1 Gadget that can provide you Healthy & Effortless meals

Akshay Nand
5 min readJun 19, 2021

And technically there’s No Cooking involved

Photo by Squared.one on Unsplash

Yes, you read that right! Imagine you can give the “act of cooking” a pass? Disclaimer: This cannot be a permanent solution. Being a self-schooled passionate chef, I cannot advocate “No Cooking” (haha). But, Yes! This gadget (when you discover the name below) is not from planet mars. It is one of the most basic electronic appliances existing in almost every home.

And it is your humble Refrigerator. You heard me right. This fundamental equipment can become your lifesaver if you make use of it cleverly.

A POPULAR TREND, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS

A style of cooking has gained much popularity, particularly amongst the school children. It’s called Fireless Cooking. As the word implies, it involves no flame. Fireless cooking has been a part of the curriculum of many schools. People find this as a great method to get children cooking without the risk of fire.

So what do you think would be taught under the umbrella of Fireless cooking? Quick DIY meals like sandwiches, salad, and similar stuff. Such food is bolstered greatly by your respectful refrigerator.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

HOW CAN A REFRIGERATOR AID IN HEALTHY MEALS?

Allow me to enlighten you on the winning qualities of this appliance and how you can eat well without lighting a fire.

Sandwiches

This should be a no-brainer. It’ll take you less than a minute to combine crispy veggies or lean meat of choice, garden-fresh herbs, and a swig of hot sauce. And even lesser time to cut your loaf of bread and assemble a fantastic clean sandwich.

Many vegetables and lean meats can be eaten raw. In my opinion, try out everything once and you will get a report card about your dietary preferences. Some ingredients might cause bloating or some might not go smooth down your food pipe. Be experimental and open, because that’s where the fun exists. Taking the experiment further, did you know that thin slices of fruits also taste great in a sandwich?

Open toasts

Could be considered kind of an open sandwich. Smother your favorite slice of bread with healthy nut butter or regular butter, top with staple ingredients like cucumber or tomato, crumble cheese like feta or cottage (Indian paneer), sprinkle nuts/ seeds, and have the most beautiful toast of your life.

Go fancy and top your toast with freshly made guacamole. I can guarantee you a divine state of mind when you consume fresh guacamole toast.

Sexy Salads

Yes, my friends! Healthy foods can be easily made inviting and sultry. Salads in particular are versatile and only require little support from the refrigerator. Just like sandwiches, do a mix & match of ingredients and bring out delish salad bowls. In fact, “experiment” should now become your second name in the kitchen (wink).

Unlike sandwiches, salad is a better platform for the marriage of veggies and fruits. Pick on the seasonal produce, plate it desirable, and enjoy the freshness of nature. I talked about salads in one of my previous stories, and will reiterate: A dressing is the soul of salad and that too comes out easily from a refrigerator. Whisk up some fragrant combinations and you’re ready to up your salad game.

Breakfast oats

Pop your natural oats in a container, pour milk, and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The only task you’re required to do next morning- throw in fresh fruits, drizzle honey (or a suitable substitute), sprinkle crunchy nuts, or maybe grated coconut. Play around with different fruits, toppings and amp up your flavors.

Mason jar meals

Now, this is a piece of beauty. You can rustle this together in a matter of minutes and take it for work/school lunches. Be assured to create a lot of envy around you (haha)

You only need to follow certain principles to knock out delightful Mason jar meals. Key points:

· Bottom layer of the jar should be carbs. Something to help you- Put couscous (or alternatives) in a bowl, top with boiling water and after a few minutes your carbs are ready.

· Followed by some grated/shredded veggies like beets or carrots. Top this with your dressing

· More fruits & veggies over the dressing, then throw in some protein source (you get cooked chickpeas or kidney beans in cans as well)

· Finally add your nuts and seeds. And voila!

Desserts

Not all desserts are elaborate. For instance, make your version of a simple Parfait (a French dessert). Take out your fancy whiskey glass, and simply layer up with fresh yogurt, fruits of choice, nuts, and maybe chunks of dark chocolate. Satisfy your sweet tooth with this simple yet delicious dessert

CONCLUSION

These are a couple of ideas to comfort yourself with appetizing meals without the hassle of fire. Trust me, there is a lot you can get out of the dear refrigerator.

So this leaves one less excuse for you to get involved in your meal preparations. Guys, I will be persistent in every story and emphasis the importance of cooking your food. In the context of today’s story, it is not actually cooking but re-inventing your food (haha)

It is really easy to order food or hog on processed stuff but involves a bit of diligence to consume healthy food & also save on big bucks.

Are you willing to unnecessarily splurge on food orders or choose to take actions towards better health?

If your answer is latter, do get in touch with me. Because I am happily open to hand-hold vibrant people and take them on an incredible food journey. Meanwhile, you could visit my Instagram page and show some love:

https://www.instagram.com/delightedchef

See you in the next story.

Till then, stay happy and eat well!

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Akshay Nand

Happiness Culinary Artist & Fusion Food Designer. I bring immense joy to people’s lives with Food & Cooking. IG: https://www.instagram.com/delightedchef