How To Stay Inspired To Cook Without Much Food Wastage
In efforts to flatten the curve, we must play our part as responsible citizens by staying home as much as we can. This grants us the opportunity to put on our chef’s apron and experiment as much as we want in the kitchen! From delicious food to decadent bakes, the possibilities are endless. Homemade food is no doubt, comforting and delightful to indulge in. However, ‘homemade’ doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be consumed within your house! Thankfully, with take out lunch boxes, you’re able to pack your food to indulge it in wherever you are.
When you cook, the amount of effort you put before and during the preparation shows in the end result. Although, buying ingredients with only one or two meals in mind often results in food wastage, especially during this time when our outside activities are restricted to only essential purposes. So, we must learn to make full use of whatever we have on hand. Is it possible to continually feel inspired to cook without resulting in much wastage? Yes, and hopefully, these three tips will be of great help to you!
Have a food inventory
Sometimes, you can’t help but have some ingredients lying around in the nook and cranny of your cupboard, freezer or the like. And when you’re looking for it to no avail, you end up buying more. This dangerous cycle will then continue until you realise that you have way too much of the same ingredients at home!
A food inventory is like, a stock list of the food items and products you have in stock at home. It might seem troublesome to do, but this will save you plenty of time and money in the long-run. Sort it based on location and take note of the type of product, the quantity, and most importantly, the expiry date. As you’re checking through the products you have, see if any ingredients can be kept in small plastic containers instead, for long-lasting freshness. Make sure to constantly update this list, as it’ll help a bunch when you’re planning your meals and when you’re deciding what groceries you need to buy next time!
Create a food calendar
When crafting out a timetable, you’re planning the activities you plan to achieve during each day of the week. But how often do we sit down and think of what to eat?
Enter the food calendar! You can start by setting a theme each week. So for example, your theme of this week is meatless, and the theme for the following week takes inspiration from western cuisines! Take the time to sit down and jot down what you plan to cook each day according to the theme. This can even turn into a fun family exercise for everyone to suggest their preferred meals, which you can, later on, sort out according to the different days on the calendar.
Seek inspiration proactively
Sometimes, thinking of what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day can feel like a chore. It’s even worse when you ask your family members for ideas and end up getting answers that aren’t helpful at all!
Living in the age of social media allows us to connect with others as fast as a click. If you look hard enough, you will find many resources available at your fingertips! During this circuit breaker period, many chefs and ordinary people find joy in sharing their recipes online for others to try! There’s an endless amount of video tutorials and blogposts available for you.
So, what are you waiting for? Turn your food desires into reality by whipping it out in the kitchen! If not, be sure to take note of it on your food calendar for your weekly inspiration.
Conclusion
Staying home for a prolonged period can make us get into an unproductive slump. But it’s up to you to turn that around by making full use of the time you have! Enrich your #StayHome experience through engaging in various activities that you never got to try before.