Getting Creative With Cooking Whole Foods

by Nicole Martinson March 16, 2022

Cooking and eating whole foods can be just as tasty as it is beneficial to you. When you enjoy minimally processed, well seasoned meals, it’s easy to feel nourished and satisfied. That’s why we love cooking and getting creative in the kitchen with a variety of unrefined ingredients and whole foods!

Cooking Whole Foods

If you already like to cook, it's easy to appreciate all the benefits that whole foods have to offer. While fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, etc. can sometimes seem bland on their own, cooking these foods the way you prefer will encourage you to eat them more often.

Everyone knows that eating vegetables is good for you. But it’s just that much more helpful to feel confident making whole foods like vegetables taste good so that you keep coming back for more. That’s why we love aromantics like garlic, onions, chiles, and tomatoes to bring the flavor to whole, unprocessed foods.

Healthy Cooking Tips

If you want to shy away from processed foods, healthy cooking tips can help you get started. Whole foods are simply unrefined ingredients that have yet to be processed, like broccoli, potatoes, and chicken. By processing (AKA cooking) unrefined foods, you can control exactly what goes into your recipes— And how much of each ingredient, and its nutrients, that the dish contains. That’s why some people opt to make some foods from scratch.

Take pesto, for example: Making it homemade means you can avoid potential preservatives or undesirable oils and instead know exactly when that fresh basil was chopped and that garlic was crushed— because you did so with your own hands! It’s quite rewarding.

Try these healthy cooking tips if you’re interesting in eating more whole foods:

Meal prep it up: If cutting your veggies and marinating your meat ahead of time helps you put together a fresh dinner later, go for it. Make those sauces and soups, par-bake some veggie patties— whatever works for you!
Shop local and seasonal: When seasonal produce is at its peak, it’s tastiest. It’s also most affordable. Grab those fruits and vegetables and go from there with different seasonings.
Mix it up with different cuisines: If you’re stuck in a rut with American-style meals, or tend to go for only Mexican-style cuisine, try one that’s new to you. There is quite literally a whole world of various recipes and styles of food to enjoy. Try looking on Pinterest or just search Google for ideas for Mediterranean, Thai, or Carribean dishes to start experimenting.
Make an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink meal: When the fridge is getting empty. Like a sheet pan dinner or a soup, perhaps, loaded with vegetables and lean protein.

We Love Soup

Just like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink meal, soups can be made with almost anything. Whole foods like vegetables, legumes, grains, and meat come together with whatever seasonings and aromatics you want. It’s easy to sneak in a whole bunch of veggies and let everyone get to know each other in a gentle simmer in the soup: That’s when the flavors really develop and make soup so tasty!

Creative Recipes

For many people and here at Salt + Thread, part of enjoying whole foods is cooking creative recipes, and often. Exploring and experimenting with creative recipes can help you expand your cooking knowledge. You’re bound to find some new flavor combinations or cooking methods that you enjoy. Change it up with different recipes from food blogs, cookbooks, and friends and family. Take a peak at Salt + Thread’s own whole food recipes to get inspired! Or, browse a few of these recipes with whole foods from various cuisines to help motivate you:

There is so much more out there to explore! If you love cooking like we do, you’ll see recipe inspiration in many things and have fun cooking creative recipes for your own nourishment and rewarding enjoyment.