I'm Scared of the Food

MrzSnickers
MrzSnickers Posts: 14 Member
edited November 25 in Food and Nutrition
I dont know how to cook!!! I find myself anxious about how Im going to lose this weight and decrease eating out without being able to make myself a healthy meal at home. What do I do??? How do I figure out what I need in each meal? help me please!

Replies

  • lauramom2
    lauramom2 Posts: 9 Member
    Start simple and have fun! If you’re worried about how to include all the nutrition you need put that aside for now and just try. The only way you’d get it wrong would be by not even starting. Do simple things like bake chicken breasts (if you eat meat) and baked potato. Add a bag of steamed frozen veggies or a salad and there is a great meal! Goggle simple recipes and then try one that sounds good to you. There are so many out there. You will have things that turn out poorly but you’ll get better. I’ve been a stay at home mom for 7 years and in that time I’ve become a damn fine cook just by doing it over and over. Good luck and happy cooking
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Cooking isn't that complicated. There are certain techniques (cutting, mixing, boiling, frying) you have to learn in order to cook. You can practice that by reading and following recipes - there are instructional videos everywhere, including youtube.

    Then there is the skill of composing acceptable meals - not very difficult either - think "protein+starch+veg". Add on fruit, dairy, nuts.

    Then there is the concept of weightloss - you don't have to cook, and you don't have to eat balanced meals in order to lose weight. (At least not in theory. In practice, you'll want to eat a decent diet in order to not feel starving and get sick.) All you needto do to lose weight, is to eat less.

    You don't have to eat anything in particular for any meal. If you use a food scale in combination with your food diary and the food database, you fill in foods you eat or plan to eat, and hit your calorie goal. If you do that consistently, you'll lose weight. If you set your diary to track protein, fat and carbs, and aim to hit the preset values of those too, you're eating pretty balanced.
  • MrzSnickers
    MrzSnickers Posts: 14 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Cooking is a skill you can learn. Take a class, or if you know someone who's a good cook, ask if you can cook with them and learn a few basics. Today there's Youtube which shows you step by step what to do. When I was a teenager (a long time ago) I started with simple things, like scrambled eggs, baking potatoes, making tomato sauce, etc. Alot of vegetables you just toss with olive oil (less is more), salt, spices of choice, and pop in the oven for 20min to half an hour. You can do your meat and fish in the oven too. I'll be honest--when you're learning, sometimes things don't turn out, but that happens to everyone, so don't let it scare you off. Just keep going. If you find you like to cook, you're set.

    I used to try to learn but failing and wasting food really turned me off from trying to cook. but you have just given me an idea of maybe just learning to make a meat and just toss a side of veggies
  • MrzSnickers
    MrzSnickers Posts: 14 Member
    lauramom2 wrote: »
    Start simple and have fun! If you’re worried about how to include all the nutrition you need put that aside for now and just try. The only way you’d get it wrong would be by not even starting. Do simple things like bake chicken breasts (if you eat meat) and baked potato. Add a bag of steamed frozen veggies or a salad and there is a great meal! Goggle simple recipes and then try one that sounds good to you. There are so many out there. You will have things that turn out poorly but you’ll get better. I’ve been a stay at home mom for 7 years and in that time I’ve become a damn fine cook just by doing it over and over. Good luck and happy cooking

    Baby steps sound like a safe place. Thank you for your insight. I am really worried about learning to cook the wrong thing lol. Which maybe I shouldnt be because anything is better than McDonalds
  • MrzSnickers
    MrzSnickers Posts: 14 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cooking isn't that complicated. There are certain techniques (cutting, mixing, boiling, frying) you have to learn in order to cook. You can practice that by reading and following recipes - there are instructional videos everywhere, including youtube.

    Then there is the skill of composing acceptable meals - not very difficult either - think "protein+starch+veg". Add on fruit, dairy, nuts.

    Then there is the concept of weightloss - you don't have to cook, and you don't have to eat balanced meals in order to lose weight. (At least not in theory. In practice, you'll want to eat a decent diet in order to not feel starving and get sick.) All you needto do to lose weight, is to eat less.

    You don't have to eat anything in particular for any meal. If you use a food scale in combination with your food diary and the food database, you fill in foods you eat or plan to eat, and hit your calorie goal. If you do that consistently, you'll lose weight. If you set your diary to track protein, fat and carbs, and aim to hit the preset values of those too, you're eating pretty balanced.


    I have several recipe books. It doesnt help that im picky as all hell lol
    I also beg to differ. Cooking looks and feels so complicated and at my age (25) I feel like a fool for never getting it and wish i was taught. It also doesnt help that people make fun of me for not knowing
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    MrzSnickers wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Cooking is a skill you can learn. Take a class, or if you know someone who's a good cook, ask if you can cook with them and learn a few basics. Today there's Youtube which shows you step by step what to do. When I was a teenager (a long time ago) I started with simple things, like scrambled eggs, baking potatoes, making tomato sauce, etc. Alot of vegetables you just toss with olive oil (less is more), salt, spices of choice, and pop in the oven for 20min to half an hour. You can do your meat and fish in the oven too. I'll be honest--when you're learning, sometimes things don't turn out, but that happens to everyone, so don't let it scare you off. Just keep going. If you find you like to cook, you're set.

    I used to try to learn but failing and wasting food really turned me off from trying to cook. but you have just given me an idea of maybe just learning to make a meat and just toss a side of veggies

    Do you have anyone--friends or family--that could show you a few simple things to start? It really isn't hard if you start simple with one or two things. Is there a high school with cooking classes in your area? It's just important to start. As mentioned, veggies in the oven with a little olive oil and spices. Just remember one thing--you can always add salt or spices to a dish, but you can't subtract them so add less to start and then add a little at a time as needed.
  • MrzSnickers
    MrzSnickers Posts: 14 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    MrzSnickers wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »

    Do you have anyone--friends or family--that could show you a few simple things to start? --Unfortunately no

    Is there a high school with cooking classes in your area? --I will look into this! Maybe not in my area but I can take the drive
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    MrzSnickers wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cooking isn't that complicated. There are certain techniques (cutting, mixing, boiling, frying) you have to learn in order to cook. You can practice that by reading and following recipes - there are instructional videos everywhere, including youtube.

    Then there is the skill of composing acceptable meals - not very difficult either - think "protein+starch+veg". Add on fruit, dairy, nuts.

    Then there is the concept of weightloss - you don't have to cook, and you don't have to eat balanced meals in order to lose weight. (At least not in theory. In practice, you'll want to eat a decent diet in order to not feel starving and get sick.) All you needto do to lose weight, is to eat less.

    You don't have to eat anything in particular for any meal. If you use a food scale in combination with your food diary and the food database, you fill in foods you eat or plan to eat, and hit your calorie goal. If you do that consistently, you'll lose weight. If you set your diary to track protein, fat and carbs, and aim to hit the preset values of those too, you're eating pretty balanced.


    I have several recipe books. It doesnt help that im picky as all hell lol
    I also beg to differ. Cooking looks and feels so complicated and at my age (25) I feel like a fool for never getting it and wish i was taught. It also doesnt help that people make fun of me for not knowing
    It looks difficult because it's a skill you don't master yet. You can learn if you want to. Baby steps is a great concept. But the problem with new things is that it's hard to know where to start, and everything looks equally difficult. So google "easy recipes". Don't let others tease you. Just try, and accept that you'll make mistakes, like everybody. You will also have to work on your pickyness if you want to broaden your horizon (if you don't want to, that's fine, too). But starting cooking can make you more interested in tasting new things, you'll be surprised.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    A 10 second search on YouTube yielded a number of people who are out there teaching people how to cook. If you have cable, check to see if you have Food Network, too.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    OK. Since you're 25 it's a good time to start. This is a skill that you'll need for the rest of your life and that's why I'm insisting. Another thought--what kind of job do you have? Could you at least part-time at a restaurant? That's an easy way to learn and fast--in the kitchen.
  • Idontcareyoupick
    Idontcareyoupick Posts: 2,854 Member
    edited February 2018
    What about trying those boxes like blue apron, hello fresh, etc? They send you the ingredients in exact amounts and supposed to be easy to follow instructions. Some ppl start there since its cheaper than going out to eat all the time. Edited for spelling error.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,944 Member
    So what kind of food do you like?
  • evivahealth
    evivahealth Posts: 571 Member
    edited February 2018
    I agree with all the above posters about checking out youtube tutorials - definitely a great place to start to master the basics if you don't have a friend or family member there to help you. Learning how to cook now will set you up for life!

    That being said, you don't have to cook to lose weight. All you need to do is eat fewer calories than you expend. There's lots of ways of doing this too - order your regular food and only eat 3/4s of it, or skip the fries, or get diet coke instead of regular. These little changes can all add up to make a big difference. Just make sure you log everything on here and try to stay in deficit.

    Also, you don't have to cook to eat lower calorie / healthy meals. Here's a few ideas:

    Chicken salad:
    Pick up salad tub and pre-cooked diced chicken in a packet from your local grocery store. Add a dash of low fat salad dressing and you're done. Takes two seconds to put it all together in a bowl and doesn't require any cooking skills. Add a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit and that's usually me set for the afternoon.

    Smoothies:
    Any combination of fruits, vegetables and supplements can make a nutrient-rich meal - for example frozen berries, spinach and protein powder (all weighed out so you can log them accurately) thrown in a blender. Boom, quick and easy meal. No chopping, dicing and grilling.

    Tuna sandwich:
    Literally throw some drained tinned tuna on some bread and add low fat mayo. No cooking required.

    If you google "no cook low calorie recipes" you will find tonnes of inspiration.

    Good luck!
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    Don't feel scared, cooking is pretty easy once you've got the hang of it! My mum taught me the basic things from the age of 7 like how to boil pasta and make a basic sauce to go with it. A simple dish like that is a good place to start. Nowadays you can get pre-prepared meals such as ready-chopped stir fry or roasting vegetables where you pop everything in the wok or in the oven, so it can be as simple as you want. If you eat meat you could even get a whole ready roasted chicken and just practice preparing vegetables to go with it. What I'm trying to say is, there is a world of options to get you started :) and I bet if you ask someone they'd love to help teach you! I still ring my mum and dad sometimes and say "hey what's the best method of cooking this or that?". You will get there, you just have to start :)
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Maybe get a cookbook for children or a basic cookbook like Better Homes and Gardens. They often explain terms or equipment.
    Cook with someone and learn and get more comfortable.
    I think soup is an easy and forgiving thing to make for a beginner.
    Look for low prep or no cook recipes.
    Try using a slow cooker. Most recipes are not complicated.

    You don't have to cook totally from scratch complicated meals to lose weight just eat the right calories.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    I didn't read all the replies because lazy, but there are cooking classes all over the place.

    My one suggestion is take your time and read the recipe.

    And turn down the heat on stovetop things. MedLow is fine for all cooking except boiling.

    I have maybe twenty meals I sort of rotate that are cooked-from-scratch in under 30 minutes.

    You can do it!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited February 2018
    MrzSnickers wrote: »
    I dont know how to cook!!! I find myself anxious about how Im going to lose this weight and decrease eating out without being able to make myself a healthy meal at home. What do I do??? How do I figure out what I need in each meal? help me please!

    Watch some cooking shows (foodnetwork.com also has many helpful videos). Buy or borrow (library) some good basic cookbooks, those that have instructions beyond just recipes. If you have a relative or friend that is a good cook, as for pointers. It can be great fun to cook with friends/family.
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