I don’t particularly like to cook. Yet, I do and are able to make a variety of good foods to eat without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Most of my meals are the quick type that really don’t take all that long, but are both cheap to make, delicious, and often contain local foods.

As a single guy who hates cooking, I have some tricks to get things done quickly and easily:

Can It Be Microwaved? Things that come in shinny plastic packages or paperboard boxes are not the only thing that can be microwaved. Baked potatos are one of my favorite – just poke some holes in it, and put on a plate and push the baked potato button. About a minute before it’s done, just put some cheese, onions, or even garlic on top. Yum. Most things can be reheated easily in the microwave.

How Simple Is It? More then preparation of the food, my next question how simple is what I’m eating. Highly prepared and marketed food tends to be significantly more expensive then basics like potatoes, cheese, and eggs. It’s also much more difficult to buy healthy and cheaply by going for simple, whole foods that are grown on farms, rather then made in factories.

How Little Packaging? Packaging is a big part of the expense when you go shopping, yet benefits the big corporations without benefiting you much at all. Packaging is also a major source of waste, and much of the plastic food comes in is not recyclable and must be landfilled or burned. There are a lot of fruits, vegetables, and local foods that come in little packaging yet are incredibly good tasting.

Reheating is Your Friend. Whenever I cook I always try to make two or more portions. As soon as they are done cooking I put them immediately in the freezer so they are frozen and ready when you want to have dinner the next day or later in the week. In the morning you can thaw things out in the fridge, and then put them in the microwave to cook them.

You don't have to buy things in expensive cardboard boxes to eat well and eat healthy. Indeed, most of the best food out there is the simplest food that is largely unpackaged and relatively inexpensive. You can avoid excess packaging and waste if you choose food that is simpler.