Liz: The World of Vegetarian Variety
“I have learned that the majority of cooking is prep work and if you prep everything before cooking, it makes it so much easier!” – Liz
For the past 10 years, Kitchen Hero Liz has been vegetarian. She used to think her food options were quite limited, but a whole new world of cuisine opened up once she joined our vegetarian meal plan service. Not only does she now enjoy exciting dishes from around the globe, she also has a more nutritionally balanced diet and has lost 30 pounds! While cooking has never been one of her favorite activities (she’d much rather be gaming!), Liz is starting to like it more and more as she evolves her skills in the kitchen and loves every bite of payoff.
Name: Liz C.
Age: 26
City, State: New Brunswick, NJ
I cook for: myself and my husband.
Outside of the kitchen I: work at a university and like to go for walks and play video and tabletop games.
The 3 pantry items I cannot live without are: garlic, salt, cooking oils.
I cook because: Mostly because I have to, but I am starting to learn to like it.
Favorite CS meal so far: Enchilada-Stuffed Zucchini
How did you learn to cook?
I learned the bare bones basics from my mom, but never really got into cooking until I moved out of my parents house and had to. From there, I found Cook Smarts, and in the two years I’ve been using it, my cooking skills have improved vastly. I still need a recipe, but I’ve become a more intuitive chef with flavors and cook time.
What’s been your biggest cooking challenge?
Timing is everything when having multiple pots going and trying to get things out hot at the same time. I still haven’t quite mastered multitasking. Luckily, my husband helps me in the kitchen, so I’m able to assign one or two things per person.
How has Cook Smarts helped you adopt a vegetarian lifestyle?
Cook Smarts has increased my food variety so much! I used to think that my choices were quite limited, but I’ve made and tried foods from so many different cultures and cuisines using the service. I think the variety of cuisines really helps keep the diet fresh since my protein choices are usually so unchanging.
“[Cook Smarts] was a life saver when I was planning my wedding and trying to lose weight. I lost 30 pounds once I joined and began living a healthier lifestyle.”
What’s been the biggest change in your cooking / eating routine since starting Cook Smarts?
I didn’t really know how to eat, so at first and throughout college I ate a lot of carbs. I noticed I put on a little weight, so decided to focus more on eating protein and greens, and Cook Smarts has helped me do just that. It was a life saver when I was planning my wedding and trying to lose weight. I lost 30 pounds once I joined and began living a healthier lifestyle.
What have you learned since starting Cook Smarts’ meal plans?
I have learned to put together very limited meals by myself, which is exciting to me. I have also learned that the majority of cooking is prep work and if you prep everything before cooking, it makes it so much easier!
Tell us about your proudest kitchen moment.
My proudest kitchen moment has been seeing my evolution through my husband’s reactions. When I first started using Cook Smarts, I noticed both of us were having pretty “meh” reactions to most of my cooking. However, as time went on, he now gets excited for dinner and says things are amazing, and I agree!
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Liz! We’re so glad that our vegetarian meal plan option has kept your diet fresh, exciting, and easy. It’s great to hear that our recipes have helped you live a healthier lifestyle while giving you more free time for tabletop and video game adventures. Keep up the fun!
To join Liz and cook meals like her favorite Enchilada-Stuffed Zucchini, check out our meal plan service. You can get started for free!
