How do you get better in the kitchen?

You need to try them all.

Start simple, with foods you enjoy eating. It will take some patience, but you can begin with simple things, and expand from there over time.

If you can afford it, one option is to try one of those packaged meal services (or similar from some grocery stores). Those come with just the amounts of ingredients you need to make a particular dish, plus instructions. Some of my friends have done that, and said they learned a lot.

Another option is to get a basic beginner cookbook with good instructional information in it, and work your way through the book, making each dish that sounds like you might possibly like it. (There are cookbooks that aren't full of super-complicated techniques and ingredients. If nothing else, don't hesitate to look at children's cookbooks, since those often feature mainstream foods and easy methods.)

It was 50+ years ago that I learned to cook, and I made some truly horrifying things at first. But I learned a lot, and gradually improved. I figured that the worst that could happen was one kind of poor meal, and if it did turn out that way, it was a good learning experience. Now, I mostly cook without recipes, and am happy with what I eat. Sometimes it's super simple, sometimes more complicated.

This will take some time (and involve some sub-par results sometimes), but it's very much worth the patient effort, IMO.

Best wishes!

When you realize that simple foods are easy to prepare and taste great, you will have the key to eating in a manner that is both healthy and inexpensive. I power-prep large packages of chicken breasts by either slicing them in half lengthwise or cutting them into fourths to make tenders. I freeze them on pans covered with parchment paper and then put them in freezer bags. I can cook for myself with a contact grill or air fryer, or for the family on the stovetop. Baked potatoes (precooked in the microwave, finished in the air fryer), frozen corn, fresh peppers, carrots and broccoli are all inexpensive, easy-to-prepare items if you purchase them on sale. Using nonstick regular or olive oil spray keeps the calories down. The veggies can be served raw with a healthy dip.

Too many of us grew up in homes where Mom was expected to whip up some fancy new recipe and now equate that with healthy home cooking. Or, to economize, they used recipes with "Cream of Whatever" soup or garbage like Velveeta.

Learning simple techniques like searing meat with a bit of salt and pepper, then turning down the heat to finish cooking, would help a lot of people to cook at home with minimal effort.

I was mulling on this more. I don't know what food you're used to enjoying, but thought maybe it could help if we suggest some foods we think would be simple cooking.

If you like burgers, try making those at home. If you use a calorie-efficient bun (maybe sandwich thins), lettuce wrap, flour tortilla wrap (there are reduced calorie ones) or no bun at all, and lean beef, it will be lower calorie. Skip the high-calorie condiments (like mayo), use things like mustard, veggies, even a bit of catsup (even though people criticize that for added sugar!). (Honestly, even a smaller fast food burger isn't a terrible thing calorie or nutrition-wise, with attention to the condiments used.)

Many people find baked potatoes filling, and those are easy. (Microwave is fine.) Top with something low calorie, like plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, or with cottage cheese if you like that. You may feel differently, but in my world a baked sweet potato stuffed with black beans, salsa, and some calorie efficient cheese is a great, filling meal.

There are high-protein pastas now. A moderate serving of those, bulked up with any veggies you enjoy, and topped with a low-calorie jarred marinara sauce is good, and you can add a lean protein (maybe rotisserie chicken, if you want to keep things easy). A small amount of parmesan cheese on top is IMO manageable calories, fairly protein dense.

If you like Mexican/South American foods, tacos or enchiladas are easy. You can use a calorie-efficient canned/jarred salsa or enchilada sauce, fill with lean protein of choice (chicken or crumbled ground beef or black beans, maybe). For my tastes, things like this are OK with a moderate topping of reduced-calorie (2% milk) cheese shreds. For enchiladas, fill corn or flour tortillas, fold, top with sauce and a little cheese, bake. For tacos, the soft kind will be a bit lower calorie: Warm the tortillas briefly like in a dry frying pan so they're softer, then fill and fold. That's it, ready to eat.

Many egg dishes are easy, if you like eggs. There are many recipes online for "egg muffins" with eggs, veggies, often some kind of meat like turkey or ground beef, and a bit of cheese. They're supposed to be baked in a muffin pan, but if you don't have one, you can bake them as one big piece in a pie pan, baking pan, or casserole dish then cut into individual servings. Probably will need to bake a little longer than in muffin tins - just poke a knife in to verify that the eggs are set enough. These make a nice freeze/zap/eat breakfast item on busy days, but can also be good at other meals.

I make a mini-pizza tortilla sometimes, putting tomato paste (or pizza sauce) in a light layer (so it isn't too soggy), any veggies or meats desired, and a light topping of reasonable cheese, then bake until hot.

I've made nachos with high-protein chips (moderate amount per serving) with veggies, protein of choice, nonfat refried beans, calorie-efficient cheese. Bake, top with salsa and/or plain Greek yogurt, maybe some avocado if you like it.

Other people may have other easy ideas. Don't be afraid to experiment! It may not be perfect, but you'll keep improving. :flowerforyou:

Oven-roast vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, bell peppers, parsnips, cauliflower...) are easy and something a lot of people enjoy.
Just be moderate with the oil, don't drown them in oil like I used to do
I use a ziplock bag: I add my cut vegetables and then add a measured portion of oil, close the bag and then (gently) shake the bag until all the vegetables are coated.
Dump the contents of the bag into an overproof dish and spread them out evenly, then slide the dish into a preheated oven and wait, voila

Lietchi wrote: »

Oven-roast vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, bell peppers, parsnips, cauliflower...) are easy and something a lot of people enjoy.
Just be moderate with the oil, don't drown them in oil like I used to do
I use a ziplock bag: I add my cut vegetables and then add a measured portion of oil, close the bag and then (gently) shake the bag until all the vegetables are coated.
Dump the contents of the bag into an overproof dish and spread them out evenly, then slide the dish into a preheated oven and wait, voila

Oh yeah, and breaded fish or chicken breast next to it is very tasty. Add a few cherry tomatoes shortly before it's ready and serve with crumbled feta or young goats cheese, or hummus or tsatsiki as a dip. Full dinner is ready.

Start slow and simple. Easy recipes with foods you enjoy and that are nutritious. Also try mastering one meal per day until it becomes automatic before moving on to the ethers. Example, master breakfast before you worry about lunch and dinner. This is a lifetime endeavor, be patient, be kind to your self and stay the course…

We use Tovala for meal delivery. It is our dinner meal. Ten meals for the week costs between 175 and 200 depending on food choices. They send you the oven and deliver meals once a week. Best thing I ever did! It’s just my husband and I these days and I never have to worry about “ what’s for dinner”. No clean up, we use paper plates and plastic forks so I have no clean up! Best dinners ever! They are delicious and portioned control.

Grubfam4 wrote: »

We use Tovala for meal delivery. It is our dinner meal. Ten meals for the week costs between 175 and 200 depending on food choices. They send you the oven and deliver meals once a week. Best thing I ever did! It’s just my husband and I these days and I never have to worry about “ what’s for dinner”. No clean up, we use paper plates and plastic forks so I have no clean up! Best dinners ever! They are delicious and portioned control.

A woman after my own heart! I haven't done Tovala, but have tried most of the others at one point or another. I use real silverware, but if I'm honest, most food I just eat out of the container it comes in. The kitchen is a prison and I have freed myself from the shackles!