The value of simple meals
“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Often times, when considering meals, we forget that simplicity is often the best option. It’s easy in this day and age to want to make every dinner a culinary masterpiece. We are so inundated with recipes, online pin boards, trendy diets, cookbooks, and more that it’s fun and exciting to plan dinners that impress and dazzle. But is it worth it?
Consider the cost of creating a gourmet meal every night of the week. In addition to the monetary expense, there is also the added time, stress, and in most cases, calories. The value of making simpler, less complex meals can be measured in a variety of ways. For example, think about how else could you be spending those calories, dollars, and minutes?
If you elected to prepare a simple meal over a more labor-intensive meal 5 days out of the week, you could be saving as much as an hour and a half to two hours each week or about twenty minutes per night. That’s enough time to do a load of laundry, play with your kids, go for a walk, or get to sleep a little earlier.
Not only will simple meals save you time, but they will most likely be saving you on extra calories as well. Think of the fat and sugars that tend to go into sauces. Even a small amount of cream sauce can add 150 or more calories to your dinner. That may not seem like a lot but over the course of the week, that’s over 1,000 calories. If you just took that away 5 days per week, you could lose about 1 pound per month.
Financial costs for extravagant meals are a lot more than simple ones as well. The added expense of wines, butter, cream, and even some spices can dramatically increase the cost of meals over time. Rather than using expensive items, think of fresh garlic, onion, or dried spices to add flavor to meals without hurting the wallet. Dried spices, garlic powder, and basic seasonings are much more reasonable than getting fresh or more exotic ingredients.
Simple meals don’t have to be boring or bland either. Take a few chicken breasts, throw (or gingerly place) them in a baking dish, add some spices, fresh vegetables and make a one pan meal. Similarly, stir-fries or soups can be budget-friendly meals made with what is already in the pantry. So, take some of the pressure off yourself and focus on easier dinners. Even just a few days each week of eating more simply can make a big difference in your time, money, and health.
