How to cook Healthy Meals and never run out of ideas.

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📃 RECIPE Link(s):
Snack Wrap - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
Chicken Stir Fry - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
Chicken Pasta Salad - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
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📚 Videos & Sources mentioned: None
📸 Instagram ➔ / echleb
🎚 TikTok ➔ / ethanchlebowski
🐣 Twitter ➔ / ethanchleb
USEFUL KITCHEN GEAR
🌡Thermapen Thermometer: alnk.to/6bSXCCG
🍳 Made In Wok I use: bit.ly/3rWUzWX
🥌 Budget Whetstone for sharpening: geni.us/1k6kComboWhetstone
🧂 Salt Pig: geni.us/SaltContainer
⚖ Scale: geni.us/FoodScale
🍴 Budget 8-inch Chef's knife: geni.us/BudgetChefKnife
🔪 Nicer 8-inch Chef Knife: geni.us/TojiroChefKnife
🧲 Magnetic Knife Rack: geni.us/MagneticKnifeRack
🥘 Cast iron griddle: geni.us/TheCastIronGriddle
📄 Baking Sheet: geni.us/NordicBakingSheet
🛒 Wire Rack: geni.us/WireRack
🍳 Saucepan: geni.us/Saucepan
🪓 Woodcutting board: geni.us/SolidWoodCuttingBoard
⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Why it's hard to cook & eat healthy
0:32 Learning how to cook changed my life
1:30 The Seasoning Framework
2:52 Seasoning Technique #1: Blackening
8:35 Seasoning Technique #2: Stir Fry Sauce
12:10 Seasoning Technique #3: Marinate after cooking
🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound (free 30-day trial - Affiliate): share.epidemicsound.com/33cnNZ
MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A7C
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro
Affiliate Disclosure:
Ethan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to [Amazon.com](amazon.com/) and affiliated sites.

[@xZOOMARx]

I’m a doctor and I truly believe if everyone had learned how to make healthy food taste good, we wouldn’t have such a big problem with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and all associated problems. I routinely direct patients toward you, ragusea, Lucas sin, Andrea nguyen, and the like because you all make such approachable and useful content.

[@turtlezinthesky]

Thank you doctor bing chilling

[@1milebehind]

I agree with this alot. Thank you very much for your insight, Dr. Bing Chilling.

[@ball5942]

I totally agree that healthy good tasting meals can change your life (helped mine). But Americans have been doing individual approaches to diet/health for decades. With only worsening outcomes as time goes on. There is no video or book that *everyone*will read that will change this. Addressing problems such as food deserts, education, the amount of sugar/corn syrup in our foods and increasing accessibility to the time/ingredients to make this food. All that being said i'm also gonna continue to recommend ethan to everyone interested. Amazingly educational

[@grabble7605]

How to make healthy food taste good: Cook it. It already tastes good.

[@dakotareid1566]

Brian Lagerstrom is great as well

[@kale2305]

I’m an autistic adult and I’ve struggled with cooking and eating well balanced meals. Having this systematic approach changes everything for me and is easy to understand. I am deeply grateful.

[@ImaplanetJupiteeeerr]

❤

[@adams4075]

I do this to. I am not autistic, but I like lists. I like cooking lists like this Pick A, select B, into C, add D (depending on "B") put with a carb. I have type 2; I need a list of what I am making as to not go overboard on sugar and carbs. Most of all to keep track of sugar and carbs.

[@Dimarious.G]

Wow! I am the opposite by means of cooking. I just love to do stuff by intuition. I just buy something I think I want to cook than watch a couple of vids about cooking it and then follow nothing and just improvise. It is often a moment of: hmm.. what if I add this or make it that way, or combine it with something else that looks compatible or might be interesting. 😂 BTW I beleive I cook quite nice dishes 🌝

[@ChiknNugg3s]

This ❤

[@TM.BECK14]

Also autistic (with ADHD) and I've struggled with both cooking and eating healthy my entire life. My parents can't cook to save their lives so I never learned, plus I'm just naturally bad at it 😅 Hoping videos / channels like this will help me eventually at least get a good basic healthy cooking skill and habit.

[@kylezchen]

Ethan has truly built one of the HIGHEST VALUE KZbin cooking channels ever! I've learned so much. Thank you Ethan!

[@hermeshariwald1383]

Indeed.

[@Kelalasdemonx]

Ethan and Fit by Felix will whip your ass into shape. And you'll enjoy it.

[@appoNo1]

Totally agree

[@donnellharris7278]

Honestly!

[@maxkylie]

I agree for the first time I’m learning what the ingredients do and why.

[@actualturtle2421]

Dude I love your channel because it's not just cooking, it's nutrition education and real life application. I watch Ragusea and Babish and Weissman et al, and they're all great, but nobody has actually gotten me off of my butt and into the kitchen more than you. You're really out here motivating me.

[@uioplkhj]

Adam Ragusea's podcast is pretty good on nutrition and fitness

[@heersyal2454]

I'd say all the above are good teachers, and all motivate towards good, healthy options

[@AllTheArtsy]

Babish doesn't really even do.... approachable, real cooking, if that makes sense. And Weissman is just too annoying for me. Ragusea is a favorite though.

[@jamaly77]

@@AllTheArtsy He just can't make bread and/or doesn't know how to store it.

[@actualturtle2421]

@@AllTheArtsy I have the exact same opinion on all of those.

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

Love how you turn processes into repeatable formulas. For someone who utterly _hates_ cooking, this is a game-changer.

[@icingcake]

I’ve been looking at recipes in this way but I haven’t been that systematic about it - I need to look at my favorite recipes and find the commonalities

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

@@icingcake Yeah, I went through that process, a bit. Broke down what I want to cook/eat into basic components (protein, veg, spice palette, textural goal) and developed easy formulas that can be repeated with varying spices or sauces. Like, I'm trying to use as few pans as possible, as few steps as possible, etc. But Ethan does it best. Also, Samin Nosrat's teaching on salt, fat, acid and heat really influence my thinking of how I want to bring it all together.

[@icingcake]

@@grabble7605 I also hate cleaning the house. And people making stupid comments. Why don’t you stop telling other people how to feel and mind your own business if you can’t relate?

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

@@grabble7605 LOL. Oh, let's see...the perpetual mess and work involved, money literally being flushed away. Like, if I didn't have to eat, I would absolutely not bother, because food is just not my thing. (Used to live on take-away/delivery, but that's no longer an option.)

[@EthanChlebowski]

Thank you, it's really fun to figure out the intersection of lifestyle & cooking in a framework / forumula, so glad you are finding it helpful!

[@stinkpie]

I like how you don't just teach us how to cook specific recipes, you teach us to actually make our own.

[@mikeexits]

You know Ethan teaches great info when you start applying it, skyrocket your cooking skills and passion, and get told by family members almost every time you cook that you should open a restaurant and be a chef lol.

[@hippodinoreserve6090]

A real game changer. I need to figure out how to layer vegetables into this framework, bc I get bored with eating the same veggies.

[@alexs5394]

Pro tip with the stir fry sauce. Add it to the side of the wok, around your main ingredients. It will caramelize a bit and add a depth of flavor you won't get by just putting it directly on top

[@y2ssimon]

Can this sauce be stored in freezer?

[@yalkn2073]

​@@y2ssimonwhy would it not be?

[@y2ssimon]

@@yalkn2073 oh I don't have the answer, I ask, because I am a terrible cook and this will help me a lot 😅

[@yalkn2073]

@@y2ssimon in general: Everything but fresh produce and dairy can frozen and thawed

[@Mellow_Flow]

Ethan’s videos feel like I’m watching a college lecture. I always need to restart them 5 times and take notes to make sure I catch everything. Thank you for all the info Ethan, you’re one of the best channels I watch

[@Laserbeams_]

I started taking notes a few videos ago, hahah.

[@heersyal2454]

Hah, I take notes, too!

[@itskelvinn]

Corny but relatable

[@deefee701]

But there's no assignments!! Lol. I love life love life long learning with no assignments!!

[@Ryuuuuuk]

@@deefee701 I learned most in university during the assignments. You won't learn much just from watching. In this case I would say cooking the meals yourself is the assignment here and the part where you'd learn the most. But sure everyone is different.

[@tipsytahls]

It's so nice to hear someone say "That's just how life goes sometimes". Too often the pressure of always having to present myself as 'perfect' stresses me out

[@hunterreeves6525]

Maybe you can be content striving for “good enough”? Thats what I do at least🤷‍♂️ like we should always try to improve ourselves but if just end up at “good enough” some days then no biggie

[@ShuShuShop]

Good enough is great sometimes, but I personally think trying to push a day past good enough is much more rewarding. Always try to go that extra mile, it all adds up in the long run of life.

[@TheJorjewilson]

I thought the same thing when I heard him say that. He is so warm.

[@Strawroberry]

This is exactly what I’ve been trying to tell people. When I’m on a “diet” or trying to lose weight I’m still eating breakfast burritos, meat sauce pasta, chili, chicken wraps, cheeseburgers and pretty much anything I want. Just have learned how to watch the calories and also make everything taste really good through seasoning and adding condiments. Great video! More people need to realize that eating healthy meals at home is not only easy but delicious and exciting.

[@heersyal2454]

Agreed; plus, cooking at home saves SO much money.

[@deefee701]

Hi Vega, yes why not? Wraps, burritos etc are familiar. And you can make them at home with a healthy version. I lost 20kilos making stir fries and casseroles because they were familiar and I made them healthy at home. It got me off takeaways and packet food. It's so fantastic to find this channel! Stay healthy!

[@NoReply28]

You should be losing weight by focusing on your health and not calories... Eating anything you want or even just some of the things you listed is the wrong way to go about weight loss. And since you only focus on calories and making thing taste good, I can only assume that you don't care about what the food actually does to your body. Losing weight mean nothing if you're still putting junk in your body.

[@adom9463]

​@JoeBob12394 Who are you to really tell someone how and why they should be losing weight? Plus, you're actually wrong about losing weight and it not doing anything for your body regardless of what you eat. Sure, eating healthier food is better for you but losing weight, specifically body fat, will increase a number of health markers regardless of the diet. Get off your high horse and do what you say.

[@PatrickRatman]

@@NoReply28 a cheeseburger can be plenty healthy as long as you make it correctly and you're not ordering it from mcdonalds. and yes, people typically want food to taste good and we don't really care about elitist garbage like non gmo organic gluten free keto whatever garbage diet fad you're probably talking about. At the end of the day if i can die at the age of 60 with most of my senses intact and eating just healthy enough to be happy while eating delicious food and getting the correct macros i don't really care about what "garbage" i'm putting in my body that some health researcher will inevitably say is bad for me because they literally get paid to say that everything is unhealthy.

[@jduv]

This is the *best* cooking idea I've seen in years. As a dad of two and the sole sustenance provider for the crew I love this so much.

[@troyfetzner742]

I have been dieting for years (started off to lose weight then transitioned into bodybuilding/fitness) and I just want to say that you have single handedly changed my life for the better. I wish there were more cooking channels like yours as you're the only one (in my opinion) that is able to explain cooking techniques thoroughly without it seeming intimidating. Thank you for your work on here, it truly is amazing 🙏

[@TheJorjewilson]

Agreed!

[@austinkonkol2472]

The mixing and matching of ingredients and techniques to come up with creative meals on the fly is EXACTLY the way I want to cook, but it feels like nobody in my life understands cooking that way! They always look to specific recipes and I feel like that misses the point of cooking for yourself regularly as a skill. I just wish I learned how to cook this way before, I never knew how. So although I haven't commented much, thank you Ethan for your channel. It has been so informative for me.

[@aprildriesslein5034]

Exactly! I think once you've mastered the basics of cooking, you see how everything is just a variation in a theme, and then you can just riff. The "How to Cook Everything" series of cookbooks is really good for this too: teach the basic technique, then variations.

[@DB4331]

Man I'd love to see more videos using this formula/template of flavor/spice, protien, form/delivery, condiments/toppings. I've never thought about it like that and had one of those "Ah ha!" lightbulb moments. Awesome. You really do a fantasic job of teaching and not making it confusing.

[@jacobrath6247]

You should read Christine Wong's "The Plantiful Plate" if you're interested in a vegan cookbook that has all of its recipes in this type of format.

[@jamie_d0g978]

You helped me unmeasurably to lose almost 30 kg. I've always struggled with diets because I love eating and bland food depress the shit out of me, but you make healthy tasty food easy to approach and cook. Thank you Ethan, from the bottom of my heart

[@bookwormbon482]

Congratulations :) That's awesome

[@yourmajesty3569]

Ethan is just a regular guy, out there science-ing food for us and then meticulously putting it together in such an easy format. I come for the food and stay for the education and entertainment.

[@joshuaramirez9088]

This is one of my favorite things to do when cooking... Not learning "a" recipe, but a style framework. When you look at frameworks instead of single recipes, you get nothing but ideas. For me, healthy and tasty ideas aren't even a common problem anymore, it's whether me and my family feel like eating so creatively so often lol (and remember to eat). That said it's always nice to get a reminder that as I handle my mental health better and get more set up, I can go back and reframe my mind to the creativity level my current lifestyle fits. Great vid. I forgot about making pickled things like onions so I'll look into that more.

[@Californification]

This is brilliant and explained so well. At home we grew up on a similar technique but for Indian food, We use a technique called simply “tadka”. It involves searing a mix of spices with onions or tomatoes and then just mixing that in with the protein or vegetable and cook till it’s ready. The end result is a flavorful dish.

[@ravitejrekhi8960]

Love Ethan because he actually teaches you how to cook. Not many do that on KZbin.

[@JerodBeeson]

This is like teaching someone to fish, instead of giving them a fish. This is the most important and useful part of cooking there is, I think. I don't know why more channels aren't talking about this mindset.🙌

[@TheOMT]

Just deciding WHAT to cook is the hardest part sometimes. You keep reminding me of things to revisit.

[@ryanwilbur3554]

Thanks for your videos Ethan! Since July of this year, I have lost around 60 pounds, from a starting point of around 240. The information and recipes you have provided has made this exponentially easier, and tastier! I went from eating fast food practically everyday for lunch to almost entirely cooking and preparing my own food. I really appreciate all the help these videos have given me

[@OrionX3]

This is truly exactly what I've been looking for. As someone that gets caught in the "cook the same 2-3 recipes a week then get tired of them and end up eating unhealthy frozen stuff or eating out to avoid making the same things every week" trap, this will be huge to helping me add more variety and excitement to my routine. Thank you for always making such informative and well organized content!

[@TH-id9mm]

Thank You for sharing your great cooking system! I‘m a mother of three children and I have ADHD. Buying and preparing food and cooking meals is one of my big challenges! Your system allows a big variety of meals from a set of favorite basics , a flexibility to adjust each meal to every family member ( e.g. spicy for adults, mild for kids…) without having to prepare multiple meals for each one all the time! Investing some time to master the techniques will be worth the time and thoughts I save. Happy I found your channel! Greetings from Germany

[@ao_qd]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO! I've been doing this for years, but I just never knew how to explain it like this. My partner asks how I remember so many recipes, and I tell her, "I don't. I have flavor ideas, and I just tweak the ingredients to what I feel like eating that day."

[@nakjr]

Ethan, you are so inspiring. There are so many people in the world that need exactly this kind of content. You have the ability to positively affect a massive portion of the population who struggle with weight. You have such an innate ability to engage your audience, and while we love the food science videos, this is the kind of stuff that will literally change peoples lives! ❤

[@SupraViperhead]

The thing I love about cooking is that it's half art, half science, and you can eat it.

[@Jath2112]

Your videos have unlocked my kitchen. I love the techniques vs. Recipe approach. It has become... exciting... to just go to my kitchen and confidently improvise new delicious meals. Thanks a lot man, you are doing good things for humanity. Cheers!

[@bobvilah5071]

Yo my guy, I found you like 2 months ago and your vids have been an inspiration. I did some Sunday braises, the short ribs (fantastic) but have also just started experimenting after you taught some food science stuff that helped me understand why I liked certain things (that recipes never told me!). Even picked up a copy of SaltFatAcidHeat to continue my education. Thanks for the vids, we all appreciate them!

[@___echo___]

SaltFatAcidHeat is an awesome book! can recommend to anyone who wants to get better at cooking, or just wants to know why some things taste good

[@EthanChlebowski]

Glad to hear it, thank you for the kind words!

[@kaspervankan583]

Love these videos Ethan! Not just teaching recipes but the ideas behind them. Actually teaching how to cook in other words. Please keep us updated with your fitness journey would love to see more videos like this!

[@joseyX6]

Hey dude what do you think about using a little more vegan/vegetarian alternatives? Would love to see it!

[@zackpeters5014]

Ethan, I've been watching the channel for a couple years now and I have to say that you've helped me establish a better relationship with food. I've tried several of your recipes and they always turn out spectacular. It's refreshing to see a food channel dedicated to teaching people the science and philosophy behind the food and recipes that we eat. All in all, I got mad respect for you bro. Keep the videos coming. 😄

[@doglover427]

It's kind of interesting, you have put to words what I've been figuring out over the past year. Cooking is hard sometimes, but knowing how to vary dishes while buying a protein in bulk has become a lifesaver lately.

[@newttella1043]

Thank you for sharing your health journey and your cooking strategies, Ethan!

[@15drasedrase]

Please keep making videos like this!!!! You are changing my entire outlook on my favorite hobby in such a good way. My perspective has changed so much!!!

[@NorthWoodsAmbient]

Dude major props for the fitness/lifestyle journey that's not easy stuff. Doing it in such a long term, and consistent way is also noteworthy.

[@chuckleloaf]

This is great stuff, thanks Ethan. You present these things so neatly and easily that it takes a bunch of the stress out of trying new techniques at home. I would love to see more seasoning techniques in future videos. I'm trying very hard to stop getting take out a bunch during the week, and I think your tips here are perfect for weeknight cooking after a day at work.

[@opallise2605]

I love seeing all the different spices that you use on this channel. I know literally nothing about most spices despite cooking for myself for years. A video, or series, about what these spices taste like and what they are good for would be awesome.

[@CuriousFrog]

I think he may have done a video on that if you search his name + spices?

[@opallise2605]

@@CuriousFrog Awesome, i'll look for that. Thanks!

[@Josh-tn2wg]

Ethan, I’ve been following your channel for years now and I have to say this is one of the most useful videos you have ever shared! Thank you so much for all this value you are creating out there🙏🏽

[@MimicIsaac]

This video summarizes your recipe style, and why i've always enjoyed watching your videos. Love the way you've distilled your process - unmatched simplicity!

[@varnoc3346]

I'd love a video going over a bunch of different seasoning techniques like the three you touched on here. The way they're presented with highlighted definitions is really clear to understand.

[@gregbishop4145]

I'm definitely going to try this! I've been struggling learning to cook healthy for myself and like you said I get caught up on recipes.

[@Kelalasdemonx]

What's your favorite recipe so far?

[@thaliacrafts407]

I have raging autism and after many years, I finally let go (somewhat) of recipes and use them more as inspiration rather than instructions that MUST BE FOLLOWED OR ELSE. If I can do it, you can too!

[@BigBADSTUFF69]

@@thaliacrafts407 the trick is to learn the concepts and follow those OR ELSE haha. I almost never use all the flavoring ingredients for recipes because I'm cheap and use what I have, and it always comes out great because the basis of flavor is from the fundamental concepts of cooking and not having every single spice included.

[@AllTheArtsy]

Is this a white people thing? As an Asian this concept of following recipes for meals feels ridiculous to me

[@gregbishop4145]

@@AllTheArtsy I'm fairly sure skin tone has nothing to do with anything.

[@mishkaatrawjee1271]

Seriously Ethan. You have changed the way I look at cooking. As someone who never entered the kitchen. Your videos and recipes have made me obsessed with cooking. And so many of your recipes are my daily drivers. Thanks for the value.

[@Osmodai_Reficule]

In the past year or so, I have lost 50+ pounds and your example was a big inspiration for me. At some point I got it in my head that I would never be able to lose weight, but hearing about your weight loss and seeing how much delicious food you get to enjoy, it become much easier to imagine myself making simple and effective changes. Thank you so much for your work and candor on the channel!

[@ashleynatasha7566]

Damn, I find this channel 2 weeks ago and my cooking is just improving like crazy every video I watch. The tips and everything is just so easy to understand and to put it into practice. Thank you ethan!!

[@nitharsan1541]

Always love your videos, really inspired me to cook way more now i'm by myself at uni

[@heersyal2454]

Mr C, thank you! It makes so much sense now, about your understanding of food, and prep, from the back notes you have shared on this vid. I too am taking notes from you to improve my health (still carrying lockdown weight). I appreciate how carefully you explain, and illustrate, how easy it is to create fantastic meals for taste and health benefits. The prep also helps manage time (I prep for convenience, as I teach in a school). I really enjoy learning on your channel! I will be following your health journey, too.

[@billpar]

Im loving your videos, your cooking hints, breakdowns of products, different tastes for seasoning and more your delivery is awesome and you are enjoyable to listen too thank you

[@sophieamar8769]

When you know how it works you can make anything taste good. Even the ingredients that i didn’t like before are now fine because i realised that my mum wasn’t seasoning or cooking them properly 😂

[@garethbaus5471]

If you pick different prime numbers for the number of options in several steps you could get an effectively autogenerated recipe for every meal with very little repetition by going down each list 1 option for every meal. You could have 2 lean protein options, 3 cooking technique options, and 5 seasoning options in 7 form factor options to get 210 unique meals which only need a relatively small number of tools and ingredients to be kept on hand at any given time and they all can be pretty good or at least passable if you design your options to all be fairly versatile and since none of the categories repeat at the same rate(that is why you want to pick prime numbers) you almost never need to worry about it getting boring since pretty much everything would be at least somewhat different every day. If you are really clever you could standardize the amounts of each component based on your caloric needs(a relatively simple thing to do when only 9 significant things need to be calculated even if it would seem hard to individually do with over 200 meals) so that the recipes are even more pre-planned and you don't have to worry about leftovers or not getting enough food. One of the hardest parts of cooking for yourself is deciding what to cook, and this strategy deals with that problem while still varying your diet

[@itsjustkp3726]

This man should have way more subscribers than he does. As someone who cooks often I had a faint grasp on this concept, but he made it so clear and easy I feel I can take my cooking to another level. Love you dude!

[@Cunnysmythe]

Phenomenal video. The way you present meal possibilites is second to none

[@antispimmer]

I would love to have a printable or poster version of that flow chart for my kitchen. A decision making aid like that could go a long way towards making it easier to develop healthier eating habits.

[@kyrangosling8187]

Any chance of a cookbook coming out at some point? I have enjoyed making so many of your dishes and always learn loads of new and exciting ways to cook food from you!!

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

Sending to my husband! I love the charts to show how much variety you can get from these simple building blocks.

[@rowdful]

This is absolutely quality content, wish I could give multiple likes. It took me 10 year to build this type of cooking sense and you’ve condensed it all comprehensively under 15 mins, bravo

[@user-ep8xo1od9o]

Could you do bento box ideas that taste good cold? Or Italian panzanella from Tuscany, a salad made with stale bread, it’s sooo good

[@grabble7605]

So...A salad with croutons then?

[@Robbiemortino]

My problem whenever I try to get into a healthy food routine is planning the week. I'll either end up running out of ingredients after 3/4 days and end up going out to grab fast food instead of going back to the grocery store, or I'll buy too much and have to throw out spoiled ingredients at the end of the week. I just can't seem to find a balance.

[@chuckleloaf]

I've been in the same boat. What I'm going to do is try to plan my shopping a little better.

[@scott1191]

I'd suggest planning a grocery store trip mid week. Like Wednesday or Thursday. You'll be able to prep for the weekend & Monday / Tuesday. I've fallen into the same issue as you when shopping for the whole week.

[@DD-DD-DD]

Part of what Ethan is teaching is not so much to "shop for recipes" but to maintain a larder of ingredients, then arrive in the kitchen and think "what am I hungry for?" and be able to make it out of what is available. Plan a regular grocery outing (I use 2 weeks) and before I go I note what stocks I am low on, and buy more of those to restock. If I find some ingredients are going to waste, I just don't restock them.

[@toin9898]

I find having theme weeks helps with this. I plan out all my meals on Sunday and I'll go grocery shopping for the week. Ex: I'll buy cilantro and chilies one week and I'll use it to make Mexican food, Indian food and southeast asian food because it's included in all of the above. I'll often use the same protein across the week as Ethan has previously suggested, like a single braised piece of beef used across the board. Also, frozen veggies are a godsend. I always have frozen broccoli, spinach and green beans handy so I can just throw those into things I am already cooking wherever they fit.

[@DD-DD-DD]

@@toin9898 I buy green onion, chop it into garnish sized pieces, then lay them out on a cookie sheet and freeze. When they're solid, I quickly scrape them off into a mason jar and put it in the freezer. When I want green onions for cooking or garnish, I pull out the jar and shake a few out - like sprinkles! They thaw instantly. I bet it this technique would work good with lots of other veggies.

[@ckannan90]

This is one of your best videos. It’s that perfect intersection of technique and practicality that you find in so many of your videos.

[@alexinhoFCB]

Best cooking channel on KZbin. Period

[@nicklyskawa3504]

This is why you’re one of my favorite cooking creators. I can go to any website or KZbinr for a cool recipe (including you!), but there are only a few sources I reliably go to in order to actually learn how to cook. Thank you ethan!!!!

[@NerdySatyr]

My biggest barrier is, suffering from IBS and having to follow FODMAP, it's incredibly difficult to get flavor into seasoning and dishes since there's so much you can't have (no spices, garlic, onion etc). Plus it seriously limits your vegetable options... Definitely struggling

[@nefertitimontoya]

I feel you 💛 I hate onions and garlic so I rely on a lot of gf soy sauce, ginger, things like sage and paprika for warm fullness, cumin, parsley flakes, salt and pepper, and some others. My current fodmap is just no gluten, garlic, and onions, and avoiding big quantities of the other suspects. The biggest thing that's helping me rn is focusing on what I can add instead of what I can't eat. My fav veggies are radish, peppers, sweet potato, spinach, avocado, carrots, celery, lettuce - mind you I'm pretty sure none of these trigger my ibs but every person is different. I also love rice and quinoa, and lean on corn as well. I'm not thoroughly aware of the latest fodmaps bc I've known my big 3 for awhile, so always double check for yourself, but I hope these little ideas help

[@sharonoddlyenough]

There are onion and garlic substitutes made by Fody that are low fodmap if you can't do without. I believe they are more expensive, though.

[@mrcx6142]

Exactly the video I needed today! What I can tell you as a doctor is that 1.) it's often quite difficult to properly look after yourself in terms of nutrition, especially in the earlier career years & 2.) cut out the paperwork and like 80% of my work day is seeing patients whose list of diagnoses would most certainly be quite a bit shorter if they managed to look after themselves well in terms of nutrition. Really enjoy your videos overall. At times I may not agree with the approach or the conclusion, but overall you just produce very good, useful content.

[@brucemooney1277]

This is where you shine the most, Ethan! Content to help us being efficient and organized while remaining creative. Keep up the good work in 2023! 💪🏼

[@GatorAidMedical]

The best way to cook healthy meals is to think of vegetables as a main dish, not a side. I really enjoyed the "milk street vegetables" cookbook for this reason. Lots of indian dishes are great for this. The best tools for cooking healthier - air fryer that fits 1/4 sheet trays for roasting vegetables, a stick blender for soups, and smaller plates and silverware.

[@mitchs3886]

Smaller plates and utensils is a form of disordering eating via portion control/restrictive eating. Not a "healthy" strategy.

[@GatorAidMedical]

@@mitchs3886 ok lol. The average american dinner plate can hit up to 12" in diameter these days. That's a lot bigger than they were for a majority of the 1900s. The smaller size "appetizer" plates (9" to 9.75") sold in america resemble the typical size of a dinner plate in many western european countries, and even resemble the size of metal dinner ware in many south asian regions. Your thesis irks me for a few reasons. Disordered eating is a DSM diagnosis with many criteria with clear carveouts that make exceptions for culturally sanctioned practices. In the absence of clinical distress, rapid shifts in body weight or total body water, I see no reason why adopting a more historically accurate plate size is a form of restrictive eating.

[@pistolen87]

That´s why I like chinese and thai style stir fries, easiest and fastest way of making vegetables taste good.

[@mitchs3886]

@@GatorAidMedical Plates could be 10' long, makes no difference to my original comment. You've conflated disordered eating and an eating disorder, so your premise is off here. Your reference to cultural practices is also irrelevant to this. It has no bearing on restrictive eating as a strategy for the average person being potentially harmful advice. To your final point: history and tradition isn't doesn't mean something is or isn't restrictive eating. The practice itself matters, not the history.

[@GatorAidMedical]

@@mitchs3886 Is eating with chopsticks disordered eating?

[@ansatheatrocious6083]

I have been watching a couple of your videos and I have noticed you rarely post a recipe without a type of meat or poultry. Especially since a lot of those types of foods are getting really expensive nowadays I was wondering what types of meals work without any of that. I personally tend to turn to eggs with like fried rice but I feel like there should be more options. The only real thing that could replace the fish/meat in this video would be tofu or egglplant with like eggs as a side to get protein but I would love to hear how to approach this!

[@ansatheatrocious6083]

If I have your attention I also think that meals that are feasible to make on a week day when you don't work at home would be nice, something that still has decent flavour and is good for you but can be made in advance and kept in a meal box if need be.

[@BS-xs7jb]

Personally I don’t like to replace meat in meat dishes, I’m trying eat less meat and usually turn towards foods such as Indian dals or Chinese food that is traditionally already served with tofu etc. legumes legumes legumes baby. Adam Ragusea also has a few bean videos!

[@grabble7605]

Literally just remove the meat. Honestly, you couldn't figure that out...

[@ansatheatrocious6083]

@@grabble7605 if you remove the meat you will end up with too little protein making you feel less full and more likely to snack on unhealthy foods.

[@vittoriabakes]

I love this. I'm trying to teach my roommate some basic cooking techniques, and your videos have been the only ones that I've felt are really good beginner-friendly explanations. Simple, to-the-point, and detailed.

[@jonathanshannon3456]

Great content. This is EXACTLY why I follow you. Thank you so much for this video, and keep up the good work! Here's to a great 2023!

[@chesca7295]

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. 😊

[@hammersampson]

Congratulations on getting your weight under control. I'm in my mid-40s, and have been using intermittent fasting to lose roughly 40lbs, but I've hit a brick wall. No matter how small I've made my feeding window, I'm stuck at 170lbs. I feel a whole lot better now, but my BMI is still a little bit too high.

[@fangblade360]

You have to focus on your calories and cardio. The feeding window doesn't matter if you go overboard with the food. Best of luck!

[@TracyKMainwaring]

BMI is not the greatest tool. Blood insulin, A1C, fasting glucose, liver enzymes are all better measurements. Most people who IF don't count calories because we know that's not relevant. Make sure you're getting enough fat (and protein) during your window, and minimal carbs.

[@TheKateDash]

Wow 😮 I’ve watched some prep meals video before, but I didn’t expect to find out completely new world of cooking 🎉 just 3 minutes of video and I’m invested to watch it all and create my meals 😍

[@tinytelephones]

Great video, Ethan. I've been sharing your stuff with my mom especially as of late as she and my step-dad like to eat healthy, but often run out of ideas or get tired of the same recipes every week. This is very helpful.

[@johngoogle7585]

The waffle house has found it's new host

[@Zimm.G]

We made the blackened chicken taco wraps. They were awesome. So quick and easy and nearly as good as the chicken shawarma wraps I've made that take all day. Perfect for a weekday dinner plan. Like you mentioned might happen, we had to toss the chicken in the oven to finish to temp, so preheat the oven just in case.

[@EmilyJelassi]

Thank you so much for this video and techniques!! I’m a Type 1 diabetic, so I very much appreciate you calculating the macros for us!!! I’m working on losing some weight and getting myself healthier, so again, thank you!!!

[@ramenandvitamins]

Right after watching this I made some blackened chicken and veggies that was some of the best food I've ever cooked. It's the way you focus in on what's important (heat, oil, internal temp) and make it clear that everything else can be whatever. I wish I'd heard this long ago!

[@sammyn.3D]

Easily one of the best video's you've posted yet. Thank you for this video, came exactly at the right time. Trying to take nutrition into my own hands and this gave me the roadmap I've needed.

[@Locane256]

Wow Ethan thank you for sharing about your journey so openly - it really is inspiring. The techniques you're showing in the video seem really awesome too - I might even give it a try!

[@unlmitdbeastmode]

As a home chef wh ois trying to lose weight, I absolutely love your videos. So insightful and helpful towards putting effort where it needs to be placed. Maintain deliciousness while cutting down on the excessive fattiness and controlling the calorie intake. Thank you.

[@CapesseVitam]

Love your videos. You're providing answers to all the questions I've wondered. The Framework of Cooking you teach is changing my entire recipe-following way of thinking about cooking. Thank you!

[@katelynquintanilla9251]

Love the charts and the practical way you look at cooking. It is motivating to think about learning one thing at a time and still having a ton of possibilities

[@mintismymeme]

This video is such a game changer for me. I've been meal prepping for a few months now and I've been really bored of what I've been doing. That problem you highlighted of learning how cook recipe by recipe just describes the biggest issue I've been facing with my own cooking history. And that spreadsheet! I'll definitely be saving it in my phone and using it as a reference now. Thank you so much for this video! 💪

[@kristenandersen7658]

I have been looking and working my way towards something like this for so long now, and I am so excited about the video! It's low on BS and high on good food. (GOOD meaning customizable simple accessible). Such great content. THANK YOU!

[@sagewaterdragon]

This is the best video you've made, for me. Your channel inspired me a few months back to get into actually cooking from scratch more often (instead of my previous style, which was more or less just eating ramen for every meal - that's one lesson from college that I'm glad to unlearn), but so far that's mostly just been "eating chicken and rice for every meal and occasionally switching up the presentation." This provides a really helpful framework that seems easy to iterate on and learn. Definitely going to be returning to this.

[@demonninetaledfox]

this is what most chefs and devoted home cooks i know do. learning basic techniques and how to adapt things will get you so much further in cooking than many people realize and was something that i didn't know everyone didn't learn about until recently. that said though it comes with cons which is then i have to sit down and thing about what we have, what i wanna eat, and then get up and go through the steps and make it.

[@gauthamsunjay]

This is hands down one of the best cooking videos. Love the formulaic approach to cooking healthy and tasty meals!

[@surebrecdnuoh2774]

Thank you I am learning so much as a complete beginner and cant wait to start gathering ingredients to start applying and practicing your values, super excited!

[@Raven-bi3xn]

Wow! Someone made a life saving video for me. So many combinations unlocked for simple, efficient (I’m just gonna buy the sauces for now instead of making them), and healthy choices! So grateful 🎉

[@seantynan1]

This is great advice. So many people tend to think of some restaurant style, or set, meal, when they think of what to eat. Break it down instead. Think: components. I like the picnic style approach: A batch of oven roasted Mediterranean vegetables, a tuna salad, a smashed chickpea salad, a smoked mackerel, a marinated and cooked chicken as shown here, a wholemeal pita or wrap, salads like tomato and cucumber, or a carrot salad with pumpkin seeds and green onion, tahini sauce... you can prepare them all and snack on them all week. Mixing and matching to whatever you like.

[@MrsRepairTech]

I love how you've explained this! This is similar to how I intuitively cook, and I like the idea of consciously adding a structure to it so I don't have to be "in the mood" when I'm meal planning.

[@Djwhynotlove]

I love thé way you display your recipes on the site. The layout is awesome

[@2kettingen]

Ethan i don't know where my diet would be without you, thank you!!

[@nikitajoshi5890]

This is one of the best KZbin channels our there. I love the science behind preparing a meal. Also like how you explain the techniques versus “here, follow this recipe”

[@KableGuyCGY]

Great video. You are knocking this stuff out of the park man!!

[@NickCombs]

I really love your message in this one. Learning techniques is so much better than recipes. I want to share an augment for your stir fry, which is to build your sauce in the wok instead of making in a batch beforehand. When the protein and veg are just about done, you can scoop them off to one side (or into a dish if needed). Then you do the same steps. But because it's a single portion and the wok is really hot, it goes really fast. This scorches the soy sauce a bit, which actually builds depth of flavor, as does deglazing the pan. Plus it saves an extra dirty pot and container and you can change up the sauce every time if desired.

[@RyanS32]

First of all, congratulations on your journey Ethan. I love your channel so much, and this video in particular, will play a big part in my own journey.

[@LuffyDaGoat]

Ethan, my man. Thank you for sharing this knowledge. I needed this. Really needed this .

[@sweetvoilet]

I am trying to move into a healthy eating lifestyle and this video hands down is THE best. It doesn’t give you a recipe but a framework to customize and make meals with whatever on hand. Thank you! 😅

[@rafaelperalta1676]

Ethan, as always, thank you for making these videos. I learn a lot from you and I even apply some of your tips when I'm cooking.

[@hollish196]

Wonderful technique process to create meals.