"You should never feel bad about taking shortcuts if it means feeding yourself". This means a lot. As someone who perpetually has no energy to cook, having easy access to good food is hard to come by the "normal" way.
Same. I have ME/CFS (a chronic illness where my body just doesn't produce or use energy enough) and currently pregnant. I needed to hear this because I often feel guilty to not have the energy to cook like I did before I got sick. I used to cook from scratch all the time and now if I manage to microwave something, that's a win.
When I was homeless and lived in my office sleeping quarters, there was no kitchen. Just a microwave and a fridge in the pantry that I can use. I bought the sistema microwave cooking stuff like the steamer container and there's even one that will allow you to cook rice! And i was able to feed myself healthy and affordable meals. Thank you for sharing these ideas to others, i was shamed by some people who found out about my living situation so I never vlogged it. I'm glad someone like you who's credible and educated shares this info to a lot more people.
@@Phoenixcomplexx it's mostly steamed stuff like steamed fish, chicken, and pork but the dipping sauce or marinade makes the most difference! Like you can make adobo for example by cooking your protein in the sistema steamer and you make the sauce in another container and add the sauce later when the meat is cooked. Add rice and it's like a homemade meal.
I don't see the relevance of the not vlogging part as you have not posted any videos on your youtube channel. Even "microwave safe" plastic is not microwaveable(the proof is in the literature, do read it), I suggest that you use glass.
@@kiyoponnnI don't see the relevance of your comment on that matter as that might have been around a time they wanted to vlog and then gave up on the idea. You just tried to find something to give some snark about.
I’ve been trying to incorporate this kind of meal balance for my family lately, instead of trying to cook so much variety, just keeping it simple, 1 protein, 1 veg, 1 carb. It has made meal prep a lot less stressful 😊
Unsolicited advice but I hope it helps a bit. I do the same but I keep the ingredients separate, and have some side dishes (pickled red onion, salsa, dips, etc.) that people can mix and mingle to make it less monotonous.
@@MelissaFlaquer I feel like even without your advice it doesn't have to be boring. There's plenty of variation within each group. Like veg can mean a different side salad each time or steamed or baked veggies.
Thank you so much for sharing these ideas. I have ADHD and struggle with feeling “frozen” sometimes when I’m overwhelmed and need to cook. Then I end up being so hungry I eat less than ideal meals. These ideas are so accessible and look delicious!
Try the Bird's Eye frozen blends! Then all you have to think about is a protein. They have some for the microwave or stovetop and some for the oven. I love them for easy lunch - I can buy some pre-cooked chicken and just mix it in with the veggies for reheating.
Idk if you're also the ADHD type to be good with eating the same food everyday bc it takes less brain power but I've started putting eggs near my stove and butter and I literally just make omelettes every morning to finally be able to eat breakfast everyday. Helps me eat more meals throughout the day too. Also having your ingredients and spices in one space helps as well.
Her channel's recipes/techniques and her kind, empathetic approach to nutrition has helped me with my depression and ADHD so much. She's one of the best dietitians on the internet rn.
Thank you so much for this uplifting video. So many people do not educate themselves on certain subjects and kept telling me I’m endangering me and my family with prepping then microwaving most of our meals like this. Just had a child and my husband’s depression has not been great since then and I’m just trying to keep my family together, fed and happy. It’s been hard. I needed this.
While you don't put metallic stuff inside it, a microwave will online agitate the water molecules inside the food, meaning adding heat to them and cooking. They're safer than frying nuggets over and over with the same oil, just as an example. Sending love
Yes, microwave is 100% safe. I would just avoid plastic where you can, even microwave safe plastic, plastic is porous and mallable, just not the vibe but that's personal opinion.
I am chronically ill and i kinda teared up a bit watching this. Its usually difficult to feel seen in the cooking space on social media, as everything seems so extravagant and difficult to participate in. Thank you for making me feel like I can try cooking even if its simple and in the microwave
Like you are honestly one of the creators that helped me to an EXTREME when I was getting out of all my food restrictions and disorders with food. You’re so wonderful.
another easy microwave meal for anyone who wants: - your favourite instant noodles to your favourite bowl + water - frozen peas (or any frozen veg) - big handful of spinach (yep, you can also use frozen spinach!) That's all, blast for like 6 minutes. You could add peanut butter, tahini, sesame seeds or whatever. For protein, tbh I just eat some slices of vegan ham from the fridge while I wait for the microwave.😂 Sounds simple but for a long time I was just eating instant noodles plain! Y'all are worthy of nourishment ❤
I'm about to go back to my university dorm and we aren't allowed to have anything more than a microwave and a refrigerator. I'll definitely be trying this!
I love you for this. We bought the steamer you recommended in the last video and followed the salmon recipe and thought, how could this be good…but it was amazing! No one would ever believe it was done in the microwave. You are an angel for suggesting these!
I'm neurodivergent and have ARFID and celiac, and I've found your content & channel so helpful, comforting, and compassionate. also, the food is delicious 🤤 the rice paper eggs is a staple for me & friends now 🥰
as long as you're not submerging a veg in water to cook it (eg. boiling) then u've got ur vits all still there. if i cook veg in a little water (you can add a couple tablespoons to steam cook veg in a microwave) i like to try to add the water to what i'm cooking if i can bcs nutrients but yeah, microwave food is healthy if you let it be
This kind of content is truly life changing and really helps combat the shame and stress of not being well enough to make a whole meal all the time. Thank you for being down to earth and creative! 🙏🏻
I've never thought to use my microwave for anything other than reheating or popcorn. Thank you for making me see as a cooking appliance lol. This could be very helpful.
oh my days i love this woman so much. every time i see her on my feed it heals my relationship with food, just a little bit 🥹 ive always struggled with my eating habits, but having a positive nutrition role model like her makes me feel so much better about trying to *get* better. thank you, kylie 🫶 your videos help me so, so much.
I have ME/CFS and EDS. If I'm not insanely fatigued I'm suffering from some kind of joint injury. Usually it's my spine dislocating from my pelvis. Which sucks in a big way. Thank you for including people like me in your content. We need all the tips and tricks we can get.
Your gentle energy and strongly positive message is appreciated. I have never cooked fish in the micowave but with the liquid, that would work. I always cook once and eat twice with freezing the extra.
I’m currently recovering from an ED and I often use my executive dysfunction as an excuse not to eat anything so this series is very very helpful thank you :)
I am recovering from surgery and have a still-undiagnosed chronic illness and 3 boys, one of whom is a toddler with autism. Thank you for this. Your youtube shorts have been so comforting.
Oh man, summer heat and no AC makes it an absolute necessity to find non-oven ways to cook! Stovetop cooking is barely tolerable, too... Microwaves, toaster ovens, air fryers, those little panini press type grills - I'll take any of them over an oven during the summer!
Ive always been impressed with your content. Your videos are very clean and simple. Your instructions are clear. Your meal/food suggestions are easy, tasty, nutritionally balanced and uncomplicated. You are a true professional!👏
Same here. Part of it is that (due to my chronic illness) I have not been eating much lately which I’m sure is affecting my mood, but I welled up. I so appreciate that she offers solutions for people who struggle with regular cooking for whatever reason.
Last year I learned that when I’m driving home from work, I have to trust I can get a healthy meal into my mouth within 5-10 minutes at home. Otherwise, I’ll end up buying take out on the way home. That means mostly non-complex, but tasty meals. I stock up on frozen and shelf-stable veggies since I forget about my fresh ones. Microwave meals are probably my most common for the speed factor. So thanks for all you do and this recipe!
Walmart Great Value brand has great tasting frozen vegetable steamers that you can just pop in the microwave for around 5-7min depending on the microwave’s power, and the walmart Great Value brand is usually $1-2 per 12-16oz bag compared to over $3 for birds eye vegetable steamer bags. I’ll just pop a 12oz bag of frozen sweet peas in the microwave, cook it for 7min, dump the sweet peas onto a sturdy paper plate/paper bowl and put a 1/2 stick of butter on the hot sweet peas to raise the amount of healthy fat that I’m ingesting. They also have frozen steamers of spinach, carrots, peas AND carrots, corn, mixed veggies, green beans, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli AND cauliflower, baby lima beans, sweet potatoes, etc.
I have so much guilt around taking short cuts because my dad and I were both chefs for many years and I grew up with a very judgmental mother. I am chronically ill and a single mom to a disabled child. Using shortcuts can be a literal lifesaver to keep my daughter and I eating healthy food. Thank you for working to take the stigma away from the microwave, pre-cut veggies, etc. 💜
Honestly, you're THE Best ! You motivated me to take nutrition seriously without giving me anxiety, and with no pressure. I invested in an cooking app to inspire me and help me (i didnt know yet you were publishing, and if i can buy it in France, i will), it's been 4 weeks, and i feel so much better ! Thank you so much for the inspiration ❤
People shooting against microwaves have neither enough education about physics nor any idea what they're talking about. MICROwaves are literally on the light wave spectrum's opposite from e.g. sunlight. Or even color waves that you can see.
litterally EVERYTHING is on a spectrum of light lol, so are xrays and geiger level radiation, why not cook with those, the issue is the extreme vibrational decay of cellular walls that maintain nutrient value. may as well burn the fish to charcoal, same thing.
@@unko2774 i looked it up on harvard health, and they claim that the methods that heats the food quickly (aka microwave) retains more nutrients. On the contruary, cooking vegetables in water makes all the vitamins go to the water! The more you know 😊
@@unko2774 the microwave actually retains more nutrients than traditional ways of cooking because it cooks food faster, therefore less of the good stuff gets cooked out
@@unko2774 That’s part of why every microwave oven has a built-in faraday cage suitable for the wavelength. (Actually, it’s more because it would disrupt wireless communication if it wasn’t shielded.)
Summers are chaos for us, but diet is huge for managing my arthritis. I’ve taken to making myself tuna and rice bowls. Frozen rice, frozen veggies, pouch of tuna, some sort of sauce. Microwave and done. Yum! Sesame seed sprinkle or fresh green onions is a bonus. Keeps my pain at bay and takes like 5min
Microwaves work by making water molecules jiggle, which makes them hot. It does it to other stuff too, but especially water. What that means is that microwaves are really good at steaming! So, use them to steam (not eggs in shell though, they can explode). They're also good at dehydrating if you leave your food uncovered, because all that steam escapes. Apparently you can make kale chips in the microwave? Haven't tried it but I want to!
I'm someone who has struggled with depression for many years as well as some other struggles and honestly i love this whole channel, i can't take care of my health that well so having easy meals ideas is such a blessing and definitely helps me❤ thank you
Thank you so much for your videos. You’re someone who consistently provides excellent content and realistic advice. I’ve learned so much from watching you and appreciate you sharing all of your expertise.
I love cooking and experimenting with recipes is such a joy however due to my depression and severe anxiety attacks, I sometimes end up in a state where i cannot bring myself to do anything and if i try that’s when i most often mess up in the kitchen leading to a complete meltdown. There are just days when simple and easy is the only way to go even for those who love cooking. We all need this type of advise. Thank you so much for sharing ❤
THANK YOU! I have felt a lot of shame struggling to cook for myself. When i found your channel, you changed that. Microwave cooking is one of my main go-tos now and I'm just happy i have something yummy and nutritious to eat. Your channel is so nurodivergent and disability friendly. It can be so incredibly isolating to live with and frequently "normal" advice don't help. I've slowly realized I need to work with my brain and body, not against it or try and change something thats not changing. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Your videos mean so much to me ❤
Just tried this recipe, and it was so delicious. Im a full-time manager and mom with ADHD that grew up in an Asian family with so many great cooks, and cooking has always felt so inaccessible or too hard to accomplish. But this wasn’t hard and now I feel full and happy. Notes: this worked stellar with mahi mahi in a medium square pyrex container (microwave safe). I like squishy bok choy so I just cooked it all in one go and it was a bit more watery than my husband’s but both were delicious. Going to add this to my list of dinners during the week
My dad banned microwaves in our house and when I moved out my apartment had one. They’re so convenient and I would probably eat a lot worse if I didn’t have a way to quickly reheat meals, or to make those microwave/frozen meals when I don’t have the energy to cook.
Thank you so much freezing rice has been a game changer. I have chronic illness and a child who won't eat anything potato so batch cooking rice goes with the frozen veg and batch cooked meat.😊
People tend to act like using a microwave is somehow reducing the nutrional value of a meal, because they associate it with frozen microwave tv dinners that don't always have great nutrional value (as in food group variety) Sure, not everything microwaves well, (esp fried food) but it's superb at steaming!
there is a lot of shame around having cheap, easily made meals… It’s irritating because it often feels like it’s all that’s within my reach. When I meet up with a certain group of friends we use all the shortcuts in the world, but the food turns out good, and we get a good proper meal out of it. I always try to apply the same principle in my solo cooking… a meal is a meal.
Dont let other people dictate what you eat, listen to your body and always have a mind set about anything turning out not bad when cooking something you haven't before , and you should never feel shame for being cheap
My stove was getting installed during dinner time after we moved in. It took so long and I had my family to feed….Cooked a whole meal in the microwave! Lol My family was actually impressed 🥰
Would this work in the microwave steamer too? I bought one just because of you 😊 you’re a life saver honestly. Also can you write the recipe in the comments?
Omg. I love this idea. I will definitely try making this sometime 😊 I get already cooked korean sticky rice from Costco and eat half the package and freeze the other half 😊 I also love a little furikake on my rice for a bit more fiber😊
I have an autoimmune disorder and kitchen appliances are such a big help, inc air fryer, toaster oven & instant pot.! You can heat/cook stuff in same dish to eat from - saves on washing up. When my condition was super bad, i got an air fryer. I cd cook an egg, salmon, chicken ground beef dishes in the air fryer beside my bed. Yes, i was that ill. I got an instapot later when i developed leaky gut; made bone broth. Pls. keep suggesting recipes. Thanks!
Love this channel. I'm going through something really challenging and don't have extra energy to make an elaborate meal. This feels doable and less daunting than finding recipes online. Thank you!
I used to watch channels like Joshua Weissman and feel so overwhelmed and shitty whenever he scolded his audience for using store-bought things like sauces, doughs, candy etc. Thank god I found this channel or I would have worked myself to death, haha
I don’t really see any difference between buying flatbread instead of baking it yourself and buying flour instead of milling it yourself. And some things are really best done _not_ at home, such as fermenting fish sauce (or rather, straining it afterwards, since that’s apparently the stinky part).
@@ragnkja Exactly! Not everyone has the taste buds of a professional chef. I know I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between homemade tortilla and store bought, since you usually never have it by itself anyway
@@KaiSub And unless you have a machine to roll out the dough or are _really_ good at rolling it out evenly and _very_ thinly, homemade hard flatbread tends to be a bit _too_ hard for my liking. So since I don’t have a pasta machine, I buy the flatbread.
i really love your series of videos on microwave cooking. this is the #1 thing my family struggles with. do you have any microwave meals for chicken, tofu, or beef? my sister is allergic to coconut and i can't have gluten, but I'm usually able to convert recipes to GF. if you see this, thank you for making this channel! it's incredibly helpful and 1 of the (sadly) few resources I've found that shares my methodology for food. that being to add to, not take away (except for medical reasons) oh, and i have a recipe to share! i call it "edible chicken salad" because it's the only chicken salad I've been able to stomach. but you could also call it garlic parmesan chicken salad. - 2 chicken breast, boiled until cooked through, then rough cut into small chunks or pulse a few times in a food processor (alternatively, ~2 cans of pre-cooked chicken, drained) - 1/4 onion, finely diced (optional, but recommended) - garlic parmesan dressing ~2-3 Tbsp - 3-4 Tbsp mayonnaise stir up and check consistency. if too strong, add more mayonnaise. if too weak, add more parmesan dressing. i like to microwave a bag of peas or broccoli to go on the side, after a basic seasoning. and can be eaten as a sandwich, on rice, or potatoes. can be eaten cold or freshly made my mom made this when she realized she didn't have the ingredients for the regular chicken salad halfway through cooking. i tried it on a whim and loved it. it's so fast and easy to make, as well. the most intensive part of the process is cooking and cutting the chicken and that can be skipped entirely if you use canned chicken.
Thank you❤️ I have ADHD and I’ve been struggling with eating a lot because my medication ruins my appetite and it’s finals month so I’m reaaaly stressed and overwhelmed and I’ve been kind of starving myself a bit but this video gave me some hope again❤️
Have you considered writing a cookbook? I don't usually buy cookbooks because everything is available online, but I'm not tech savvy enough to systematically find everything you've shared. Also it would help me a lot to see it written down. Your tips are just gold!
I work at nights and my dinners need to be well planned and quickly executed. Your channel's been so awesome for me to find. Thank you for making this kind of content.
I love your content. I just wanted to express gratitude in you assisting to normalise that not everyone has the capacity on the daily to whip up complicated meals. And I say this as someone battling illnesses and works as a freelance chef too ❤
Thank you so much! I have IBS really bad and cooking is one of the most frustrating things I have to do. On top of that I’m not just cooking for myself but my husband and daughter who can eat practically anything. It’s so hard some nights. Thanks you so much for these videos.
Something broken in me that I cry when you say “you should never feel bad about feeding yourself”. What a weird reinforcement to have to make in today’s society. ❤
Hey Kylie, I know you'll probably never see this but I've been spending the last 6 years recovering from an eating disorder and mending my relationship with food and watching your videos everyday is the best reminder to put food in my body that feeds my soul. Thank you so much.
Your channel has been the greatest help for my diet journey, and I have now lost 3kg in 2 months because I followed your advices. I don't know whether it's considered as a fast weightloss or not, but during my diet (still on-going) I never let myself starve, and I even snack often too😂 I'm so glad I found your channel, I don't think I would be able to do all this if it's not with your help. Thank you, Kylie♡
Thanks for such a great video! A great option for easy to cook frozen veggies is Walmart Great Value brand which has great tasting frozen vegetable steamers that you can just pop in the microwave for around 5-7min depending on the microwave’s power, and the walmart Great Value brand is usually $1-2 per 12-16oz bag compared to over $3 for birds eye vegetable steamer bags. I’ll just pop a 12oz bag of frozen sweet peas in the microwave, cook it for 7min, dump the sweet peas onto a sturdy paper plate/paper bowl and put a 1/2 stick of butter on the hot sweet peas to raise the amount of healthy fat that I’m ingesting. They also have frozen steamers of spinach, carrots, peas AND carrots, corn, mixed veggies, green beans, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli AND cauliflower, baby lima beans, sweet potatoes, etc.
