If you want to make budget-friendly healthy meals, they have to be delicious and easy to make. That can be a lot of pressure when you’re just starting out. We’ll be whipping up some good habits to help you stay motivated to cook, and enjoy the meals you make.

Step 1. Consider what kinds of foods and flavors you enjoy

If you want to make budget friendly healthy meals, they have to be delicious and easy to make.

Many health regiments fail because they are not enjoyable. Though you may not enjoy all of your creations right off the bat, aiming to satisfy your taste buds is an important motivator to cook and actually eat your food. Keeping this in mind, you can progress towards becoming a better cook by understanding how to work with flavors. For example, you might not enjoy vegetables on their own but adding spices and cooking with meats may make them appealing to you.

Consider getting prepared, dried, or frozen foods to save time. Frozen prepared meals are typically not very healthy, so you might want to double check for harmful ingredients or preservatives. Frozen ingredients, on the other hand, maintain their quality. 

Step 2. Invest in time-saving tools and methods

Assuming that you have already invested in basic kitchen equipment, it’s time to add some nifty gadgets to your collection. Here are my most helpful kitchen gadgets:

Food processor

• There are many different types and features available, so choose one based on your needs. Some models offer separate add-on options.
• Tip: Make sure to get a food processor that has a large enough feed and is easy to clean.
• After extensive research, I purchased this one at a discount. It has plenty of features including a dicing option which was important to me. I’ve been using it for about a year now and it is pretty easy to assemble and clean. Just make sure you have the space for it.

Garlic mincer

• This can be used for other small foods such as herbs. I got a manual mincer so I don’t need to recharge it.

Rice cooker / steamer 

• If you plan to get a rice cooker, you may want to choose one that comes with a steaming option in case you ever want to use that feature

Strawberry stem cutter

• This makes preparing strawberries easy for decorations or dips. This gadget is worth it only if you use strawberries often. If there is another gadget for a food that you love eating all the time, consider researching tools to peel, dice, or whatever more quickly.

Admittedly, I use my microwave more than I probably should but it makes for quick and easy meals. If you want to pick a healthier and tastier method, baking / roasting is an easy hands-off method if you have the time.

Step 3. Plan ahead and stay flexible

Check out what is on sale at your local grocery store. As you become familiar with what foods go together, you’ll be able to work with whatever ingredients are available.

Schedule when you will prepare, cook, and eat your meals to avoid food waste. If things don’t go according to plan, make a note of anything you might need to adjust in the future. You can also utilize leftovers for your next meal.

I like to plan ahead for what I call ‘lazy days’. This includes preparing instant ready meals in case I don’t feel like cooking or will be eating out more often that week. I also prepare snacks in case the planned portions are not filling enough. I personally prefer to prepare a bit less since fresh food goes bad so quickly.

Step 4. Set reasonable ambitions

Just like anything else in life, it’s important to include some variety. Most of the time, you’ll want to plan meals that are your go-to’s – foods you are certain to eat and know how to cook.

Once or twice a week, you can try cooking something outside of your comfort zone to practice your skills and potentially add a new recipe to your collection! Don’t be disheartened if you fail on the first try. While cooking can be enjoyable, it is a lot of work, so I recommend trying new recipes only when you have the time, energy, and budget to do so.

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When you’ve become more comfortable with cooking and built up good habits, you can reorganize your kitchen tools and ingredients more efficiency, which leads to a more enjoyable cooking experience.

Happy cooking!