Cooking sounds so easy, why is it so hard?
July 20, 2010 | Cooking
The last Food Rule that I have been observing from Michael Pollan's recent book is #63, Cook. At first glance this rule sounds simple. Cooking your own food tends to make it more healthy than consuming dishes prepared by a restaurant. I can buy that tidbit of trivia yet it becomes irrelevant because cooking is the problem. Health benefits aside, cooking doesn't come easy. Let me rephrase that - it isn't the cooking that is difficult it is finding the time to cook.
I guess I have officially joined the ranks of most middle aged Americans. Maybe I was in denial for a period of time. Maybe it is the fact that the kids are now 5 and 10. Maybe I was trying to will my way through the anguish of fitting it all in. I am a working mother of two with a jam-packed, never ceasing crazy family schedule. I know literally millions of moms can relate. It is important to note that I don't mind to cook when I can find the time.
I am certain I am not alone. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of friends and family members who are in the same boat. I think almost every parent is in the same boat. And it certainly feels like it is sinking sometimes. My husband and I want to continue to educate our kids on their diet and the importance of food choices yet are challenged to do this daily. I can see clearly why convenient, heavily processed foods are so much a part of the American way.
Here is the brain teaser. How do you cook dinner when you get home from work at 5:30 and soccer practice starts (20 miles away) at 5:30? Do you begin to prepare dinner at 7:30 when you are home from practice? (and the other parent is with the other child at t-ball until 7:30) And by the way, you want to get the kids in bed at a decent time so they will be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for school the next day.
Do you succumb to the urge to just grab something? The answer for us is serial simplicity. You might call it boring. We almost always pass up the grab and go option. It is difficult but a flashback to Food, Inc. usually works to get me through the moment. The serial simplicity is a succession of standard meals that are truly easy to prepare and somewhat well rounded.
Last week, I called on one of our basic favorites, Fettucine Alfredo.
Fettucine Alfredo gets a bad rap because it is rich. But I think everything in moderation is the key. We do not eat cream sauces every night. Maybe 1-2 times a month. To make it a more than just cream, butter and parmesan I added some squash and spinach. So, so easy. So, so good. A nice way to get a serving or two of veggies in as well. This is a dish I will do at 7:30 because it only takes 20 minutes. That is less time than to drive to a restaurant and pick something up. Maybe a tad bit more effort but I certainly feel better about what my family is eating.
Cooking. I try, that is we try to cook more often than not. It is not easy, but it is the better way. I have often read about households that can plan meals a week at a time and even prepare meals ahead and freeze them. I may tackle that strategy this summer and see if it works for us. In the meantime, it is serial simplicity for us.
-Allison
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