Even when you don’t feel like it, it’s never too late to get motivated to cook. These ten tips are an excellent starting point to inspire you to prepare a quick and delicious meal. The satisfaction of a job well done has never tasted better!
1. Create some ambience: To encourage your desire to cook, prepare the ground by creating the most pleasant environment possible. Instead of asking yourself, “How can I get motivated to cook?” ask, “How can I create the best conditions to make me want to cook?” For example, put on your favourite music, light a few candles and set a nice table (even if you’re eating alone!).
2. Cook with someone else: When you cook with another person or in a group, cooking brings you together, makes room for creativity and leads to a sharing of experiences. Involve your family members or, if you’re alone at home, call a friend to organize a virtual cooking session. So, what’s for dinner? Let yourselves be inspired by those around you and choose a recipe to make and eat together, in person or remotely. Two heads are better than one when it comes to improvising a recipe on the spot!
3. Have fun: Why does cooking have to be boring? Shake off this attitude by thinking about activities you enjoy every day. Double the fun by doing this activity as much as possible while you cook. If you like to move, dance as you chop your ingredients or wash the dishes. If you love learning, listen to a podcast on a topic that interests you at the same time. We can’t say it often enough: having fun is the best strategy for nurturing motivation.
4. Use ingredients that you have on hand: Because you have to start somewhere, look for ingredients that you already have in the fridge or the pantry. The goal: Figure out which foods are available so you can plan meals quickly. When you lack motivation to shop, you can avoid having to go to the grocery store.
5. Choose a recipe that is quick and simple to prepare: For inspiration, the internet is the perfect place to help you find recipes that are easy to make with just a few ingredients and not too many steps. Several websites also let you search based on ingredients you have at home (see tip 4). A delicious, healthy recipe doesn’t have to be complicated. Don’t forget to read the recipe all the way through before you get started to avoid unpleasant surprises!
6. Go for food assembling: If you can’t find a recipe that inspires you, don’t worry. You don’t always have to strictly follow a recipe. Do your own thing and improvise with food assembling. Here are a few meal ideas inspired by this technique that require little or no cooking:
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- A meal bowl with your choice of raw or cooked vegetables, a grain or starch such as precooked spaghetti, and a protein source (hardboiled egg, canned legumes or shrimp);
- A stir fry that is ready in 5 minutes, made with leftover roast pork and peppers (or whatever is in the fridge). Simply serve over rice.
7. Reinvent leftovers: If you’re lucky enough to have some leftovers from last night’s dinner, don’t just reheat them in the microwave. Add fresh or dried herbs, grated cheese or sautéed vegetables. That will add colour and flavour. The days of bland and boring leftovers are long gone!
8. Listen to your cravings: Have a sudden craving to eat breakfast for dinner? No problem! A grilled cheese sandwich with a small green salad, a vegetable omelette or pancakes or crepes topped with fruit will hit the spot.
9. Avoid putting too much pressure on yourself: Even with all the willingness in the world and the best tips in mind, sometimes you will just not feel like cooking. So, go ahead: order a meal from a restaurant that you really want this time around. As a bonus, you will boost the local economy during these pandemic times.
10. Plan for next time: Make sure you always have a few basic ingredients on hand (see tip 4). With a bit of planning, you will also start to notice the times when you are really motivated to cook, such as on the weekend. Get a jump on the week by doubling or tripling recipes or by cooking some extras of certain ingredients (pasta, oven-roasted vegetables). Remember that the freezer is your friend when it comes to stocking up on foods that will keep for a long time.
Happy cooking!
