My grandmother was a brilliant yet humble scientist. Domestic goddess she was not. Nope, that thanksgiving turkey cooked in the microwave wasn't exactly juicy. I like to think we are slowly evolving as cooks with each generation. Even though I have taught myself a few skills, picked up a trick or two from that cooking class in Italy between glasses of wine, and enjoy experimenting with recipes, I will not by any means claim this is as an area of expertise. What I can do is drop some healthy easy links and books from people who are. As we ramp up for a busy back to school season of activities and hectic dinner schedules, here are some great resources to get you on the right track.
I've enjoyed Katie at Wellness Mama because not only does she provide allergen free family recipes, her personal care diy recipes are on point as well. Out of necessity from her whole family having various food allergens and intolerances to address, she has concocted yummy meals to cater to them all and they are shared on her website. Her everything health and wellness podcast is "Healthy Moms Podcast".
I am also a fan of Leanne Vogel. She is a nutrition educator who like me, has experimented with all kinds of eating strategies to find what best suits her body. You will find recipes for every imaginable eating style/diet. Her podcast is under the same name focusing on ketogenic diet and self love.
This website is a great resource for easy, budget friendly, and healthy recipes. There are also how to guides on cooking methods for the beginner cook. Various dietary methods, eating styles, disease friendly options are all included.
I have been using both the app and the website for years. These are user submitted so pay attention to the nutrition information before deciding to give the recipe a try. I would definitely say that not all of them are healthy nor fast so you have to spend a little time checking them out. What I do like is there are so many recipes you can find. You can create multiple folders to save your favorites under various categories if you sign in. On one of those days your pantry looks like mother hubbard you can search by ingredient and loads of recipes will appear at your fingertips or use them as inspiration to create your own with what you have. There is even a back to school category.
Books
Prefer a hard copy book instead? The Foods You Crave by Ellie Krieger (buy it here) was given to me by a good friend years ago (the one I did the cooking class in Italy with). Just real food that tastes good and easy to follow. Looking for Paleo? This one has a lot of options. Here is a good one if you are doing the Whole 30 challenge or have adopted this as a diet. This one includes paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free in easy to make meals. Have lots of food allergies in the house to work around? Check out Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame here. If you are a Vegan household, this one has you covered with easy and fast recipes. The title of this one says it all: Clean Eating for Busy Families.
These were a few of the websites and books I have used or heard good things about. There have been many more as I have searched for specific recipes. What are some of your favorite recipes and websites? Comment below!