What to do when you hate cooking

Hey!

Confession time: I used to absolutely HATE cooking.

I know, I know. The girl with 520k followers sharing recipes every day used to dread being in the kitchen.

But it's true. Cooking felt like this huge, overwhelming chore that always ended in disappointment. I'd spend an hour making something that tasted mediocre, create a mountain of dishes, and think "I could have just ordered Chinese food."

Sound familiar?

Here's what I learned: Most people don't actually hate cooking. They hate the stress, mess, and failure that comes with it.

If you hate cooking, you probably hate one of these things:

• Taking forever to make something simple

• Recipes that don't turn out like the picture

• Having no idea what to make (decision fatigue is real!)

• The cleanup afterward

• Feeling like you're bad at it

The good news? All of these problems have solutions.

Here's how I went from hating cooking to loving it:

1. I started REALLY small Not "make a 3-course meal" small. I'm talking scrambled eggs and toast small. Master one thing, then add another.

2. I focused on assembly, not cooking Greek yogurt + berries + granola = breakfast. Rotisserie chicken + bagged salad + avocado = lunch. Sometimes the best meals require zero actual cooking.

3. I gave myself permission to use shortcuts Pre-cut vegetables? Yes. Rotisserie chicken? Absolutely. Frozen rice that heats in 90 seconds? Life-changing. There are no cooking police.

4. I stopped following complicated recipes 5 ingredients or less became my rule. If I couldn't pronounce an ingredient or had to go to three stores to find it, I moved on.

5. I cooked the same thing multiple times Instead of trying new recipes constantly, I made the same simple meals until they became second nature. Confidence = enjoyment.

The turning point? When I realized that "cooking" doesn't have to mean elaborate meals from scratch. It just means putting real food together in a way that tastes good and nourishes you.

If you're still in the "hate cooking" phase, start here:

My smoothie collection has 30 recipes that require zero cooking skills. Just blend and drink. No chopping, no timing, no way to mess it up.

Perfect for breakfast, post-workout, or even dessert. And here's the best part - success with smoothies builds confidence for other kitchen adventures.

What's the #1 thing that makes you avoid cooking? The time? The mess? Not knowing what to make? Hit reply and tell me - I promise there's a solution!

You don't have to love cooking, but you shouldn't hate feeding yourself well.

Sarah

P.S. - My first "successful" meal was scrambled eggs with cheese. I was 25 years old and SO proud. We all start somewhere!