As societies continue to progress, we start to take many things into account. From making lifestyle changes to improving our mindsets and attitudes, we are all about change. This is slowly translating into the way we eat and spend our day to day life. Making the right food choices and using the available resources for health management is necessary. Even though this is not the end-all solution for health issues, it does have many benefits. When people decide to adopt a healthier lifestyle, they take a look at what they eat. And this is where they realize some major problems that food presents.

From eating out to snacks and junk food, what we put in our bodies is not something to disregard. This is why choosing a better option is harder but gives a greater reward. Cooking at home has become the new wave in most Western households. Picking out the right recipes and meal prepping is how most professionals take control of their health. So what are some things you can do when preparing your first home-cooked meal? And why is this change so important?

Why Should You Cook at Home?

There are many reasons why you can go down this route. Preparing your first meal can be daunting and you might be inclined to just order in. But the healthier option will provide lots of advantages, like:

1. Saving money since you do not have to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner from outside
2. Saving time because you can use one meal for three eating windows
3. Less stress because you do not have to worry about where your next food is coming from
4. Healthy eating because you will be using fresh ingredients and appropriate proportions
5. Better for the environment because you won’t be using tons of plastic containers, instead you can buy cutlery from Stanley Rogers Albany

Keeping Things Simple

If you are a complete beginner, it is best that you do not overcomplicate things. There is no need to try out any fancy recipes and give yourself tons to do. What preparing your first meal will provide you is the right headspace. You will be able to take things one by one and make a meal that will sustain you for a long time.

Everything is planned

Prepping your meal means following a set plan. When you are no longer eating out or buying junk food, you pay more attention to what you eat. This saves you a lot of money and time and gives you the mental space to be more organized.

How to Prepare Your First Meal?

Sticking to a Consistent Schedule

When you are planning out your meal prepping, you have to follow a schedule. Cooking takes up a lot of time and energy so you cannot do it in the middle of other tasks. This means that you have to take out time from a busy day and actually put in the effort. Pick a specific time and then make sure that you give your best to the craft of cooking and preparing.

Cramming in More Protein

Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, you need to cram in the protein. Not only will this help you stay full, but it also is beneficial to your health. You will not feel the urge to snack and can go long hours without overheating. Eggs and oats are great examples of this and they will sustain you for any extraneous activities you have to do.

Making a List of Ingredients

No meal prep is complete without having a complete list of the necessary ingredients. This is very different from your usual grocery list as it is specific to the meal you are cooking. You will have to go through recipes and list down what you do not already have. Then you will have to visit a store and acquire your items. Cross off what you have and double-check the list before you go home.

Choosing the Best Recipes

If you want to make a successful first meal, the trick is the recipe. There are many signs that will show if a meal will be good or not, and a recipe is one of them. Picking the right recipe takes some thinking on your part.

So here is how you can choose one:

1. Making Ahead

The right recipe has certain make-ahead features, which means that you can prepare the food in advance without any issues.

2. Prep Work

If you have to do a lot of slicing and chopping and frying before the actual cooking, you have a sound recipe.

3. Can Be Refrigerated

The right recipe will give you a meal that can be frozen or refrigerated for long periods of time without the food going bad.

4. Can Be Reheated

If you can get some leftovers out of a meal, then definitely go for the given recipe.

Choose Your Cooking Style

Some practice is needed, but you will be able to come across your cooking style. Especially if you are a beginner, you will have to go through a lot of trial and error. Through some mistakes and a few burns here and there, you will fall into an easy pattern. This is when preparing your meal will be easy and convenient.

Go for Storage Containers

It does not matter that you are only making one meal, you need a few storage containers. Make sure that you make the right selection when picking these containers and use them accordingly. Your main goal should be acquiring ones that are microwaveable and eco-friendly. If you store your meal the right way, it will taste amazing the next time you reheat it.

Conclusion

Taking the time out of your schedule to prepare your first meal is in no way an easy task. It requires a lot of planning and effort on your part, as well as learning. You do not want to be eating mush and slop, so be sure to follow these tips and prepare a world-class meal. The main ingredient is patience and practice, so hopefully, this will be your first cooked meal of many!