We are a culture dedicated to convenience. We thrive on it. No need to look so personally affronted, you know it's true! How many times a week do you grab a ready-made sandwich in a store? Order a take-out salad? Eat at a restaurant? Still trying to add it up? That's not a good sign is it? No... it's not! Sure, it's easier to do that, but it's not cheaper or better for you. Apart from that, it's also entirely possible for you to make food that is just as interesting in your own home for a fraction of the cost. Ok. Stop laughing... It's true! No, you don't need to be a professional cook to do it either, all it takes is a little investment of time and energy on your part.
Let's look at your breakfast habits. If you're grabbing some fresh fruit or yoghurt on the way out the door, then you're doing ok. However, if - like so many people - you're grabbing a muffin or a bagel at your local coffee shop, then we have a problem. These items are usually overpriced, under flavoured and often unhealthy. When you make them yourself, you can control how much sugar, fat and salt goes into the product. When you buy them it's like playing the lottery. Only not in a good way. There are plenty of easy to follow recipes for muffins and hundreds of varieties for you to choose from. You can even master bagels, but for now, start with muffins. Bake a batch the night before and if there's only you in the house, adjust the recipe so that you only make 6 at a time instead of 12, although they can also be frozen. If you'd like them with jam or cheese, it's easy enough to pack some in some of those small Tupperware containers and take it with you. Ok, you're shaking your head. What? You're thinking about your coffee aren't you? Dear heart, I know that your java is as important to you as blood, but you can do that at home too. Invest in a decent plunge pot, a thermos mug and a supply of your favourite coffee's and you're good to go. You shouldn't be having coffee with a name so long that it has it's own post code and more ingredients than a supermarket.
Now... let's look at lunch. I bet you either call out for a takeaway or you go to a supermarket and grab a ready made sandwich? Am I right? Sometimes you may even go and sit down for lunch. Now I know that you're going to argue that you don't know what you're going to feel like for lunch when you leave home in the morning so you can't pack it for yourself, but I promise you that you can teach yourself to look forward to a meal that you've packed for yourself. Take a look at something as simple as a sandwich. When you buy them, they can be under filled, soggy, tasteless or even stale. The fillings may be uninspired or even over-filled with lettuce to make up the weight. Take the time to invest in the ingredients of your favourite sandwich and some great bread and make them for yourself.
Something else that you could do (something quite logical really) is buy a whole roast chicken from your supermarket or deli (yes, I know it's a convenience food, but this one has more uses than most), use some of the chicken for a meal, then use the rest of the chicken as lunch. Some of it will make a great sandwich filling with some fresh salad leaves, tomato and maybe a light seasoning or dressing, the rest can be used to make a chicken salad for another day and the carcass can be used to make stock for use in preparing other meals.
Ok, you're making a valid point... What about meals such as favourites from your local Mexican place or the fish & chips you've been craving. They're ok as a treat, but you should not be doing that every day. Besides, with a little time, effort and a cookbook, you'll be surprised how easy it is to make many of these for yourself and it can be a lot of fun to come up with new lunches and see if you can copy your restaurant favourites.
Dinners are another important link in this chain of convenience. It's too simple for us to grab something from KFC or order a pizza or perhaps Wednesday is Chinese night. Then there are all those ready meals that have popped up in shops everywhere. I'm not saying they're bad for you, but they're certainly enabling us to be lazy and indifferent cooks. Yes, I know you just mastered a new dish, but it's still not enough. Recipes exist for all of your favourite take-outs and while you may not be able to replicate the Colonel's 11 secret herbs and spices, I promise that you can make a chicken burger at home - from scratch - that kicks butt.
So, by all means go out to dinner with your friends, enjoy a lunch with the girls, but get back into the kitchen and infuse some enthusiasm, flavour and fun into your meals. You'll save yourself some money and feel a lot better too. Yes, it may mean getting up 15min earlier each morning, but I can promise you that knowing what went into each of your meals and preparing them exactly the way you want them will soon become addictive.
Now... go bake yourself some muffins. Tomorrow's Monday after all :-)
Until next time...
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