Moving out and living alone is an exciting phase in anyone’s life. Whether for college, work, or any other reason, leaving the nest and learning to survive almost seems to be a rite of passage to adulthood.
But living alone is not easy. And throwing yourself into the wilderness means you have to be prepared for what’s ahead. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with living away from your parents. This includes grocery shopping to paying for utilities and even bearing the costs of your Netflix subscription.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges of living alone is figuring out how to go about your meals. Getting three meals—plus snacks—a day at home is the norm for most people because there is always someone doing the cooking.
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So if you are not a good cook yourself, you probably never realized how much thought comes into preparing meals. And you might not have thought as much about making sure the pantry is well-stocked with your favorite snacks. As a result, you are likely going live off quick meals and fast food, or microwaveable meals once you’ve moved into your apartment. A quick hack to follow is to make sure that you always have healthy snacks readily available. According to Pork Rinds, one of the best snacks you can get is one that can help you hit your macros without taking in too much calories.
But cooking is not difficult as you can learn it online. With the right source of quick easy healthy recipes and basic kitchen essentials, you will be able to whip yourself up some legitimately delicious meals. And possibly, the next time you go home, you’ll be rivaling mom’s cooking.
Why It’s Important to Eat Healthily
You might have heard of the “freshman 15,” where you supposedly gain 15 pounds in your freshman year of college due to unhealthy eating. But even office workers cannot escape the wrath of calories. Women’s HealthMag found that a whopping 50% of employees have gained weight in their present jobs.
Junk foods are calorie-dense and filled with sugar. When you consume sugary food and drinks, you are only giving your body a momentary spike of energy. So you end up feeling more hungry after a while. In turn, you want to eat more and repeat the unhealthy cycle.
And when your daily calorie intake comes from chips, sodas, 2-minute meals, and cheeseburgers, weight gain is inescapable.
Being busy does not mean that you have an excuse for not taking care of yourself. Independent living means you make decisions on your own. Saying no to unhealthy habits and embracing a healthy lifestyle is a choice you have to—and can—make. And that begins with learning quick, easy healthy recipes.
Eating Healthy is Quick and Easy
Healthy living begins with the food you consume. It means you have to put on an apron and bring out the pans and knives. Cooking food yourself is the only reliable way of making a healthy meal without guilt.
Creating your meal is only tricky when you have no idea what you are doing. But dietitians have been posting beginner-friendly, quick, and healthy recipes online to debunk the myth that visually-appealing food takes a lot of time and skill to make. You can have a selection with a bit of everything, such as desserts, appetizers, snacks, and main courses.
By following a guide, you can quickly ease yourself into getting used to the kitchen. There is no harm in searching for recipes online and trying new things out. You can start by cooking meals at night, after school, or at work.
Once you have fallen in love with the taste and fulfillment of healthy food, you can transition into waking up earlier in the morning to prepare your day’s meals. Meal planning once a week simplifies your cooking tasks and will save you a lot of time in the day.
Whatever arrangement it may be, the most important thing is that you’re taking care of your health. So the next time you visit home, mom and dad will not have to worry at all.
