Easy, Healthy, and Flexible Cooking Tips During Quarantine
You don’t need to be as skilled in the kitchen as Julia Child to create nourishing, delicious meals!
So, let’s all take in a deep breath and let any tension melt away. I promise you can do this!
While the novel pandemic has shaken up our lives, perhaps there is a silver lining. On a grander scale, our environment is getting a well-deserved break from the overwhelming amount of pollution. On a smaller scale, we’re cooking more from home. This is not to ignore the amount of stress we’ve all been under as we’re attempting to navigate a new normal, but instead, to provide some guidance in the kitchen and perhaps the adoption of some new healthy habits to nurture as the stay-at-home orders are starting to lift.
I’ve got your back! I am going to share with you the concept of cooking with flexibility. This is my main method of cooking, which is funny since I struggle with flexibility with other things in my life! What does flexibility cooking mean? Well, it can mean a few things: using what you can easily source or what you already have, cooking for more than one meal, or cooking one aspect of a meal to be used throughout the week (that’s my jam). In this post, I’ll cover the overall concept of cooking with flexibility and provide some recipes so you can get started right away! Wham bam, thank you, ma’am.
Supermarkets and grocers throughout the United States have struggled with keeping up with the demand of their customers (toilet paper, anyone?). What this means for many is that chicken, beef, and other protein staples are not regularly available, and if they are, there is likely a limit on how much you can purchase. The first aspect of cooking with flexibility is choosing a protein that you haven’t used before or that is readily available. Let’s take ground lamb, for example! It’s extremely versatile in its use, incredibly delicious and nutrient-dense. Two of my favorite ways to use lamb is either as a burger or atop veggies in a rice bowl. Don’t like lamb? No worries, this concept extends to any other protein, including beans and legumes! This is a place for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and meat-eaters alike.
Beans and legumes are inexpensive, easy to cook in bulk, and truly an all-purpose protein. They can be used as the main star in a dish (just like you would use the chicken, beef, or lamb), as a side, as a dip, or even incorporated as they are into a soup, salad, or omelet. I ain’t mad at more hummus among us.
There are mainly two ways to purchase beans and legumes, canned or dried. Canned is already cooked, is a bit more expensive, and likely has lost some nutrients from the canning process (or even exposure to chemicals from the can itself). Dried is less expensive and carries greater nutrient-density, but requires soaking and cooking. From a health perspective, dried is the superior choice. If you own an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can make a week's worth of beans in about 30 minutes. GAME CHANGER.
If you don’t own a pressure cooker, don’t fret. They’re just as easy to make stovetop but will take a wee bit longer but hey, we’ve got more time! Regardless of how you cook them, I suggest you purchase some beans and legumes in bulk (maybe a few pounds), soak them overnight, cook, and freeze in mason jars or Stasher bags. I found Thrive Market has the lowest price for Stasher bags. Thrive Market is the online store I go through to purchase my healthy staple items in bulk, such as tuna, tomato sauce, parchment paper, etc. You can get 25% off your first order here.
Now that we’ve covered utilizing what you can easily source or what you already have, let’s discuss how to cook for more than one meal. To demonstrate, here are three easy, healthy recipes you can use as a loose guide for one meal or a few different meals throughout the week!
Lamb Burgers and Dairy-Free Tzatziki by Paleo Running Momma
Yogurt Sauce by The Lemon Bowl (dairy version)
Spinach and Rice by Olive Tomato
For starters, this is an incredibly delicious dinner as it stands. But you can most definitely substitute anything you don’t have, can’t source, or don’t like.
How to cook with flexibility
You can sub the lamb burger for any type of burger. Quality is important: choose beans, lentils, pasture-raised chicken, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised turkey, etc.
You can sub the yogurt sauce for hummus or guacamole or full-fat dairy (if you can tolerate cow dairy).
You can sub the spinach-rice mix for a salad, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or any other vegetable.
How to use these nutritious recipes throughout the week
Make extra burgers for lunch the next day or to freeze for later use.
Use the yogurt sauce as a base in a chicken salad or as a stand-alone dressing.
Use the spinach-rice mixture as a side or base for an entirely different dinner with ground meat, seafood, legumes, or vegetables.
As you can see with this example, one kitchen session inspired a few different meals! I encourage you to see what you already have in your house and use the concept of cooking with the flexibility to cook smarter, not harder. You’ll notice me reference that often. I’m all about working from a place of grace rather than a place of hustle. Check out this blog post about creating healthy staple household items, like granola and creamer, in the comfort of your home!
If you’re new to the kitchen or simply looking for a recipe to spark inspiration, you can find many nutrient-dense options on my Nourishing Eats and Movement board on Pinterest.