Cooking From Scratch

Most of us do not even know what cooking from scratch means! We did not grow up in families where scratch cooking was practiced, and the thought of it overwhelms us. It is supposed to be very difficult, so we buy those boxed food items that require us to read, add a couple of ingredients, and a meal is ready. There is also the buy it in a bag, cook it, pour some chemical laden sauce on top, dinner is served! Stop!

Cooking from scratch is a healthy diet habit that needs to be learned. It’s easy, fun, and healthy! Most of all, it will help with weight control! Yahoo, sign me up!!!

Benefits of Cooking from Scratch are:

1. Frugality: Cook seasonal recipes that use seasonal fruits and vegetables that are cheaper from your local market or farmers market, and pair them with staples that are on sale also.


2. Healthier: No pesticides, preservatives, chemicals, additives, colorings, unknown ingredients. Shop Organic!


3. Basic Weekly Menu: A plan that caters to how you love to cook and your preferences: (for example)
   
   Monday is Meatless Monday!
   Tuesday is Taco Tuesday/Mexican Night
   Wednesday is Pasta Day
   Thursday is Crock Pot Day
   Friday is Pizza or Stir Fry Day
   Saturday is Soup and Salad Day - Check out my Super Salad Meal Chart!
   Sunday is "Quick and Easy" Day, or New Recipe Day! Enlist your husband's help in nice weather, and have it be a BBQ day! See Weekly Menu Planning for more details!
   
   You can design YOUR meal plan, to your families’ preferences. Most of us just need ideas and having several healthy recipes that you love from each category makes cooking a snap!


4. Leftovers: You can cook larger meals for freezing and lunches. A huge pot of healthy soup on Saturday will provide your family with healthy, cheap lunches for the week!


5. Stealthy Healthy Cooking: You can grind up extra veggies into your sauces that your kids and husband might otherwise not eat!


6. Taste: Scratch cooking just tastes better than food from a box or bag.


7. Vegetable Variety: You can easily practice the half plate rule and fill your plates half full of vegetables. Prepared boxed and bagged foods rarely include enough vegetables. You could pair a vegetable on the side, but most veggies taste better in soups, stews, stir-fries, burritos, crock-pot meals, and salads from your menu plan.


8. User Friendly: Your healthy recipes can fit your families’ likes, dislikes, and favorite cuisines!

Hands down, cooking from scratch is a great Lifestyle Solution to develop when you want to feed your hungry family. Plan fast, healthy meals that help your family practice the healthy diet habit of healthy eating!

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For some additional information to help with scratch cooking see:

• Food Substitutions - Learn Healthier Choices


• Healthy Grocery List


• Healthy Recipes


• Simple Healthy Eating - The R.I.S.E. strategy


• Simple Kitchen Survival Strategies



As you find great healthy recipes, please SHARE THEM with the Healthy Diet Habits readers!! Thank you!