From the hot seat to the hot plate... (An intro to cooking at home)

Restaurants often offer less whole grains, less leaner cuts of meat, less reduced fat dairy options, & less fruits & veggies. Prepared foods also tend to be higher in salt, sugar, & fat than many people would prepare in their own homes.

But, some people find cooking at home a little intimidating. Eat Smart, Move More (www.myeatsmartmovemore.com) breaks down cooking into 4 steps:
- Plan:  Pick out meals or recipes in advanced! It doesn't have to be gourmet or perfect. (Or, my style of planning-- figuring out what I can turn the food in my fridge, freezer, &/or pantry into... BTW, that is my pantry pictured.)
- Shop:  Figure out what you already have & what you need to buy for the chosen meals. Planning meals around what's on sale helps save money.
- Fix:  Prepare your meal(s). If you'll be busy one day, consider cooking 2 meals simultaneously when there's time. This could be 2 completely different meals. Or, cooking enough to have leftovers. Or, try to cook some extra food to use in 2 different meals (e.g., cook chicken for chicken fajitas 1 night & pulled BBQ chicken 1 night). A crock-pot also works great on busy days.
- Eat (my favorite part!)

To learn more, check out ESMM's 2 minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZtIPBCIGVU&lr=1.


Still facing some cooking obstacles? Check out common problems & solutions:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/weight-management/better-choices/cook-home.html