I know the drill. It’s late in the day, you’re heading home from a long day on campus or at work, and you’re starving before you hit the door. You want to want to cook, but mostly you just want to eat something nourishing and tasty and easy.
Cooking Motivation: Sometimes we just need a little nudge, a fresh take.
Here are some shortcuts that will help you get that nourishing and tasty meal on the table.
These 5 tips will help increase your cooking motivation and give you the encouragement you need. At any rate, they’ll for sure save you money and feed you – good – food fast.
PRO TIP 1: Already have a head start on dinner
One thing that helps me feel motivated to cook when I’m feeling a little desperate is to already have a head start on dinner. When I’m prepping dinner, I can take a look at tomorrow’s meal plans and decide if I need to go ahead and move some meat from the freezer to the fridge. Or chop 2 onions instead of just one.
Often with meal prep, we do similar tasks several nights in row.
It pays to stop and consider if there are any tasks that we can double tonight, in order to skip next time. Chopping vegetables is a great example of this.
A lot of times I can go ahead and chop for tomorrow while I’m prepping tonight. Or maybe it’s as simple as adding grated carrots or frozen onions to the grocery list.
Another great shortcut, if you’re a college student and you have access to the cafeteria and you only need a small amount of something, you could swing by the salad bar and get those grated carrots or pepperoncini. Although you might pay more per ounce, in the end you save because you are not buying a larger amount that you don’t need.
Another time saving technique is to set a reminder on your phone to thaw the bread loaf for baking. Something about having a jump start gives motivation to get in the kitchen to cook.
PRO TIP 2: Have a planned snack handy
Have a small snack handy. It’s a certain snack that is saved to be eaten only at the 4-5 pm hour when dinner isn’t ready yet.
Taking a little of the edge off your appetite can help you make better nutrition decisions and lend itself to giving you cooking motivation. A handful of almonds, a few slices of cheese and some crackers, an apple with a little peanut butter can all do the trick.
When you’re not ravenous, you’re more likely to actually see the cooking process through to get dinner on the table.
PRO TIP 3: Invest in a good quality knife
Another big game changer for me to increase cooking motivation was getting a good quality knife that fits in my hand just right. And then learning to use it well.
Mastering knife skills is truly a game changer.
It makes being in the kitchen more fun. And it’ll help you incorporate more vegetables into your diet when prepping them is a breeze. You may even want to look for a local knife skills class in your area and gift yourself. Do it! You’ll be so glad you did!
PRO TIP 4: Keep ingredients on hand
Having a loose plan for the week, with the appropriate ingredients on hand is another must do.
Searching the fridge and pantry for inspiration while your stomach is gnawing inside is the worst. Even a simple meal plan goes a long way. If you’d like to learn more about this, hang around here and we’ll cover it.
And finally, Cooking Motivation PRO TIP 5: Keep the kitchen tidy as you work
Having a kitchen that is clean, tidy, and organized is a big motivation to wanting to be in there.
Clean – that goes without saying. See this post about how to clean a kitchen. I’ve been behind the scenes at so many church functions when I’ve been appalled at how some people clean a kitchen and wash dishes. Don’t be that person.
Learn to efficiently and thoroughly clean a kitchen, then keep it tidy as you work. You’ll thank yourself.
Organize your kitchen into zones that make sense – a cleaning zone, a prep zone, and a cooking zone. Keep associated items close to where you’ll need them — hot pads near the oven, knives and cutting boards near the prep zone, linens and clean dishes near the cleaning zone.
So there you have it. The 5 tips that will help to increase your motivation to cook.
