After a long day of work, whether at the office or at home caring for children, you’re probably pretty exhausted. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is cook - and for many of us this means reaching for convenience foods or eating out in restaurants more often than we’d probably like. These fast foods are quick and easy, but they can get expensive and take a toll on your energy levels and well being.
Cooking at home is the first step to take if you're interested in eating healthier and cutting costs. Home cooking is hands down the best way to save money. Whether you're considering dining out or bringing home prepared food, you're paying for someone else to do something you can do yourself — and, with a little practice, probably do better. Buying prepackaged frozen foods or restaurant meals means you are paying for the processing, packaging, and advertising of that product — none of which adds value to the food itself. So, when you cook, you are saving money, and when you cook sustainably, you're taking those savings to the next level. When you buy locally raised and produced food you're not footing the bill for transporting ingredients across the country or around the globe. Another way to save money by making your own meals is “using the whole thing.” The bones from tonight’s chicken and the trimmings from fresh vegetables can be transformed into a mineral rich stock, the ultimate “must have” in every kitchen and the basis for a pot of delicious and nutritious homemade soup. If you compost and do any gardening, some of your dinner waste can be repurposed as free fertilizer too!
Another benefit to cooking at home is that you have more control over what goes into your body. By buying organic, sustainably raised or minimally treated meat, dairy and produce, you can reduce your consumption of food contaminated by chemical fertilizers, hormones, or antibiotics. Your food will taste much better too because it won’t contain artificial colours or flavours, texturizers, preservatives, or packaging. Making homemade meals from fresh foods means they will taste superior to frozen foods and will be more nutritious. When you leave it to corporations to cook for you, your food will be of lower quality (they will use the cheapest ingredients they can get away with) and it will be full of salt, sugar, or fat. Cooking at home means you can keep an eye on these types of ingredients which is especially important for people with medical conditions or food allergies.
Another amazing thing about cooking is that it activates your body’s powers of digestion. Taking the time to prepare your food will help your brain get your digestive juices flowing. During the first phase of digestion, called the cephalic phase, the sight, sound, smell, and thought of food triggers the brain to transmit signals down your central nervous system to prepare your body for digestion. So not only will you meals cost less, taste better, and have higher nutritional value, but you will actually absorb more nutrients from your food with better digestion!
What percentage of your meals are cooked at home? And I don't mean fish sticks and frozen pizza! How can you take a small step to upgrade your choices, even if for only one or two meals per week? I could go into a long list of foods that are better to eat or worse to eat, but at this point, as long as you cook it yourself from scratch, nothing is out of bounds. Happy cooking!
CHICKEN BROTH
Properly prepared chicken broth is a storehouse of nutrients liberated from the bone and connective tissues which accelerates overall healing and supports our own bones, teeth, joints, digestion and immunity. Pretty amazing for leftovers!
1 whole chicken (preferably free range/organic) or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts (such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings leftover from dinner)
Gizzards and/or feet from one chicken (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
sea salt
Optional add-ins (Nova Scotia kelp, reishi mushroom, shiitake mushrooms)
Method:
If using a whole chicken, cut chicken parts into several pieces. Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours (I like to leave it overnight on low). The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavourful it will be.
About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will add additional mineral ions to the broth. Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.
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