With the soaring prices of food, it’s time to get back in the kitchen. If you’ve dodged the kitchen for a while now, consider this episode your push to get back to cooking stuff from scratch.

No time to cook?

We understand that we are all busy people. But we can change our habits and rewrite that story in our heads and start making time. Because the reality is, if you want to save money and you want to live additive-free, you need to start cooking your own food. We’ve even sacrificed our Sundays just to cook in advance and prepare the entire week’s meal in a day.

But for those people who are looking for a better alternative to cooking, here are some tips:

1.   Meal Planning

Planning your meals in advance can significantly reduce food waste and save money. Use the additive-free lifestyle app and set your own meal plans. Inside the app, you can add the recipes to the day you want to cook them, and it will formulate and spit out a shopping list for you. This will save you a lot of time and will prevent impulse buys, ensuring that you only purchase what you actually need.

2.   Double your meal

Whatever you are cooking, double the quantity. It takes the same amount of time to cook the food, so might as well maximize your time. Also, you can add fillers to your meat, like cans of beans, to increase the quantity of servings. Your family wouldn’t even know it’s there, and you get to save money by doing so in the process.

3.   Include your Kids in the Kitchen

It’s not just about teaching them to cook but also about instilling organisational skills and an appreciation for homemade meals. They need to understand that food doesn’t just magically appear on the table and that there are a lot of things that go into preparing food. This is a life skill that will serve them well into adulthood.

Conclusion

In summary, it’s about choosing your battles, changing your mindset, and embracing the art of home cooking. It’s more than just a necessity; it’s a pathway to a healthier, more financially savvy life.

Remember to check out our Additive Free Lifestyle app for easy meal planning and delicious recipes as well as our range of cookbooks for further inspiration. And we’d love to see what you’re cooking up – tag us on Instagram with your kitchen adventures!

That’s all for today’s episode. Thanks for tuning in, and happy cooking, everyone!

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Much love,
Jo & Tracey x