A few simple dishes is the ultimate act of self-care and self-love.

When I first moved out on my own in my twenties, all I knew how to cook was pasta...no vegetables.  No joke...I ate it almost every night!
As I got older I started experimenting.  Living in San Francisco opened up my eyes to so many different types of cuisines...living in California opened my eyes to such amazing fresh and local fruit and vegetables.  I couldn't not try.

After awhile, I realized that I liked to cook.  So I started exploring new ingredients and I tried new recipes.  Then over the years I grew a passion for cooking and feeding others...especially with healthy cooking!  

No don't get me wrong, there have been a lot of epic fails along the way...like my first dinner party.  I had planned this super gourmet saffron scallop dish.  Ohh it looked so good in the cookbook.  And it looked simple - i mean it was just scallops.  Well, I quickly found out that I had no understanding for these ingredients or how to meal prep.  After being in the kitchen cooking for hours, I final served the dinner at 11pm.  We were ravenous, but excited to finally dig in.  From that day forward I vowed to meal prep and plan better!!!

Thankfully, there have also been lots of wins.  The biggest, and most profound was just recently when I asked my kids what their favorite thing about me was (...and, yes, I was most definitley fishing for a compliment - as all parents need to do once in a while), to my surprise, they both answered that it was my cooking!!!  That is huge since I am constantly add more greens and vegetables to everything they eat!!!

After my 20 year exploratory cooking journey, I have learned lots of lessons along the way as well as gathering some key points.  Here are my 17 KEYS TO HEALTHY COOKING.

1. FRESH IS BEST

• Use the freshest and most healthful ingredients. 

2. LOCAL IS EVEN BETTER

• Look for organic, local, and seasonal foods.
• Visit your local farmers’ market or join a CSA – know who is growing your food!

3. ORGANIC IS MUCH BETTER.

• Keep pesticides and chemicals off your plate.
• It’s good for your body and for the environment.

4. COMMERCIAL PRODUCE IS OKAY.

• ​Organic and local produce may not always be available.
• Stay in the outer perimeter of the grocery store and try not to spend too much time in the inner aisles – that’s where all the packaged and highly refined foods are.

5. CANNED AND FROZEN ARE ALSO OKAY.

• Frozen foods are usually picked fresh and then frozen quickly, so they retain a lot of nutrition.
• Canned foods should be the last choice as they’re typically high in sodium and some cans have a inner coating with chemicals that can leach into your food.

6. USE A TIMER.

• Time is precious – accomplish tasks while your food is cooking.
• Choose ingredients that require minimal preparation.

7. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

• Save gourmet dishes for a special treat.
• Cook with 2–3 ingredients, never more than 4–5.

8. COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE.

• Prepare more food than you need for your meal and portion the leftovers.
• Wrap the remaining portions to freeze for future lunches.

9. VARY COOKING STYLES.

• There are many styles of healthy cooking: baking, grilling, steaming, quick boiling, stir-frying with oil, water sautéing, etc.
• Don’t be afraid to switch it up! For example, I typically boil broccoli for the family, but one dayI  decided to roast it. The whole family discovered a new found love for broccoli!

10. VARY FLAVORING AND CONDIMENTS.

• Use a lazy Susan packed with sauces, spices, and herbs.  This is a game changer for any family...it was for mine!
• Encourage every one at the table to customize their plate with their favorite flavors.

11. EXPERIMENT.

• Check out other people’s carts to see what they’re buying.
• Try new recipes and explore new cooking methods.
• Choose a fruit or vegetable you’ve never had before and challenge yourself to use it!

12. MISTAKES ARE OKAY.

• Focus on progress over perfection.
• Be open to learning from your kitchen mishaps.

13. ASK OTHERS FOR HELP.

• Cooking with others creates connections and encourages the development of healthy habits.
• Turn a chore into a bonding activity while significantly cutting prep time!​

14. DON’T EAT FOODS YOU DON’T LIKE.

• Choose foods based on your intuition.
• Stay true to what works best for your body’s unique needs.

15. UNDERSTAND THE WAYS YOU ENJOY EATING.

• Do you enjoy eating alone or with others? Do you avoid eating right when you wake up? Do you love eating an early dinner?
• Learn the ways you enjoy eating.

16. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER.

• Men, women, and kids like different foods – you have to know who you’re cooking for.
• People love when you cook for them – it’s vitamin L(love)!

17. SKIP SELF-CRITICISM.

• Don’t fall into the trap of pointing out the flaws in your cooking or criticizing your efforts.
• Allow people to thank you and ask for tips if something doesn’t work out the way you’d hoped.

Which of these keys do you follow?

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