Healthy Cooking Without Recipes

Healthy Cooking Without Recipes

Vitality

Mar 20, 2023 / By Ana Cortes

For some people, the joy of cooking and eating often gets lost after a long day at work, but cooking for ourselves is the ultimate act of self-care.

There is something comforting and soothing in familiar flavours tossed together with something new and exciting. This can help you create new and surprising dishes that you will love, and the more you do it the better you will become.

How to start.

There are 3 first steps to the beginning of the Intuitive Cooking journey.

Step 1: MINDSET

What is the reason you want to eat nutritious and “healthy” food? 

If it is because you need to look a certain way, then you have to really sit down and revisit your thoughts and change your mentality.

Food can heal you only if you understand why it is important to fuel your body.

This is important because this process has to be sustainable and you have to do it by respecting your body.

Start by asking yourself these questions before you start cooking:

  • How do I want to feel during the day?
  • What is the energy  I want to give out?

Think of how you want to feel: strong, inspired, intelligent, nourished, meditative, disciplined, light, happy, empowered and comforted.

Then choose the right type of dishes that will support those feelings.

Step 2:  LEARN ABOUT FOOD

It’s very difficult to create a meal when you don’t understand what you are doing.

When you don’t know how to cook a certain ingredient, or how to use herbs and spices to amp up your flavours, it is very difficult to feel inspired and zen in the kitchen.

Step 3. NOTICE

Whatever you are eating today, take notice.

Stop for a moment, slow down and really take notice of your food.

Use all your senses: What are the flavours? The colours? The textures? The smells?

Take a bit of extra time with your bites of food and simply NOTICE.

Now, change one thing.

Tweak something. Add a pinch of salt, a drizzle of lemon juice or olive oil, a swirl of cream, a handful of herbs, a handful of seeds.

And now notice again: what happened?

How does it change the flavour?

The vast majority of recipes are trying to please everyone, therefore delighting no one.

So whether you follow a recipe, or improvise with what you have (even if it’s shop bought or take-away), keep tasting and keep tweaking, until it tastes just right to you.

Your taste buds don't lie. Trust them