Cooking, or the thought of cooking, generally gives me heightened anxiety when I think of all of the prep-work, dishes, time, money, etc. I have never been the one that was 'good' at grocery shopping like some of my other friends. Typically, I just go when I need to, and think of all the ways I could have done better with my money after I have left the store and headed home. Cooking for one is easy enough, and I am always so intrigued by all of the meal prepping I have been seeing on social media, but I often just don't want to eat the same thing for six days, but am met with the predicament of how much time I actually have versus how much time I think I have to spend in the kitchen each night cooking (hint: I think I have more time than I actually do). I have tried a few of the Tasty foods seen in the videos, and they actually didn't turn out that horrible! Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Lasagna stuffed bell peppers.
Who doesn't love lasagna? And lower-carb lasagna at that. It's a win-win! When I made them, I cut the recipe in half, but you might want to half the sauce again after that because there is A LOT of sauce.
2. Stuffed tomatoes.
Fist, let me say these things are awesome. Typically, I have to be in the mood for Mediterranean flavors, but I think that I would be down for these more often. Plus, it would be super easy to make these ahead of time and keep them for a while as lunches.
3. Slow cooker chicken taquitos.
A few weeks back, I tagged my boyfriend in this on Facebook — mainly as a joke because I wanted them, but he actually made them for me (insert crying emoji here). They were amazing, and so easy! You just put everything in the slow cooker and go to work, or in this case class! They make enough for the next day, too!
4. Zucchini ravioli.
Okay, so these take a little bit more time, but here me out! They are so easy if you have the extra time to work on them, and they are totally worth it. Plus, you can make your own sauce or if you want to save time, which is me every day, you can just use your favorite canned sauce.
5. Lemon chicken spaghetti squash.
If you have the time to roast a squash then definitely check this out. It's actually super easy, and great to do on a study night. Since it takes a little while to roast the squash, I find that it is the perfect amount of time to study before taking a break to shred it up. Also, the squash can make enough for a couple of days if you don't mind reheated food
6. Turkey bowl meal prep.
If you're into meal prepping, then you should try this. There is enough flavor that it doesn't taste like a bland meal prep, and it is easy enough to just throw into the fridge once you've finished it. This recipe gives me hope that not all meal preps have to be a complete fail on my end.
If cooking is something that makes you completely fear the kitchen, then know that you're not alone. Cooking can be daunting, but these recipes are so easy! Find a friend and hit the grocery store together, and look at the weekly ads or online to see what kind of deals you are able to get at your local store! I also like to take recipes and use the basics, but add or subtract things I would like or dislike. Happy cooking!
