First off, let's think about is from a financial standpoint. Start adding up how much you spend each week on eating out/picking up food? According to the Center for Science and Public Interest, Americans spend about $222 billion dollars eating out (Source: Calorie Costs). I challenge you to keep your receipts for the week to see how much money are you spending. I would estimate you (if you buy a lot of your meals out) spend about $25 every day on food (that's a conservative estimate).
So now let's talk about how to keep some of these dollars in your pocket so you can save for that island vacation AND take better care of your health. I actually looked for an article on why cooking on the weekend is beneficial and there isn't one! Looks like a job for the Single Sista!! The inspiration for encouraging people to cook on the weekends actually stems from my southern upbringing. The big Sunday feasts were not made on Sundays alone. My grandmothers cooked and prepared things on Saturdays so that after church all they had to do was warm the food.
According to the Single Sista (that's me), by cooking on either Saturday or Sunday you:
- Eliminate the post-work conundrum of wondering what you are going to have for dinner
- Are less likely to pick up something from a fast food restaurant
- Can eat dinner early in the evening and give your food time to digest
- Can sit down with friends or loved ones and enjoy a real meal
- Have food that you can take to work for lunch
- SAVE MONEY!
- Spend a few minutes thinking about what you would like to make BEFORE you head to the grocery store so you can make a list. Better to go to the grocery store armed with a list than to figure out what you think you want when you get there. Also keeps you on YOUR BUDGET.
- Make sure it's a balanced meal as. Refer to Choose My Plate for more on what your portions should look like. Make sure there are some veggies on your plate.
- Figure out the best time for you to cook. Is it Saturday morning? Sunday while watching football (my favorite time to cook)? Set aside the time on a weekly basis and do your best to commit to it.
- Prepare meals for both lunch AND dinner. You quite honestly will get tired of eating the same thing for lunch and dinner. For lunch, you may want to have a different vegetable/side from the one you are planning to have for dinner. For examine, if you bake some chicken, you can have that with a salad at lunch but have it with some brown rice and some roasted asparagus for dinner (just as an example).
- Consider one pot/one pan meals. A stew or a baked pasta (with veggies and whole wheat or gluten-free pasta of course) are always a bonus. AND let's not forget our old buddy the crock pot. Crock pot meals are wonderful because you do not have to stand over the stove and watch it.
- Explore various resources for ideas on what you should make. Basically, have a game plan! Here are some suggestions for where to get recipe ideas:
- Watch some cooking shows. I often watch a few cooking shows on Saturday mornings to get inspiration for what I may want to prepare. It's easy to go online to get the recipe so that you can see all the ingredients and prep needed. Obviously you should remember to be reasonable and don't pick something that will have you buying random and expensive spices and ingredients. Some seafood dishes, for example, can become quite pricey (unless you are talking about tilapia or shrimp).
- Subscribe to a few cooking/food blogs (like Single Sista's Dish) for free recipes.
- Pick up a magazine at the grocery store. I have often done this, especially when I see a recipe for something I want to make on the cover. There are several that are geared towards specific dietary needs like weight loss, low-sodium, etc.
- Ask your friends and family. I often get inspiration from them.
All the BEST!
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