It can be exciting living away from home, but it can also bring some new challenges you may not have faced before. Being responsible for making yourself breakfast, lunch, and dinner may seem like a simple task, but it’s harder than it looks.
Where can you buy affordable food? What else can you make for yourself other than a heaping plate of pasta? Not everyone is a wiz in the kitchen, and that’s alright. This is coming from someone who used to be proud of herself for making a grilled cheese. My point is, it can take time and a few burnt casseroles to get confident in your meal making abilities.
Have no fear, check out these five tips on being more confident in the kitchen:
- Use social media to find new recipes
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You’ve psyched yourself up because you’re not going to UberEats dinner tonight, and you’re going to make it yourself. Great, but what do you make? If you’re stumped, surf your social media for inspiration. There are great platforms and accounts out there that make quick “how-to” videos showing a step-by-step process for meals. On YouTube, BuzzFeed’s Tasty is a popular page with a variety of recipes. Start looking on Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration, then pin them or save them for later. If you clock a lot of time on social media anyway, you might as well try!
- Avoid food waste
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Cooking for only one person can be tricky because some recipes make enough for multiple people. You don’t want to waste all that food, but you also may not feel like eating those leftovers for the next four days in a row. If you have a recipe that makes too much, try halving the ingredients. Being mindful of the amount of food you buy that could spoil quickly is important too. Even though it may be tempting if Metro has their pints of raspberries on sale, you may not get through all of them before they turn bad.
- Save money while grocery shopping
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We’re all trying to save money where we can. You also may not know the cheapest place to buy your groceries is in your neighbourhood, but that’s where Flipp comes in handy. Flipp is an app available for both Apple and Android users to help them figure out which stores have their products on sale. It’s basically like getting all of their flyers, minus the paper. Favourite the grocery stores near you, and you’ll know who has your go-to staples on sale and when.
- Cook with friends
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Cooking by yourself isn’t nearly as enjoyable, so grab a few of your friends and organize a day of the week when you can get together for a meal. Potlucks where everyone contributes something are even better. This is where you can learn new recipes, bounce ideas off of each other and have some fun. Cooking shouldn’t be a chore, and if you can find ways to make it less frustrating or annoying, stick with it!
- Plan your meals ahead of time
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The last thing you want is to come home hungry from school and have no idea what to make for dinner. You’re ‘hangry’ and running out of time, and nobody likes being in that position. If you know you’re not going to be eating until later, try having your dinner planned out before. Whether it’s leftovers, a meal you prepared the day before or simply an idea that you have, it saves time and stress. Having an idea of when you want to make certain meals in the future can also be easier since it gives you time to shop ahead for the ingredients.
When I first moved out and left the luxury of homemade meals and a meal plan, I was terrified. It took me some time to get acquainted with how the kitchen works and what worked for me, but that’s normal. Don’t sweat it; you might surprise yourself!