Cooking from scratch can feel overwhelming when you aren’t used to doing it, or when you simply aren’t a fan of cooking. But truthfully, it’s much simpler than it looks.
You don’t need expensive tools, or perfect skills. You don’t even always need lots of time, especially if you keep things simple. You just need a few basics and some confidence in yourself.
What Does “Cooking from Scratch” Actually Mean?
Cooking from scratch just means making meals from whole, basic ingredients instead of using pre-packaged or ultra processed foods.
And your meals don’t need to be perfect, you are cooking for you and your family, not a 5 star restaurant.
Step One: Start With Simple Meals
When you first get into cooking one of the worst things you can do is attempt complicated meals with difficult recipes. This can make you become overwhelmed, makes things more likely to go wrong, and ultimately can make cooking feel like a chore.
So the best thing you can do is start with some simple meals. Stick to simple recipes, one pan meals and meals that take 30 minutes or less to cook.
Try scrambled eggs on toast, tray bakes, simple pasta dishes and meals like baked potatoes and mixed salads. Once you get into the swing of things, move on to more adventurous recipes.
Step 2: Build a Basic Pantry
When you are regularly cooking from scratch, it’s important to always have some basics in the cupboard so that you don’t find yourself stuck on something to cook.
Keep some basic carbs in the cupboard like dried pasta, rice and oats. Some of Aldi’s microwave rice is UPF free(be sure to check the ingredients), which can make things easier if you are short on time.
If you are able, try to ensure you always have some kind of protein in. It could be eggs, tinned beans, lentils, frozen chicken breasts. Protein is a key ingredient in most recipes, and you can often swap the protein out for your preferred choice.
Some fats such as rapeseed oil, olive oil and butter. Fats are essential of cooking, and olive oil makes a great salad dressing in a pinch.
Have a spice rack full of herbs and spices if you can, not forgetting salt and pepper. These are what elevate meals to the next level, and prevent your food from tasting bland and boring.
Always keeping some of each of these in your kitchen ensures that you will always have something in to cook.
Step 3: Learn Some Basic Skills
Learning some basic cooking skills will help to make cooking a more enjoyable and less stressful activity. For those of us like me who find they are slow at cooking, this is particularly important. I have found that a huge part of why I often find cooking a chore, is that I don’t know the correct way to do certain things and it therefore takes me much longer, as it more tricky.
Here is a list of basic skills to learn when you start cooking from scratch, that will help to make it less of a chore.
- The correct way to chop veg (there are lots of tutorials on YouTube)
- How to cook rice and pasta properly
- How to roast meat and veg in the oven
- Basic frying skills for eggs, veg and protein
- The proper way to season your food so that it tastes great
Once you have these skills down, cooking will be more enjoyable.
Step 4: Don’t Aim For Perfection
When you first start cooking, your meals may be a bit bland, over or under cooked, and are unlikely to be ‘Instagram’ worthy.
But that doesn’t matter. You’re learning and all of these things are part of the process. Cooking is a skill that will take time to learn.
Step 5: Make It Easier on Yourself
Here are a few short cuts that will make cooking easier, while still keeping it UPF free:
- Pre-chop your veg before cooking, or buy pre-chopped if you prefer
- Cook double and freeze the extra for later use
- Keep meals simple
- Make and freeze some basic sauces ahead of time
Why It’s Worth It
Cooking from scratch not only helps you to avoid ultra-processed foods, but it can also help you to save money, have total control over what you consume, and build a skill that you can use for life. You could even make cooking a family bonding time, getting everyone involved, even the kids.
The bottom line is that you don’t need to become a chef overnight, just start simple. That’s how habits stick.
Don’t forget to take a look at our easy to follow, UPF free recipes. And for free resources, updates and more sign up to The No Nasties Newsletter here.
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