Kitchen

[house_cat]

Anyone can cook tasty, fattening food, but cooking tasty healthy food is a lot trickier.

Do you agree with me?

I thought I was a good cook.  

I can practically cook a meal in my sleep, but since starting the Whole 30 program - no gluten, no grains, no dairy, no added sugar - It's been a real challenge to make meals that my husband will also enjoy.

I got a lot of good ideas here on the forum, and no shortage of them on the Internet, but I'm finding it a lot harder to cook healthful meals than less healthful ones.

Do you ever find yourself preparing a less-than-healtful meal, just because it's easier?

[qualitygal]

@house_cat, I don't think we want to do that anymore. We try and be careful since we know it's better to use our heads and eat what's good for us since it's easier in the long run to spend our money on good food, than a bottle of pills or the doctor's office. It's a choice.

[Mary Bailey]

Absolutely! 

I just heated up two frozen eggrolls.  I ate an apple while I was waiting.

Last week I made a huge fresh salad.  Neither one of us touched it. I threw away the entire thing.

@house_cat  I wouldn't even attempt the Whole 30 Program.  I hope it works for you.  I barely got through reading the description. LOL

[RedTop]

My goal is to simply cook the food that will be eaten.   I hate wasting food, and therefore always run my ideas by my family first.   An unhealthy meal that everyone will eat, wins out every time against a healthier meal that winds up in the trash.    

[debic]

I don't, I cook what I feel like eating, from very boring grilled cheese to elaborate meals that take all day.

[Mominohio]

Anyone who answers that they never have or never do, is pretty much dishonest.

Life gets in the way sometimes, and we reach for or prepare what we can not only get done easily, but what we and others will actually eat.

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of moderation, and it being healthy enough, for most people (of course there are people with very specific conditions or dietary requirements,who cannot stray from their needs).

And define healthy. What 'science' says is healthy today, is not tomorrow, and is again in the future. We all know that too much of certain things are harmful, but for most people eliminating complete categories of things, totally from their diets doesn't always get the results they expect nor does it bring joy to their eating. Eating, while necessary toproplerly nourish our bodies, should also nourish our souls. Food is good, it is social, it can be inspiring as well.  

And when cooking for others, if they desire to have a little of what isn't necessarily 'good' for them, I say accomodate it. As other posters mentioned, wasting food, the time and money it takes to create it, makes no sense because people don't like or enjoy it.

[house_cat]

@Mary Bailey

I hear ya... the Whole 30 program is extreme, but I had to make the extreme change for health reasons.  I'm 16 days in and not hungry or deprived, it's just a very different way of planning meals and cooking.  If I lived alone, it would be easier, but DH will waste away if he gets any thinner, so I try to cook extra things for him.

Yesterday, the temps dipped here from our usual 100 degrees to low 80s. (BTW, it's back up again today.) DH said, "This feels like apple pie weather!"

Of course, this morning I baked him an apple pie. He said, "Don't worry, every time I eat it I'll have a piece for you, too."  What a guy!

Here's my pie-o-lantern, in honor of my pretend autumn.

Can you see the face?

[Mary Bailey]

@house_cat I do see the face! It looks so cute and delicious. 

My DH never would ask for sweet baked goods.  He's good with a bite or two of a dark chocolate candy bar.  He was at work this morning.  I found his last fun size Almond Joy.  And then there were none.

It sounds like its working really well for you.  I want to look it up now. 

[AuntG]

Sure because I have the ingredients on hand.  Some healthy recipes contain what I consider to be unusual ingredients.

[Nataliesgramma]

Hubby loves comfort food...so that's what I make most of the time......we do have our days of healthy too...