If cooking stresses you out then you’re not alone. Cooking is a skill that takes practice.
Many of my clients are new to cooking or have felt more stress recently, so their kitchen confidence is low. This is normal and I typically nudge them to get into the kitchen anyway and start the learning process.
3 Ways to Cook with Less Stress
- Pre-think your recipe, and later, your entire meal. Coming up with recipe ideas takes time and thought. It’s the spark that makes a homemade meal experience come to life. By writing down all your ideas there will be extras to use another day, too. After you have a recipe idea then the next step is to add sides to add nutrition and color, and to practice your new skills.
- Use Mis-en-Place to get organized before you begin cooking. Getting your kitchen workspace organized with all the recipe ingredients you’ll need and measured out is called mis-en-place, from the French. Even before getting set up, it’s super important to read through your recipe slowly until you understand every detail. In an earlier blog, I explained how to avoid common recipe mistakes by reading your recipe carefully.
- Keep it Simple as you practice cooking. An easy recipe is truly the best starting point to gain skills in the kitchen. Try not to compare yourself to others you know, or to media chefs, and learn at your own pace. If you are doing a google recipe search then use words like ‘easy’ and ‘healthy’, for great results. Or, get out a family member or friend’s recipe and change some ingredients as a way to lighten it up. In an earlier blog, I wrote about how to make nutritious ingredient substitutions.
3 Extra Tips for Cooking with Less Stress
- Shop for affordable ingredients. Buy within your grocery budget to enjoy cooking more. There are many foods that contain top-notch nutrition, especially the ones that are unprocessed and unseasoned when purchased.
- Save up and buy a good quality chef’s knife. Chopping and cutting are to be expected with cooking. So, add a quality knife to your kitchen tools for more pleasure and success.
- Breathe and don’t rush. A few long, slow, deep breaths ease stress. And, cooking becomes more fun when there’s no strict time limit. So, plan enough time to work at a comfortable pace with your recipe and meal, and plan for clean up time, too.
Relaxing in the Kitchen
The kitchen can be a place of creativity and relaxation when you practice, practice, practice. The rewards are more confidence, tasty homemade meals, and keep-it-simple nutrition for healthier future health. If you need assistance in getting started then contact me or download my free Mediterranean recipes and meals. New resources and a compassionate nutrition professional with culinary expertise may be the answer you’ve been looking for.