An article by Year 3 UBC Dietetic students, Adelia Jacobs and Victoria Janzen
Every spring, UBC dietetics students training to be dietitians work with a dietitian for an article writing assignment. It was my pleasure to work with Adelia and Victoria. I suggested the topic of staying inspired with food. They took it from there and came up with some great ideas. Read on for their tips and ways to enjoy cooking again!
Reignite Your Interest in Cooking
Sometimes cooking can become a drag – the burden of planning, shopping, and making meals can feel exhausting. If you’ve been feeling tired of cooking lately, here are three ways that might help re-inspire you and get you excited to be back in the kitchen.
Cook with Friends and Family
Making time to cook with family or friends is a fun and social way to introduce you (or your children) to new skills in the kitchen. The opportunity to learn from one another’s cooking techniques and food background is a simple way to be inspired with food.
Preparing foods with others tends to be a positive experience, and could be a time to learn about new spice blends or different preparation techniques. You may even learn something new about the people you are cooking with!
Try connecting with some friends you haven’t seen in a while. Plan a cooking evening where each person brings a few ingredients to contribute. Preparing the meal and enjoying it together can be simply done with a taco night or stir-fry dinner.
Cookbook clubs are another way to inspire new meal ideas. Pick a cookbook that some friends are interested in, find a night everyone is free, and have everyone bring a recipe from the book to share. Not only will you spend quality time with friends, but you will also gain some new recipes for your repertoire.
Finding inspiration with food from those around you is not only a chance to connect with friends, but also a wonderful way to share tips on cooking or where to buy ingredients.
Revamp the Kitchen
Nothing evokes a fresh start like a thorough cleaning, especially for your kitchen. Take a Saturday morning to clean and organize your cupboards and fridge. Dispose of expired foods, bring ignored ingredients to the front, and assess what staples you are missing.
Ensuring your kitchen is a place you want to be, and not somewhere messy and stressful, can be an effective way to re-inspire your interest in cooking. Maybe you’ve found an unopened jar of artichokes or an untouched bag of lentils. Try building a meal around that ingredient. You’ll surprise yourself with what you can come up with!
Try a New Ingredient
Summer is upon us and the bounty at the local farmer’s market is here to prove it. Strolling among market stalls or down the aisle of a well-stocked grocery store are opportunities to find new ingredients and test them out.
Maybe it’s a new squash variety, an heirloom tomato, or simply a basket of ripe strawberries, but whatever piques your interest is worth investigating. If you are at a market take the time to connect with the local producer and ask them about how they use this ingredient. Especially if it’s one you don’t recognize.
Keeping up with what’s in season is an interesting way to change up your typical cooking habits. Using seasonal ingredients is tasty, economical, and ensures you are keeping variety in your diet. Strawberries, lettuces, and new potatoes are just a few ingredients that are coming into season in June.
We all get into cooking routines, which can sometimes turn into cooking ruts. If you’ve been feeling bored of your usual recipes lately try connecting with a friend over food, giving your kitchen a thorough clean, or picking a new ingredient to incorporate into your routine.
Hopefully, these ideas will not only improve what you eat, but inspire you to continually enjoy cooking this summer!
By Adelia Jacobs and Victoria Janzen
