52-Week Challenge: Week Thirty-Six

I love dining out.  Although I enjoy cooking, food at restaurants always seems to taste so much better.  And that's usually because it is WAY unhealthy. :(

Not only do restaurant dishes normally contain more butter, oil, sugar, and cream, they also are usually way out of proportion in an effort to offer more "value" to customers.  If you order an entree, you'll usually receive two to three times the amount of food that you actually need.  In addition, although more and more restaurants are offering "healthy" options, it's easy to get distracted and lose your willpower when you see or smell more appetizing (read: unhealthy) choices at other tables.  And, finally, eating out is way more expensive than eating at home.

So the change this week is to eat at home.  Make breakfast and lunches at home six days a week, and cook dinner at home at least five days a week.

This may seem like a big challenge to those of you who are busy or who lack the desire/knowledge to cook.  However, here are a few tips to make it easier:

1.  Keep it simple.  Cook with ingredients you're familiar with and use recipes that don't require a lot of fancy techniques.

2.  Invest in a cookbook.  Find some "easy" cookbooks or find some recipes online at sites such www.eatingwell.com and www.cookinglight.com.

3.  Cook in big batches.  If you're a busy working woman (or man), and you find you don't have time to cook during the week, utilize your weekend time to make large batches of freezable entrees (like lasagna) to last you through the week.

4.  Plan ahead.  Find recipes you like and rotate them throughout the week.  Plan your meal ahead of time so you know exactly what to cook and when.

Best of luck, and happy eating!