Replace Familiar Ready Meals With Your Own

When you eat lunch at restaurants or cafes instead of taking your own food to work, or when you get home in the evening you order pizza, Do you ever lose how much money you could save by leaving this habit? Another issue is the healthiness of the food, as prepared foods are generally not so healthy or nutritious.

So in this article, we’ll give you a few recipes for cooking at home instead of buying ready-made food from the store. With these guidelines, you can get your meal done quickly, but you can still keep your diet varied and enjoy natural ingredients.

Ready meals vs. home-cooked breakfast

Muesli bars

These products are full of vitamins and proteins that give you plenty of energy to start your morning. You may not have known that muesli bars can be made at home, and all you need is a handful of oatmeal, walnuts and almonds, and a few tablespoons of honey. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, and if you like other ingredients like raisins or seeds, you can of course add them too.

Mix the ingredients well, put the mixture in one bowl on baking paper, let it bake in the oven, and take off when it starts to look like the right muesli bar.  Then cut the stump into pieces the size you want.

Cereals

It is common to eat yogurt or milk for breakfast with cereals. Instead of buying regular sugary cornflakes from the supermarket, you can use fried nuts, dried fruit and oatmeal. And if you want even more energy, add a little sliced ​​strawberries.

Pancake and pancakes

If you eat white flour, you will not promote your health as well as when choosing whole grain flour. So make pancakes or thick ones from wholemeal flour, and add raisins as well to make them tastier and more fibrous. Raisins don’t have too much sugar when ingested in moderation, so they’re a great addition to pancakes. With this recipe, you will improve your digestion and at the same time keep you feeling fuller for a longer day.

Preserves

Did you know that you can make jam at home from almost any ingredient? So you can say goodbye to supermarket jams, and most of all, you can avoid the preservatives and additives in those products. Strawberry is, of course, the most popular jam ingredient, but you can also use apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, pears or other fruits, for example. Put equal parts of fruit, water and sugar in a saucepan and cook the mixture until it thickens.

Ready meals vs. home-made snacks

Hummus

This is a delicious recipe that comes from Arabic culture. It includes chopped chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and peppers. Let the chickpeas soak overnight and cook for two hours. Then mix the peas with the other ingredients, cook the mixture, and add a little more water to get a smooth paste. This is the perfect side dish for example on top of sandwiches or with sandwich biscuits in the evenings.

Soft cheeses

You can make your own cheeses, and this is not too difficult a task at all. Ricotta, for example, is a popular type of cheese and stays deliciously fresh in the fridge, where it is easy to take whenever needed.

Guacamole

This dip is really easy to make and you don’t have to start cooking at all. Cut one avocado in half, remove its flesh, and mix it with the onion, chives, lemon juice, and red and green peppers. You can also add a little olive oil and garlic as you wish. In addition, even make whole grain tortillas to get a good meal.

Tortillas

So tortillas go well with Guacamole, and they really aren’t worth buying from a store, as tortillas are very easy to make at home. Just mix the flour, oil and salt, and then form small balls with your hands. Then spread them into very thin dough sheets. Fry them with a small amount of oil, and turn them several times until you get a golden brown color. You can put your tortilla in the freezer and take them from there whenever you want.

Fruit snacks

Allow the peeled fruit, such as oranges or grapefruit, to dry. Then add lemon, sugar and spices (if you like) and enjoy! This is an ideal snack when you feel sweet-hungry, but there are still several hours to wait for dinner.

Butter

To make butter or spreads at home, you can use almost any type of seed or nut to provide a delicious and healthy alternative to store products. One of the best options is walnut, but there are numerous other possibilities.

Bread

If you make bread yourself at home, the benefits include the fact that you can use whole grain flour, and you can also add nuts and seeds. To make sweet bread, you can add a little raisins or honey.

Soups

Many people already know that typical instant soups sold in stores are a very bad option for health because they contain preservatives. To avoid these substances in your soups, chop a selection of vegetables (leek, potatoes, pumpkin, celery or similar products) and cook until their texture becomes soft. Then allow the soup to cool and place it in the container or containers. Then put the dishes in the freezer, and bring out the soup whenever you need a quick and delicious meal.

Ready meals vs. home-cooked lunches and dinners

Burritot

Prepare the tortillas we have already presented and fill them with any raw material you want. For example, you can use vegetables, meat, chicken and cheese. Wrap each burrito in aluminum foil and then put them in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner – you won’t be overwhelmed to order expensive pizza delivered home anymore!

Salad dressings

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are basic products that everyone should keep in their kitchen, as they are great help in many ways. They can be used with several products and then let the food marinate. If you use oil, add bay leaves, basil, rosemary or other similar herbs. Carrots, eggplant and jam onions are especially suitable for wine vinegar.

Pasta

This food is very easy to prepare, so there is no need to buy it from a store. All you have to do is mix flour, eggs, oil and salt. Knead the mixture and then cut it into pieces of the desired size. Nothing is more delicious than a homemade pasta that can easily be prepared in even larger quantities to be offered to guests. And in addition, this food is easily stored in the refrigerator so you can get ready food for several days.

Tomato sauce

Jar tomatoes or ready-made sauces are not good for your health at all. So avoid buying them, and make a homemade tomato sauce that only needs tomatoes and spices – extremely simple! Chop the tomatoes and then slice them into pieces. Add the oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and salt, and place all the ingredients in a frying pan with a little more water. Cook until ingredients are softened, and stir. Keep the tomato sauce in the fridge so it’s ready whenever you need the sauce for your homemade pasta!

So now you know that many of the ready-to-eat foods in stores you’re used to buying can be very easily replaced with homemade versions. Healthier, cheaper and very easy – so start cooking popular dishes at home!