How to make cooking easy and fun – student edition
- Author
- Elize ·
- Date
- 20 April 2024
Student life can get incredibly busy! From having full days of classes, hours of homework and studying at the library, working a job so you can pay rent… there are plenty of things that claim our time and energy. Which can result in no longer being able to cook for yourself or simply not feeling like it. But eating nourishing meals is actually really important for your brain! When we have so many deadlines, exams, classes, we should take care of our mind. And it cannot function without enough nutrition and energy. In this article you will find tips on how to make cooking easier and fun for yourself as a student. You do not have to become a chef, just someone who enjoys cooking for themselves.
Try out a new recipe every weekend
Whether you do it alone or with your friends, roommates, partner or family, trying out a new recipe every weekend will take you out of your cooking comfort zone. We can easily get stuck in a rut where we make the same quick meals or we simply order our food from Thuisbezorgd. Practicing new recipes will not only give you new things to try out and
discover, but it will also challenge you to really create some time for cooking again. One night during the weekend, that should be do-able to whip out your pots and pans, right?
Learn how to cook smart, not hard
You have probably already heard about meal prepping and meal planning, but this does not always have to mean you make one meal and eat it for three days straight. Pick a day in the week where you have some extra time on your hands and get your groceries. Then you will take time to prep several ingredients so cooking will take less time during the week. For example, you can take an hour to shave carrots, peel and cut onions and garlic, pre-cut your vegetables and put them all in Tupperware in the fridge. This way you only have to cook, bake, blend or grill the vegetables you have already cut up for the rest of the week. It makes cooking faster and more fun! And of course, it ensures you are eating your veggies.
Repeat a recipe
When we learn how to cook, it is important to repeat the same recipe a couple of times so you can perfect it. It is almost like creating a habit. Through repetition our brain remembers and makes a special little mental note for this recipe. Each time you make this dish, your brain can go into autopilot a bit better. After this, cooking will not cost you that much mental energy anymore. So, perfect your recipes and make cooking easier!
Meal prep & plan… and swap?
As mentioned before, meal prepping and planning can take a lot of time and energy off your hands. There is no shame in making a big pot of yummy pasta and then eating it for lunch again later in the week. It honestly saves you time. To make it even more interesting though is by doing this with your friends. How? If each of you makes one meal, big portions, you can all swap your meal prep. This way you will not be eating the same thing, multiple times a week, but you are all helping each other save time and money! Swap your left-over dishes and enjoy. Not only is it sufficient, it will also hold you accountable to actually cook. You and your friends (or roommates) can motivate each other by practicing this meal swap ritual.