Cooking for 2016

I saw a recent New York Times post on roasted cauliflower (looks amazing, by the way!), with the advice to cook more, instead of trying to eat less for 2016. I couldn’t agree more. With mid-January already on its way, many of us by now have given up on unrealistic New Year’s resolutions. Cooking, though, is always a goal. Every time you accomplish the feat of putting a healthy meal on the table for your family, the next day of starting over again is right around the corner. Sometimes we make cooking a daily habit…and other times we get busy and distracted.

Those times that we make sure to cook at home are when we are eating best–physically and emotionally. Eating homemade meals as a family ensures that we are eating real food, connecting with one another and modeling healthy eating habits for our kids.

So, if you’re like me, you’re hoping to cook more dinners in 2016, despite the work, carpools, homework, sports and appointments that come our way. And because it’s my job, I’ll even offer a great tip for ensuring we all put a real meal on the table most nights: prep ahead! Chop a ton of veggies on a Sunday and put it in a bag in the fridge. Better yet, have your kids do it. You can take it a step further by putting all those veggies on a tray to roast. Drizzle some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper over it, and then roast it for 45 minutes on 375 degrees. Cook a huge pot of brown rice to go with it, and you’ve got the base of several dinners. You can turn those goods into stir fry, chili, stew or even burritos. With a little organization and effort early in the week, we’ll all be coming home to a fridge full of grub during the week.

Happy and healthy 2016, friends!