How Can I Teach My Self to Cook?

What’s the first question you ask yourself when asked to “How can I teach myself to cook?” Well, you are not alone. Many of us who grew-up in the 50’s and beyond would probably wish we had been taught (or know how we would have learned) easy cooking techniques. This not only applies to cooking for yourself but also for your family as well as friends.

It may be funny to think that the question, “How can I teach myself to cook?” is asked by people who are so into the food and eating “healthy” food. But the truth is, the “healthy food” they are referring to may not even be healthy at all. “Eating healthy” is relative, depending on the cook you ask. Here are some tips on how you can start “cooking your own food” without the help of unhealthy “convenience foods”.

Healthy and Unhealthy Ingredients

First off, there is no such thing as a “healthy” meal. Just because you label it as “healthy” or “low fat”, doesn’t mean it has any kind of nutritional value. The only time you should ever use labels like these is when you’re reading the ingredients list for the food you intend to cook. If you are looking for healthy food, stick with lean meats (just to begin with), fruits and vegetables. By limiting the amount of unhealthy ingredients used in a meal you will be able to give yourself more time to focus on the healthy food you are trying to prepare.

Get Rid Of Microwave

Next, get rid of the microwave. While microwaves do make pre-made meals easier to prepare, microwaves do absolutely nothing to keep you from over cooking your meals. This is especially true when cooking meat, which often contains a lot of fat and/or cholesterol. If you wish to learn how to cook, then you should focus on grilling or deep frying instead of relying on the microwave.

Cast Iron

The best type of cooking utensil you can invest in is a good cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets keep food hot for long periods of time, and they will also keep you from burning your food. Many people believe that you should grease a skillet before using it, but this is not a good habit to adopt for the purpose of cooking healthy food. Just use any type of non-stick skillet and let the grease run off of it before cooking. The better quality of pans will have an indicator on the bottom that lets you know when the bottom is already cooked, so you can simply turn the stove off and start cooking without having to worry about the bottom burning.

Frozen Foods

A good way to find healthy food is to cooking it yourself instead of use frozen foods. Homemade pizza and frozen fruit are a couple of the best things you can do, as they are both low in fat and high in nutrition. Cooking yourself will also help you save money by keeping your food fresh for longer periods of time.

Make Your Own Meals

Finally, the best way to learn how to cook is to actually make your own healthy meals. This way, you can learn what healthy ingredients you should be adding to your diet, and you can change your recipes as you learn more about them. If you don’t like cooking, you can always buy healthy pre-made foods that you can cook at home. You can usually find these in your local supermarket.

So how can I teach myself to cook? You will need to find a variety of good books, and read them religiously. Practice your cooking skills as often as possible. If you cook often, you will soon start to understand that there are many ways to approach meal preparation and cooking. Don’t worry if you can’t figure out how to prepare one dish; the more you cook, the better you will get at it. Good luck, and remember, with enough practice, any skill can be learned.