In each of us… There is little of all of us

I Cook for Myself Every Night, Even When I’m Super Busy. 

Do I always want to do it?

No.

Do I make it as easy as possible so I have zero excuses not to?

Absolutely.

It sounds intense, and trust me, sometimes the last thing I want to do after a full day of work and come home to make my own dinner, but over the years I’ve realized it’s just what works for me.

I'm no master chef, but honestly, simple, healthy cooking isn't rocket science.

I grew up watching my mother chop and fry and bake, so I just applied that knowledge and winged it. That’s not to say it was easy—years later and I’m still  cooking my chicken—but it taught me that “I’m not just too busy to eat healthy and cook for myself” is not an excuse.

Over the years, cooking for myself has helped me maintain a healthy weight, but it's also become a form of self-care.

True to form, making my own meals each night gives me a sense of control over my health—like I'm doing all I can to be my healthiest self. (And yes, I do get a confidence boost when a friend texts me with a cooking question.)

But on top of physical health and some ego boosting, cooking these nightly meals is a major form of self-care. When I get home at the end of the day, cooking is how I unwind—smashing garlic cloves is my anger management, and slicing peppers forces me to be mindful.

 Cooking for myself each night is my own form of therapy.

Measurements Used in the Kitchen

There are three types of measurements used to measure ingredients and to serve portions in the restaurant trade. Measurement can be by volume, by weight, or by count.

Recipes may have all three types of measurement. A recipe may call for 3 eggs (measurement by count), 250 mL of milk (measurement by volume), and 0.5 kg of cheese (measurement by weight).

There are formal and informal rules governing which type of measurement should be used. There are also specific procedures to ensure that the measuring is done accurately and consistently.

Number or Count

Number measurement is only used when accurate measurement is not critical and the items to be used are understood to be close in size.

For example, “3 eggs” is a common measurement called for in recipes, not just because 3 is easy to count but also because eggs are graded to specific sizes. Most recipes call for large eggs unless stated otherwise.

Numbers are also used if the final product is countable. For example, 24 premade tart shells would be called for if the final product is to be 24 filled tart shells.

Volume

Volume measurement is usually used with liquids or fluids because such items are awkward to weigh. It is also used for dry ingredients in home cooking, but it is less often used for dry measurement in the industry.

Volume is often the measure used when portioning sizes of finished product. For example, portion scoops are used to dole out vegetables, potato salad, and sandwich fillings to keep serving size consistent. Ladles of an exact size are used to portion out soups and sauces.

Often scoops and ladles used for portioning are sized by number. On a scoop, such a number refers to the number of full scoops needed to fill a volume of one litre or one quart. Ladles are sized in millilitres or ounces.

Weight

Weight is the most accurate way to measure ingredients or portions. When proportions of ingredients are critical, their measurements are always given in weights.

This is particularly true in baking where it is common to list all ingredients by weight, including eggs (which, as mentioned earlier, in almost all other applications are called for by count). Whether measuring solids or liquids, measuring by weight is more reliable and consistent.

Weighing is a bit more time consuming and requires the use of scales, but it pays off in accuracy. Digital portion scales are most commonly used in industry and come in various sizes to measure weights up to 5 kg (11 lbs.). This is adequate for most recipes, although larger operations may require scales with a larger capacity.

The reason weight is more accurate than volume is because it takes into account factors such as density, moisture, and temperature that can have an effect on the volume of ingredients.

For example, 250 mL (1 cup) of brown sugar (measured by volume) could change drastically depending on whether it is loosely or tightly packed in the vessel. On the other hand, 500 grams (17.63 oz.) of brown sugar, will always be 500 grams (17.63 oz.).

Even flour, which one might think is very consistent, will vary from location to location, and the result will mean an adjustment in the amount of liquid needed to get the same consistency when mixed with a given volume.

Another common mistake is interchanging between volume and weight. The only ingredient that will have the same volume and weight consistently is water: 1 L of water = 1 kg of water.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.   

Thank you …There is no other ingredient that can be measured interchangeably because of gravity and the density of an item. Every ingredient has a different density and different gravitational weight, which will also change according to location.

This is called specific gravity. Water has a specific gravity of 1.0. Liquids that are lighter than water (such as oils that float on water) have a specific gravity of less than 1.0. Those that are heavier than water and will sink, such as molasses, have a specific gravity greater than 1.0. Unless you are measuring water, remember not to use a volume measure for a weight measure, and vice versa.

Example

1 L water = 1 kg water

1 L water + 1 L canola oil = 2 L of water and oil mixture (volume)

1 L water + 1 L canola oil = 1.92 kg (weight)

In order to convert your existing recipes that only call for volume measurement to weight, you will need to measure each ingredient by volume, weigh it, and then record the amount in your recipe. There are also tools that can help with this conversion.

Want to add word or two?  

This online calculator has an extensive database of foods and can convert from volume to weight in both the metric and U.S. measuring systems:

 https://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/food-volume-to-weight 

Your comment ….?

This kitchen conversion calculator has the capacity to convert between weight and volume.

It comes with an attached list of ingredients and their specific gravitational weights.

It is, however a list of only the most common ingredients and will not likely cover everything that a commercial kitchen uses:

https://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?c=&cat=2,40733,40734&p=58726

This resource explains why working by weight is beneficial:

https://www.chefsteps.com/projects/why-work-by-weight/landing#/

My journey toward lasting better health started about halfway through my sophomore year of college in London. That year, something shifted. I can't tell you what, exactly; I had exercised and dieted in the past, but it never stuck. This time, however, I think my subconscious just said enough is enough.

I started exercising and making healthier choices at the dining hall (skip the fries, have a side salad), and when I went home that summer, I focused on cooking with my mother my own meals.