be in on those savings if you did the same. Now, I’m not saying don’t ever frequent your favorite restaurant again, just that you shouldn’t three times a week. I’m going to give you the basic tips on how. Not only does cooking at home save you money but it’s healthier depending on the meals you cook. I know precisely how much salt, sugar, and fat is going into the meals and I have control over the quality of it all.
Shop Smarter
Though I love perusing the aisles at my local grocery stores, I know not everyone does. It’s crowded, you don’t know where to find things, you get distracted and by the time you make it home, you still have no idea what to make.
Start shopping online. The way we shop has changed a lot over the years. “As of August 2019, around 52 percent of grocery stores in the United States were offering home delivery or store pick-up options, in addition to 25 percent that were planning to integrate online grocery services in their offerings in the coming year,” according to Statista. If you don’t like physically being in the grocery store then use a service like Instacart. You can choose to have items delivered for a fee or pick them up. Shopping online is helpful in a few ways; it’s convenient, gives you time and space to make a plan, and allows you to avoid unnecessary purchases – saving you money. If you’re new to Instacart, use this link to receive $10 as a new customer. This step will play a major role in planning and preparing meals for your week.
Make a plan before heading to the store. Have you ever gone to the grocery store without a plan? You just knew you were out of some essentials and needed to pick up a few items. You then make your way to the register and all of a sudden, the final bill was way more than you expected. This happens when you don’t go to the store with a plan. Don’t think of this as an elaborate procedure. Below are a few simple to-dos before going to the grocery store or even ordering online:
- Take a few minutes to inventory what’s in your fridge and pantry.
- Think about the dishes you want to cook during the week.
- Make a list of items that you need and want.
- Come up with a budget before heading to the store. You’ll be more conscious of your choices when you know how much you want to spend.
The Kitchen Tools You Need
When you first get started cooking, you might be curious as to what tools and equipment you need. Don’t get too caught up in purchasing expensive items and stick to the basics – eating utensils (spoons, forks, knives), cooking utensils, at least one good knife, pots and pans, a blender, and a cutting board. Of course, there are way more items you can add to your arsenal but this is really what you need to just to get started. I’ve listed links to items I like to use along with why below.
Don’t let the list below become overwhelming you can find all of these items at your local discount stores like TJ Maxx and HomeGoods or even your local WalMart.
- Stainless steel eating utensils – they’re easy to clean and last forever. I also like to have a set of bowls and plates that won’t break and that are dishwasher safe.
- Wooden cooking utensils – they can be used with a variety of different pots and pans without damaging them and hold up better than silicon or plastic in the long run.
- Culinary knife – one quality knife that’s good for slicing and dicing. Don’t be intimidated; a good knife makes easier work of your meals.
- Measuring Utensils – you can find a variety of measuring cups. You can usually find them in sets but you’ll need one for dry and wet ingredients. Plastic is fine for both but if you want to splurge a little, I like glass for wet ingredients since I think it holds up better.
- Pots and pans – my favorite pots are stainless steel. They heat evenly, clean up nicely, and withstand the test of time. Although they’re my favorite, I suggest Teflon for beginners since they’re non-stick.
- Blender – there are a variety of different blenders but I advise keeping it simple with something like the Nutri Bullet blender since powerful and affordable.
- Cutting Boards – you’ll need a stable cutting surface for both meats and vegetables. Wood is great for vegetables and plastic for animal proteins.
The One-Two-Step of Spices and Seasonings
After you have the cooking items and equipment, you’ll need to start thinking about how to season your food. If you only remember one thing from this article let it be this – salt and pepper are your best friend and can be used to season anything! If you’re ever unsure of what to use whether it’s a protein or vegetable, salt and pepper are your friends. Some people will say fresh seasoning and herbs are best but when you’re first getting started, just used dried. It’ll save you money and reduce waste for items you only use once before they go bad. Here are my tips for purchasing and choosing the right seasonings to get started:
- Salt – choose a kosher salt. It’s best for seasoning foods. Until you get a little more comfortable, steer clear of finishing and specialty salts like pink Himalayan.
- Pepper – fresh ground is best so you can get a small pepper grinder with peppercorns but if you can only get your hands on pre-ground pepper, then your food will still taste good.
- Garlic & Onion Powder – If you’re not a fan of garlic or trying to actively ward off vampires not to worry, garlic adds dimension and flavor to dishes even when used sparingly, same with onion powder.
- Mixed Season (salt-free) – I love using premade seasonings because it takes the thought out of choosing. Mrs. Dash is one of my favorites. Salt-free seasoning mixes are salt-free and give you control over sodium intake.
Think about where you Shop & Know Where to Splurge
I understand the ease of shopping at stores you’re familiar with but sometimes the stores we love are not the stores that are most cost-efficient. Sure, if those stores sell your favorite specialty items frequent them for those items but keep an open mind about shopping at stores like Aldi, Lidl, Wal-Mart, Kroger, or even your local market. You may even think of shopping at multiple stores for very different reasons. There are a few items that I splurge on and high-quality organic animal proteins are one of them but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. The point is if there’s something you really like don’t feel bad about spending a little more.
Keep it Stupid Simple with Recipies
This is probably the one area people tell me they struggle with the most. They want to cook but don’t know what to cook. My rule is to keep it simple – choose a protein, grain, and vegetable. This is ideal for most dietary needs and it requires little thought. You might be thinking this sounds so bland but that’s where seasonings and sauces come into play. If you think of meals this way, it makes shopping easy. I eat all of these ingredients in what I call a grain bowl and it’s always delicious. Here are what grains, proteins, and vegetables I like to buy:
- Grains: Brown or white rice, quinoa, yellow cornmeal (polenta)
- Protein: Firm tofu, chicken, turkey, beef, salmon
- Vegetables: sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, corn, onions
- Extras: sauces are great and these are sure to kick your bowl up a notch – soy sauce (reduced sodium since the other items are most likely seasoned with salt), siracha, tahini, Worcestershire, teriyaki, sweet and sour
Check out our other posts for more specific recipes.
Quick Start Guide to Cooking at Home for Beginners
Finally make it fun and be inspired. Cooking should be fun! If you feel overwhelmed take a deep breath and give yourself some grace – you’re learning something new after all. Take breaks as needed and set reasonable goals. Maybe cooking Monday through Friday is too much; commit to three days a week until you’re comfortable enough to do more. I hope find this Quick Start Guide to Cooking at Home for Beginners helpful. Happy cooking!