Tips to Start Cooking More Holistically
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Cooking at home is the foundation to creating a healthy holistic lifestyle. I started this website with the mission to help you nourish your mind, body, and soul through the kitchen because I truly believe that the kitchen is your first gateway to health. What we put into our bodies is incredibly important, but it’s not the only thing. How we choose our food, how we prepare it, cook it, and eat it, is just as important - if not more important than what we eat. That means cooking with intent and a mindset that not only focuses on the quality and flavor of our food, but also pays attention to how the preparation of our food can impact our health in a multitude of ways. It is about the energy and love that is put into your food.
This lifestyle choice can benefit your mental and physical health, and it doesn’t have to boring or stressful! Here are a few tips that will help you take a fun, holistic approach to home cooking.
Invest in High-Quality Tools
Using the right tools and kitchen equipment can make a huge difference in the quality and ease of meals you make at home. For example, having a high-powered blender or immersion blender will help you whip up creamy soups and sauces, using a slow-cooker will let you easily make stews and curries on busy days, and you can create tasty crispy “fried” sides with an air fryer. If your range hood is ineffective or outdated, it could be a good idea to invest in a new, high-quality under cabinet range hood or portable mini hood so that you can properly ventilate your kitchen while you cook. Look for pots and pans that will help you build a healthy kitchen - things like cast iron pans, stainless steel pans, or something that is enamel coated like Le Creuset. It might feel like a lot to spend money on quality cookware, but investing in some really good quality equipment, even if you can only get your hands on a couple of pieces, will truly change the way you cook and the health benefits you reap. Although there seems to be a sleek and trendy new kitchen gadget coming out all the time, that does not mean you need to buy every single one to cook well. Rather than buy everything all at once, slowly build up a stock of essentials one item at a time. We highly recommend starting with good sharp knives, a good pot/Dutch oven and pan, a scale, and a thermometer. (You can visit any of the blog pages for the equipment I use most often.)
Create an Inviting, Cozy Ambiance
Kitchens are known as the heart of the home. Certain pleasant activities, like drinking your first morning coffee or baking your favorite cake, can take on new significance if you make the space as warm and welcoming as you can. Paint the walls and cabinets, put up an attractive backsplash, and display artwork or decorative items to beautify your kitchen. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Think more intimate touches — try your hand at food photography and transform pictures of your favorite recipes into wall art, or hang snapshots of meals at family events like birthdays, graduations, and holidays to make wall art. Get appropriate lighting or use natural lighting when possible to create a warm and cozy atmosphere. Add plants, as a bit of greenery will look more inviting and create a calming effect. When you cook, light a candle and play some fun or relaxing music to get you in the mood, as music can influence people’s perception of the taste, flavor, and mouthfeel of food and drink.
Renovate Your Kitchen
Perhaps you already have a good set of cooking equipment and tools, but your major kitchen appliances are outdated or need frequent repairs. We know this might not be for everybody, but it might be time to renovate your kitchen! Consider installing a new oven, stovetop, microwave, or wine fridge. Cooking is so much fun when you truly love spending time in your kitchen.
Prioritize Food Safety
No matter what you’re making, you can’t cut corners when it comes to food safety. It’s important to know the basics, such as using separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination, learning to cook and store food at proper temperatures, and cleaning and sanitizing your kitchen with non-toxic cleaning products after you finish cooking. Let’s avoid food poisoning at all costs.
Eat Seasonally
Eating seasonally is a great way to foster your connection with nature and stay in tune with your local environment. To eat aligned with the seasons in your area, I recommend creating a “food calendar” to know when produce is in season (or follow me on Instagram for my monthly In Season posts), shopping at your local farmer’s markets or co-ops, and joining a community-supported agriculture program. You can also grow your own garden and rotate your herbs and vegetables throughout the year. Gardening and buying local food typically has more nutrients because it’s picked and sold closer to the source, and it’s also better for the environment since it’s not being flown or driven long distances.
Stock a Healthy Pantry
Having a well-stocked pantry is one of the best ways you can set yourself up for success in the kitchen. By doing so, you will always have a foundation for creating easy, healthy, and balanced meals at any time. First, I recommend taking inventory of what you already have – this includes foods you can store in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer that will stay fresh for more than just a few days – and clean out anything that expired or ultra-processed to make room for healthier, real food. Get my inventory sheets HERE! Next, go shopping! Think healthy fats, plant-based proteins, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and vegetables. I will be the first to admit that I am lucky and sometimes spoiled by the quality of ingredients I have access to. Call it a perk of the job. But you can absolutely find quality and authentic ingredients anywhere — visit your local co-ops, farmers markets, Mexican, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indian markets, and, if all else fails, you can pretty much order anything online. I love Thrive Market for quality ingredients at fair prices. Don’t feel like you need to stock your pantry with everything immediately. Start small and slowly build up your pantry inventory.
I also recommend finding recipes that use ingredients you already have on hand as you’re building your pantry. Not only will taking these steps reduce stress around meal times, but you can also save time and money!
Get Inspired by Cookbooks
I love this quote by goddess Nigella Lawson:
Cooking is not about just joining the dots, following one recipe slavishly and then moving on to the next. It's about developing an understanding of food, a sense of assurance in the kitchen, about the simple desire to make yourself something to eat. And in cooking, as in writing, you must please yourself to please others.
Cookbooks teach us techniques, introduce us to new ingredients, encourage us to expand our palates, and show us new ways of doing things. Challenge yourself to browse books, pick new recipes, cook more often, and even master new skills and/or cuisines.
Meal Plan Ahead of Time
Finally, make sure to spend some time meal planning for the week ahead so that you’ll be stocked up on the ingredients you’ll need to ensure you cook. Take pleasure in finding simple recipe inspiration. We have some here and can always recommend our favorite sites to visit. Just message me! If you don’t meal plan and grocery shop accordingly, you’ll end up ordering takeout, snacking, or going out to eat (all of which are totally fine on occasion, but I want to inspire you to cook more at home). Center your meals around lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole carbohydrates. Don’t forget to leave a little room for dessert, too - life is all about balance, and you deserve to indulge in the occasional sweet treat!
By cooking at home, you can fuel your body with nutritious foods that will bring you joy! You can also cultivate cherished memories practicing in the kitchen or of sharing meals with your loved ones. Looking for new recipe inspiration? Browse our blog for other tasty recipes and cooking tips.
Contributed in collaboration with Jennifer McGregor of Public Health Library.