When spending time in the kitchen, there are plenty of moments you have to be in the present moment while cooking. From the time it takes to buy your ingredients to setting the finishing touches to your dish to tasting the first spoonful, the thoughtfulness of meal prep allows a lot of moments to be thankful for. How can your cooking be taken to another level with appreciation? Try to incorporate gratitude in at least these three ways.
1. Appreciate the organization and aisle signs at the grocery store.
When you’re in a rush to buy ingredients for your next meal, you know a grocery store visit can be in order. Try to incorporate gratitude in your quick visit by appreciating the aisle signs that the store has for organization of its products. Whether you look up to find flour or sugar, your appreciation for the labels can turn a forced visit into a more content experience after savoring the appreciatory feeling.
2. Appreciate the textures of your ingredients when handling them in the cooking process.
Whether you’re washing grapes or opening a can of baking powder anew, it can be soothing to appreciate the textures of your ingredients while cooking. It can be from peeling corn cobs to handling semi sweet chocolate chips that you find contentment by appreciating different textures and feels of your key ingredients. And even if it’s just for a few seconds under the sink water or in a colander, the appreciation can go a long way to enjoying the cooking process.
3. Have fun appreciating the final moments before eating by capturing the food in a photo to share in your inspiration. Or, just appreciate the final moments before eating by saying a thankful prayer. Then, of course, savor your food for as long as you like.
If you like to share, social media can be a great place to share your cooking inspiration in a photo or video for fun. The videos and photos can inspire others to live their best life. Or, alternatively, if you don’t like to share because of the hassle, you can say a thankful prayer right before eating to revel in appreciation of your hard-earned meal and or snack. Either way, building in the memories and or moments of gratitude can bring joy and contentment to all those a part of the cooking fun. That’s all before you savor the meal and enjoy the tastes and textures for as long as you like for an amazing meal.
These are just three simple ways to incorporate gratitude while preparing some of your favorite foods or go-to meals. Enjoy the process in order to have a great time experimenting or cooking up a feast. And, of course, bon appétit!