Should You be Cooking in Moderation?

Some people love to cook, while other people loathe the task and find it boring. No matter where you fall within that bracket, you will find that cooking in moderation is beneficial. If you love cooking though, wouldn’t you want to cook all the time? Not necessarily. Why is this so?

If you cook something new and fresh every night, you will find that the cost of all those fresh ingredients is going to be quite high. Instead of cooking three meals a day every day, you might want to plan to cook large meals a few times a week and then use leftovers for your lunches and for the following night’s dinner.

Of course, when you are cooking enough for leftovers, you will want to make sure that you make meals that are going to last and still taste great the following day. Cooking pasta or anything that goes soggy is not a good idea, and some foods such as rice may go hard and taste unappetizing when reheated.

For sheer value for money, try cooking a roast chicken, meatloaf or pot-roast on Sunday. It will make a great Sunday lunch which you can enjoy with your family, and then you can use the cold meat to make sandwiches for lunch.

Don’t throw away the bones, skin and fat from the chicken – store them all in a separate container, then for dinner, boil them together with some cut-up vegetables to make pints of a delicious chicken stock which you can save and use as a base for a great soup (remember to take the bones out first using a sieve or strainer!) Chicken stock freezes well, giving you meals for next week, too.

Making meals from leftovers will save time and money, both of which are valuable and dwindling commodities. It’s also a good idea to do your cooking in moderation so you don’t burn out in the kitchen. You might find that you are cooking every night and you tire of it, especially if you have to do large amounts of washing-up afterward. Before you know it, you and the family are eating frozen food and takeout every evening for dinner. That is unhealthy and unsatisfying.

Sometimes, you might want a night out with the family instead of staying home and cooking. You can head out to a fancy dinner, and you don’t have to feel bad about not cooking because you know you’ve been feeding yourself and your family healthy food. Use the money you saved by eating leftovers and treat your family every once in a while. You deserve a break!