Why You Should Change the Way You Cook and Eat

 Why You Should Change the Way You Cook and Eat

Many of us don’t think twice about ordering a single main dish when we eat out. Yet, when we’re at home, we somehow feel the need to prepare multiple dishes for every meal. I’ve learned something different from my European side of the family: the true value of mealtime isn’t the number of dishes on the table. It’s about sitting together, sharing life, and most importantly the quality of the meal, not the quantity.

Often, we pour so much effort, time, and resources into preparing a “proper” home meal that by the time we sit down, we’re too tired to enjoy it. On top of that, the clean-up endless prep bowls, plates, and pans makes us wonder if it would have been easier (and sometimes cheaper) just to eat out.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we shift our perspective focusing less on variety and more on effectiveness we can transform the way we cook and eat.

Over the last few months, my wife and I have started buying and cooking in bulk. For example, we once found beef marked 50% off because it was near the end of its shelf life, still perfectly fresh but not display-worthy. We bought all of it and used it as the base for our weekly meals. From there, we thought not about how many dishes to make, but about what nutrition we wanted to build into that one pot.

Our usual rule is simple: for every kilogram of meat, we add at least 1.5 times that amount in vegetables. Since our son has allergies, we also plan meals that go well with rice, rice noodles, or potatoes. That naturally leads us to soups, stews, or saucy dishes that are both hearty and versatile.

This week, we made what we call a Chinese Beef Stew:

• 1kg of beef

• celery leaves, carrots, spring onions, ginger, yellow onions, and cilantro

• a good stock base

The method is easy: cut, sauté, add stock, and let it slow cook for at least four hours. From this one pot, we ate six wholesome meals nutritious, affordable, and stress-free.

Here’s the cost breakdown:

• 1kg beef (after discount): RM41.80

• Carrots: RM3.00

• Onions: RM3.00

• Cilantro: RM2.80

• Spring onions: RM0.80

For under RM52, our family got six meals, plus the peace of mind that comes from cooking in a healthier and more efficient way.

At the end of the day, the goal of cooking at home isn’t to recreate a restaurant buffet it’s to nourish your family, save energy, and still enjoy the beauty of mealtime together.