Bloomington / Normal, IL

Working with the community... for a healthier community.

Make Time to Make Food

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By Brady Jiter, ISU Dietetic Intern, Community Cancer Center

Research has shown that the amount of meals we eat away from home (i.e., at restaurants) is directly related to our body mass index or BMI. This means that we tend to be healthier when we are in our own kitchens preparing food for ourselves. When we cook for ourselves, we are more likely to use fresh, nutritious ingredients. In our own kitchens, we have control over our ingredients, and we have control over what goes on our plates. Sounds great, right? We have the ability to transform mere ingredients into delicious meals for ourselves and for our families. We can take pride in knowing that we are making our family healthier with our own two hands!

And guess what? Cooking does not have to be stressful and time-consuming. With a little planning and a little time management, cooking really isn’t that bad. You will have to set aside a little time in your day to make a meal, but improving your health and your family’s health is worth some time! Not to mention, family time around the table enjoying a home cooked dinner is so much more special than time around the table at a chaotic and noisy fast-food restaurant.

Are you reconsidering that next drive-thru meal yet? Good! Here are some tips to help you get into the right frame of mind and transition from the car into the kitchen.

  • Accept that cooking takes some time: Cooking will take some time out of your day, but it doesn’t have to be a lot of time. Add in a few home-cooked meals per week, and build from there. Feel free to prepare meals at whatever time works in your day. Warm it up before meal time, and you’re set! If you are fairly new to cooking or if it has been awhile, you might be a little slower at first. That will get better with time.
  • Make time for cooking: Set aside a time in your planner for cooking. It will be worth it. Cooking meals on the fly is not easy and not recommended if you are not very experienced. Leave yourself 30 minutes in your day to prepare a meal. If you don’t want to cook every day, you can make meals large enough to enjoy for two or three nights.
  • Buy a cookbook: Sure, there are a lot of recipes on the Internet. But those can be unreliable and poorly written. And there’s just too darn many! Having a few trusty cookbooks nearby is your best bet. Go to the bookstore and browse the recipes of a cookbook to make sure it is within your skill range. Make a goal to try one new recipe per week. Be sure to mark your favorites after you try them.
  • Make time to make a grocery list: Never underestimate the power of a good grocery list! It is a necessary step in the cooking process. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to start cooking and realizing that you forgot a key ingredient at the store. Leave yourself enough time to browse your cookbook and write an accurate list before your grocery trip. You will thank yourself later.
  • Accept that failures will occur: Not every recipe is going to turn out like you expected. It happens. But don’t worry about it. Just set your sights on the next meal and think about what you might do differently. You will get better with time.
  • Learn to enjoy cooking: Get into it. Turn on some music. Involve the family if that makes it more enjoyable for you. Cooking really can be fun. The goal is to find a way to cook that works for you. Remember, the more you cook, the easier it gets. The easier it gets, the more you will enjoy it. And most importantly, the more you eat at home, the healthier you will be!

For more recipes, visit the Community Cancer Center webpage, www.cancercenter.org/recipes, or like them on Facebook.

Photo credit: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

For your next Mexican fiesta, try this twist on burritos!  Filled with sweet potatoes and beans, these burritos deliver vitamin A and a wide variety of antioxidant.  Put them on a whole grain tortilla to bump up your antioxidants and fiber.  The sweet and savory combination of flavors in this dish is sure to satisfy.

Ingredients
3 tsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp prepared mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet, and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat and stir in the chili powder, mustard, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up burrito style and bake for 12 minutes.

Nutrition
Calories 389, Total Fat 6g, Sodium 1023mg, Total Carbohydrate 67g, Dietary Fiber 13g, Protein 18g