52418 Enjoy Cooking
MetCon//
AMRAP
3:00 double unders
3:00 burpee box step over
2:00 double unders
2:00 burpee box step over
1:00 double unders
1:00 burpee box step over
Record in the computer as Burpee Box Step overs + Double unders.
I only recently realized that there are humans who do not like to cook. I get it. We're busy, it takes time, our kids are picky, there's a lot to clean up, we don't feel skilled or adequate-- there are one million reasons why we might not like to cook and it's ok to admit to them.
As a human though, your most healthy life is going to be lived when the majority of your food is whole or minimally processed. Sure you can supplement with like shakes or bars or other things that are made of food or replace food, but 90% or more of your intake should be coming from whole foods. A whole food source will always trump a processed choice for more reasons than we even know.
I believe that there is a direct correlation between your relationship with food and your enjoyment or ability to cook. It is really healthy for your psyche to be confident that if you needed to, you could go to the store, buy food and prepare a satisfying meal. For a lot of people the opposite is their reality. The thought of cooking their own food sounds like certain disappointment. There is fear that they'll be left unsatisfied for whatever reason. Taste, volume, etc. To me, that just doesn't sound like a great relationship with food. -I can only be satisfied by a restaurant meal. -If I cook, it's going to suck. -My family doesn't like my cooking.
Eating out is awesome. There are plenty of packaged foods we can justify or fit in our eating. But since I like and enjoy cooking, eating out isn't the only guarantee of satisfaction. Often times, I eat out and think, "I could just make this at home." The greatest food on earth, Burritos, are easily re-created in our own kitchens.
If you are a non-cooker, start small and plan ahead. The ultimate goal would be to eat 3 or 4 meals a day that don't come from a package. Does that sound daunting? Lets try 2 meals a week. Start with something you know you can cook and you'll like to eat, it's more about the process. Plan a really tasty meal and get excited about it, anticipate it even. "Tuesday night, I'm going to grill steaks, roast potatoes, and grill up some asparagus. It's going to be awesome!"
Maybe you don't like asparagus, just choose a vegetable you do like. Someone told me the don't like vegetables. They obviously haven't heard of garlic butter, cheese, ranch, ketchup. Yes you heard me right, make them taste good. It's a big problem to not like vegetables so we need to do whatever it takes to change that. Those of you who just had an aneurysm because I recommended ranch and butter, remember that this is about getting people to eat A vegetable. Baby steps. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. And the irony is that Vegetables are the easiest to cook. They're completely safe and nutritious cold and hard or hot and mushy so all you have to do is find your favorite texture. The stuff everyone likes to eat like meat and starches are actually much harder to perfect, so skipping the veggies because they're hard to cook is just a bad excuse.
Enjoy the process and experiment. Ask cooks for advice. Use the internet. Cooking takes practice, a little patience, some research and an appetite helps too!
Here is some concrete advice to take with you. If you like softer vegetables, but are short on time, try the microwave. I like to microwave and then saute things like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc. Season them with your favorite stuff- Montreal, Johnny's, salt pepper? Still not tasty enough? Some melted butter? Ranch? Cheese? a little goes a long way. Get cooking! You're a human, cooking is an important part of that experience.