I don't know how to cook!

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almccaul
almccaul Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I don't know how to cook or really even eat healthy for that matter. I used to have a fast metabolism but those days are long gone. If anyone has any suggestions of what I should eat to lose weight, that would be great! I ate out twice today :(
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  • barebon
    barebon Posts: 80 Member
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    Ziplock Steam bags! Throw veggies that you like and a variety of spices that you like and BAM! Lol the instructions are on the bags so you really can't go wrong. They are also quick to put together. Wash off yur veggies peel . . . Or not season and that's all! But practice makes perfect. Don't be afraid to try. We all have to start somewhere, right?
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    In the beginning, I learned how to stir fry/sautee just about anything. Best thing I ever did. I can open up most cupboards and fridges in most people's houses and whip up a rice or noodle stir fry in 20 minutes. Going easy on the rice/noodles/sauce and heavy on the fresh vegies makes it a really healthy way to go.

    I learned the basics of stir fry cooking by first buying those frozen stir fry kits (and only using half the sauce they provide). Once you get the gist of it, you can find sauce recipes online and experiment with fresh and frozen vegies, as well as adding things like nuts and fruit, tofu, meat... endless combinations.
  • shannonsumner92
    shannonsumner92 Posts: 28
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    low carb or no carb is great! shreds pounds quick! heres a couple ideas...

    Here is a version a spaghetti I like to make...
    Brown Turkey burger meat, add fresh broccoli florets and spinach to the pan. I also put onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper but its all about your preference, add your spaghetti sauce to it. Instead of regular noodles buy Wacky Mac Veggie Noodles. They are completely made out of vegetable and are delicious!

    Another good entree is Chicken Breast wrapped with Turkey Bacon and baked. Add cheese and Spinach if you like,
    A good side for this is to boil colliflower until its really soft, drain the water. mash it up until its the consistency of mashed potatoes and add milk, butter or whatever you like and it tastes just like mashed potatoes only better!

    A good one for lasagna is to use turkey burger meat instead of hamburger meat, use zucchini instead of noodles!! slice them thinly, long ways and put whatever else you like in it and bake it!

    If you got to the grocery store you can buy Atkins products such as shakes and bars and they are all zero carb and help satisfy cravings and if you use EBT for groceries they are accpeted by EBT!

    Another good snack to try not to break your diet too badly is to pop a bag of popcorn (no butter or light) and add a packet or two of splenda and shake it up.. it may sound gross but its delicious!

    Green vegetables are great for no carb diets and if you make a salad you can use vinegar and oil

    If you ever go out to eat with everyone and you have no choice but to order something just remember that there will always be something for you. One of my problems is that my family used to go to McDonalds a lot but what I did was order a Double Cheese burger with no bread or ketchup and they automatically replace the bun for lettuce leafs.. pretty good but don't do it too much bc they do put a bit of sugar in their meets and stuff
  • Americanbabydoll
    Americanbabydoll Posts: 1,255 Member
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    I just recently started cooking. I just look for recipes online that look easy or I have tons of cookbooks (people have been trying to get me to cook for years :smile: ) so I look through those for things that look good and easy. I love casseroles. Put everything in one dish and bake. Sometimes I'll look at things I have in the kitchen and then type the items in Google search and see what recipe comes up.

    If I can figure out how to cook anyone can. I couldn't cook anything until about 6 months ago and now I cook 90% of my families meals.
  • Retiredmom72
    Retiredmom72 Posts: 538 Member
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    Then it is time you learned. Get some chicken breast and spray a skillet or pan with nonstick spray. Rinse the chicken breast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can cook it on top on the range about 5 minutes on each side on medium heat or use a glass baking dish and put it in the microwave for 10 minutes on high. (maybe less depending on the wattage). Get a crockpot and put the ingredients in it and turn it on low and cook for the day. It is really not that hard. Look at the recipe section on this site. As a friend to show you how to make basics--chicken, steak, or even a salad. You can do it.
  • shoshi68
    shoshi68 Posts: 407 Member
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    "If you can read, you can cook," as my mom used to say. There are tons of super cookbooks for the novice cook - pick one up that speaks to you, and start to play.

    Nowadays, however, if you have an internet connection, you can cook. Find something you are interested in making, and then YouTube. Google, or whatever search engine for recipes, video demos, and guides.

    Cooking is about paying attention to processes and flavours. You will make mistakes, and some of them will be delicious.

    Best of luck!
  • ejk1071
    ejk1071 Posts: 9
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    Get a George Foreman grill. Works great on boneless/skinless chicken breasts, steak, lean boneless pork chops, turkey burgers, tilapia, salmon etc etc etc. There is a variety of Mrs. Dash seasoning (no salt so it's better than just salt and pepper) for just about any kind of meat. Frozen veggies can be heated in the microwave.
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    I've only just started to actually cook, in the last couple of years. I need a recipe or things tend to go awry, but if you can find something that looks easy, you can do it! kraft.com and foodnetwork.com have a lot of really easy recipes. You have to look around a little for the healthier ones, but they're definitely doable.
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
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    I didn't know how to cook or especially how to cook healthy before I started the MFP thing. I started by searching the Internet for healthy cooking websites, finding recipes that sounded good, buying the ingredients for my week plans and followed the recipes. After 200 days (today!) of MFP I shop and cook and eat totally different than before, but it was not an overnight all at once type of change, gradual lifestyle changes!
  • kbogati
    kbogati Posts: 39 Member
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    buy a crockpot! easiest cooking ever and you can find a ton of low calorie recipes online
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    1: Gather healthy ingredients.
    2: Throw it a pot of boiling water.
    3: Stir slowly, add salt and condiments as needed.
    4: Continue stirring until everything is uniform grey - that's how you know it's done.
    5 Serve immediately and enjoy.

    Okay. I kid :tongue:

    Just look up some recipes and follow the instructions; may take some getting used to, but you'll eventually get the hang of it and - hell, even enjoy it. I know I sure do. :)
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    I agree, stir fry is good and easy. You don't need a fancy wok just any larger nonstick pan will do. Cook meat first, set aside then stir fry the veggies till done to your liking at meat and sauce.

    Chicken--seasoned and lightly coated with Italian seasoned bread crumbs, pan fry, about 5-7 minutes a side for a piece about 1/2inch thick, set aside. Mix up a bowl of fresh greens and veggies you like. Slice chicken, voila you have a tasty salad. I make this ahead of time and take to work for lunch.

    If you're able, invest in some spices. Some basics with help add flavor without needed the added fat from butter, cheese etc. Good options, garlic powder(not salt), an Italian blend, a seasoned salt like lowerys. There are a ton of spice mixes, right now I'm in love with a Greek mixture. It's fabulous on chicken and veggies. If you have a local spice shop like Penseys go there, they can help a lot.

    Healthy snacks: Dannon light and fit greek yogurt and Yoplait has a good light greek too add granola.........nummy.
    String cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs.

    Good luck!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    To learn basic nutrition, read this: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

    To learn to cook, get a good cookbook that says it's for beginners. Watching the Food Network is also helpful. Once you get the basics down, cooking is pretty easy. As you try more recipes, you'll begin to learn what flavors you like together and will become more at east with altering recipes to suit your taste.

    There are literally thousands of healthy recipes avaialble online for free. Just search for ones that look (or are rated, if the site has that feature) simple.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I don't know how to cook or really even eat healthy for that matter. I used to have a fast metabolism but those days are long gone. If anyone has any suggestions of what I should eat to lose weight, that would be great! I ate out twice today :(

    Eat foods you like, get in adequate protein and fats and create a caloric deficit, profit
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I would say I'm don't know how to cook, but I can follow a recipe to the T. I make a variation if the quinoa recipe below (usually on the weekends and multiply the recipe by 2), pack it in to go containers and bring if for lunch to work.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spiced-quinoa/

    It's not too complicated, but healthy.

    I'd say start out on something like this, then find more complicated stuff. It's all trial and error. You'll never learn unless you try :P
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    I don't cook often as cooking for 1 is not much fun. But as long as you can steam veg, not being able to cook is not an excuse to eat out all the time.

    By pre-cooked meat that has not been reconstituted (my favourite is roasted chicken from the deli) and then eat steamed vegetables, fruit, salads, nuts and pre-cooked fish. That's a healthy diet right there.

    You can tell if a precooked meat is good for you in two ways. One: the number of ingredients (fewer is better) and Two: the fat % (lower is better).

    Also be wary of anything with a far off expiry date or anything tinned as it has no doubt been modified to make it last longer.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    If you can read a book, then you can cook. Buy a healthy cookbook, and make some of the recipes. It's not rocket science.
  • BamBam125
    BamBam125 Posts: 229 Member
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    Hubby bought himself a book called "How to Cook Everything" a number of years ago and has learned to cook a lot out of it. It's also useful if you don't know what cooking terms mean. For example, he was really puzzled by an online recipe that called for "folding" in an ingredient. I knew what it was and showed him and when he didn't believe me that "folding" was a real term, he looked it up in his book. Sure enough it was there.

    In addition to simple recipes, it has ways to advance a recipe into a more complicated version or how to substitute ingredients if you are missing something.

    He really liked all the information about cuts of meat and how to do various techniques. Like what does it mean to "braise" or "fold" or how does one "julienne" a veggie and why does it matter.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    People think I don't know how to cook because I never do. My mom prefers to still treat me like a child... and does all the cooking for me. LOL. But... I'm not sure what to recommend for you. TV dinners are easy for people who don't know how to cook... however, they're full of sodium which is definitely not healthy. My recommendation would be to just practice cooking. Maybe find someone to help you learn.

    ETA: When I am able to kick my mom out of the kitchen, though... I really do love cooking. It's actually very relaxing for me.
  • alejandroak
    alejandroak Posts: 17
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    So uh... In the past 64 days I've lost ~17lbs... by (1) exercising my *kitten* off, and (2) changing my eating habits.

    As far as (2) is concerned, I didn't used to cook hardly at all. I subsisted on cereal, frozen burritos ("EVOL" organic chicken burritos), Indian hot pockets (Paneer tikka), and crap like that...

    I have been cooking for the past two weeks and it's really not that hard... I prefer chicken and seafood for my protein, and it takes me 10-15 minutes to do a chicken breast in a pan on the stove in olive oil with rosemary... in the mean time, I might have some pasta boiling as well... 15-20 minutes = dinner's done. On a third burner you could easily have some vegetables going... or just do chicken + vegetables and skip the pasta unless you need the carbs...

    Sure I've cooked before, but I thought I'd look online for some ideas... Found a great and easy way to cook chicken breasts: very lightly floured, heat on high, cook for one minute, then flip and set heat to low for 10 minutes covered... BAM, chicken breast in olive oil... beautiful...


    It's like anything... practice and you'll get better. You'd have to be pretty inept to not be able to become somewhat proficient... It just takes practice, having a feel for your cooking surface (gas, electric, inductive, etc.), and having some ideas as to what you'd like to eat and how you'd like to prepare it.


    I'm sure you can do it!! :-) :-)


    As far as WHAT to eat to lose weight? It's not so much about "what"... it's about how much... YES it's about "what", but I feel like if you create a reasonable calorie deficit and still eat "crappily" you'll still lose weight...

    IDEALLY you will factor in WHAT and HOW MUCH to your diet, right? As someone mentioned earlier, CALORIE DEFICIT is important if you want to lose weight... and of course eating decent food is important regardless...

    Chicken and seafood are a BREEZE to cook (tilapia, salmon, shrimp, etc.)... Breeze = fast, and hard to *kitten* it up. Vegetables can be easy if you buy them pre-packaged (e.g. corn, peas, beans, etc. in a bag from the freezer) and they can be had "organic" as well if you care... Easy to boil, or even microwave... Pasta is super easy to cook as well. Personally I think rice is very easy to cook also, but most people I've met do not agree... It takes practice and a little "feel"...

    Anyway... give things a try... you never know until you try... I'm sure you can do it :-). And you have us at MFP for ideas, motivation, inspiration, etc.

    Happy cooking :-)

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