{"id":8781,"date":"2016-01-08T13:11:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T13:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=8781"},"modified":"2022-08-23T16:02:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T15:02:26","slug":"achieving-success-in-the-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/achieving-success-in-the-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"Achieving Success in the Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it is reducing body fat percentage, increasing muscle mass or reaching optimal sporting performance for an event, what you do in the kitchen will have a huge impact on your end results. This may initially seem quite straight forward but in fact many people often fail in the kitchen because they don\u2019t have a solid foundation to work off. This means having the right ingredients and equipment in place to prepare good solid meals, consistently.<\/p>\n

The idea of this article is to take you through some of the essential components to your kitchen. This includes how to make the most out of your store cupboards, fridge and freezer, how to prepare and store foods safely and finally a list of staple food. This should then be a platform to allow you to construct nutritious, but basic meals, every day, which will help you achieve your training goals and lead you on to a healthier lifestyle.<\/p>\n

1. The Store Cupboard<\/h2>\n

This may sound very much like something a 1950s housewife might say, but keeping a well-stocked store cupboard really is the starting point for easy (and affordable) cooking<\/strong>. It is an important part of the kitchen and here we should have a range of ingredients to help bring our foods to life, as well as a range of non-perishable foods to grab at any time.<\/p>\n

A good solid selection of carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and oats should be stored here, as well as spices, herbs, a variety of nuts and seeds. A selection of tinned products such as chopped tomatoes, beans, and tuna will also be perfect for adding to a range of dishes. Most of these ingredients have a long shelf life which means you can rely on them to create quick delicious meals or use them as a basis to add with leftovers.<\/p>\n

It is vital to keep the store cupboard organised as this will make it easy to find an ingredient, as well as making you remember what exactly you have in there! Try to organise your cupboards every other month to help with this.<\/p>\n

\"Cupboards<\/p>\n

2. Fridge\/Freezer<\/h2>\n

If some perishable foods are left at room temperature they can form harmful bacteria which can multiply rapidly. The modern day method of preserving our foods and reducing many bacteria from forming are the fridge and freezer.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to consider about your fridge is where you store your foods<\/strong>. For food hygiene and safety you should always store raw meats on the bottom shelf and then any vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, and dairy products above this.<\/p>\n

It can also be quite expensive to buy various ingredients for every meal, so it’s a good idea to cook up a batch of food, cool it (ideally within one to two hours), and then freeze in serving-sized portions. Frozen fruit and vegetables are also brilliant for bringing a burst of vitamins and minerals<\/a> into many snacks or meals and can be kept for longer periods of time. Some key points to remember when it comes to the fridge and freezer are below:<\/p>\n