For readers who may want to start cooking and eating more meals at home — despite having limited cooking skills — MNT asked Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, for her top tips.
To start, Richard advised working with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) when possible, as they can help tailor meals to your preferences and abilities, simplify meal planning, and ensure your diet’s nutritional adequacy.
“This is especially important for individuals with chronic conditions, decreased appetite, or limited cooking confidence,” she continued. “As an RDN I meet clients and patients where they are at. I encourage them to start with the basics and build up from there. What can you already do? Boil water? Let’s start there — there’s a lot more possibilities than you think for the foundation, or side, of a meal. Can you scramble eggs? Build on those skills — add veggies, a side, or some herbs.”
“The goal isn’t to become a gourmet chef, but to build confidence and consistency in the kitchen, as appropriate and applicable per individual, with safety and accessibility in mind,” Richard added. “Repetition can build both skill and cognitive familiarity as a baseline, then it’s just about substituting different ingredients, trying your hand at an alternative cooking method or branching out into something a little more sophisticated.”
As there’s a strong connection between pleasure and nourishment, Richard said to start by cooking foods you actually enjoy and then learn how to make it better/healthier/more nutrient-rich with an RDN.
From there, she suggested starting with simple, “go-to” repeatable meals once or twice a week and rotating them. For example:
- Sheet pan vegetables + protein (i.e., asparagus, onions, and potatoes with salmon/cod/tilapia)
- A simple stir-fry
- Omelet or egg scramble with lots of vegetables, herbs/seasonings (one step further may ask — can a whole grain like oatmeal, toast, or rice be added as a side?)
Richard reminded readers that cooking at home doesn’t mean everything must be made from scratch, harvested from the garden, and take hours to curate — use shortcuts strategically. For example, she said it can mean simply putting a few things together and heating them to the appropriate temperature, such as:
- Pre-chopped vegetables
- Frozen produce
- Rotisserie chicken
- Canned beans
Or items that are cold and/or at room temperature, such as:
- A yogurt parfait with frozen berries and nuts
- Cereal with nuts and fruit
- A smoothie, milkshake, or slushie made with some ice/ice cream/frozen yogurt, frozen fruit, and protein powder
“Remember that it is never too late to learn something new or increase your culinary acumen, especially when these skills are so vital to autonomy, pleasure, and overall health and wellbeing,” Richard said. “Check out online videos, extension programs, neighborhood or community events, or even local college and high school programs. Cooking is one of the few daily activities that engages the brain, the body, and nutrition all at once. It literally feeds your brain and saves you dollars and cents, plus, it makes sense!”