One of my biggest green sins is my diet. More than anything else, I am an extremely lazy cook. If I can take it out of the freezer and pop it in the oven with little thought or effort, I’ll buy it. And on days when I’m REALLY feeling lazy, I’ll just skip the kitchen altogether in favor of fast food. The problem with most of these foods, of course is that they are about as far from sustainable as it gets. They are laden with preservatives, artificial flavors and hormones, aren’t organic, and many come in plastic, often non-recyclable packaging.
But I truly can’t help myself. Unlike my husband, who loves to cook, the kitchen isn’t one of my favorite places to be. In fact, it’s probably one of my least favorite places to be. It’s not that I can’t cook. I can throw down when I’m in the mood. The problem is that I’m not in that mood very often. So I wind up cooking the same easy, unimaginative meals over and over again, never adding or taking away any ingredients or trying anything new. I also chalk that up to the fact that I’m a terribly picky eater. I like what I like, and I don’t handle changes well.
I have gotten better over the years, thanks to my husband’s incredible cooking, and I’ve added a lot of things to my diet that I never would’ve thought to try. But he doesn’t cook every day. My goal is to try cooking at least 3 meals a week from scratch. Nothing pre-cooked. That’s the goal, and I KNOW I’ll have to work hard to get there. Ideally, I’ll cook in bulk, so I don’t have to do it everyday. But I’m so comfortable in my shopping and eating habits that I may need an intervention. It doesn’t help that packaged foods are often cheaper than fresh produce or other individual ingredients.
I really need some help and motivation for cooking healthier meals. I’m sure my waistline will be happy about it too! Does anyone have suggestions for getting motivated to shop for and cook for meals that don’t come in a package? I’ve fallen victim to the crutch of convenience, even though I know better. Trust me when I tell you I need your help.
