The economy is in a recession and people are eating even more fast food than in the past! A lot more because McDonalds, KFC and other fast food chains are seeing some massive growth in their sales revenue. I guess what is happening is that restaurant diners are seeking out cheaper prices and finding them at fast food joints.  I guess I don’t have to tell you that this is very unhealthy. Those fries, the jumbo sodas and burgers loaded with sugary ketchup and processed bleached bread are nutritionally bankrupt and spike insulin through the roof.

Is the home cooked meal lost to fast food? In this world of convenience is king, nutrition has obviously gone by the way side.

So how do we get those healthy home cooked meals back?

The day we hit our own health rock bottom. This may be different for everyone, but for me it was the day that I could not suffer any more Candida Albicans symptoms. For someone else it may be a sick child or a cancer diagnosis. But others may still ignore the symptoms that their body is telling them and continue eating fast food.

Cooking from scratch does take time. You do end up with a messy kitchen, there are dishes to clean up instead of throwing them in the trash. Meal planning is something that is recommended and it all takes effort! Your kids may whine and complain that they don’t like your hard cooked meal (mine sometimes roll on the floor kicking and screaming when the mood strikes them – I happen to object to putting artificial flavours and tasty toxins in my home cooking) but in the end it is all worth it.

When I first moved out into farm country there were two restaurants that we could eat at in town. Most of their menu I would say was unhealthy so we hardly ate out. I had to learn to cook. It was very painful. This was also a time when I was going from a vegan processed food diet to a natural meat eating diet. Never in my life had I cooked meat. I did not even like looking at it, let alone touch it, cook it and make it taste good. My poor family was eating dinner at 8pm because I was so unorganized. I was spending hours cooking and preparing. Clean up took a full hour as well and most days it was eleven o’clock before the kitchen lights went out.

I did end up getting better over time.

Working in a kitchen does not have to be complicated, but you do have to have a system. Here are six tips on making the dinner preparation experience a bit easier:

1. Get some awesome free recipes from www.allrecipes.com and set up a recipe box (you can make up shopping lists there too)
2. Know ahead of time what you are going to cook the next day and take it out of the freezer
3. Fill sink up with soapy water, and put dirty dishes and keep counters clear. Once soaked they can easily be put in the dishwasher or hand washed.
4. Prepare meats first (they take the longest to cook) and then veggies and salad (for some reason this was a big light bulb moment for me – It’s all about organizing time).
5. After dinner, have everyone help at clearing the table. My eldest daughter even enjoys wiping down the table and vacuuming under it.
6. While cleaning up think about next day’s dinner.

Save your hard earned money and pass by the fast food joints! Organization and a good list of recipes is the key for your kitchen success. Teach your kids the value of good home cooking. There is a price to pay for convenience food. The true cost is in health care, lost work time due to doctors visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, and disability.

To your health and wellness,

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