It’s a fact of life: everybody’s got to eat. But what, and how? Do you take the easy route and catch a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant, chowing down on something that could have been dropped on the floor for all you know, and was most likely deep fried or otherwise laden with something artery clogging? Or do you venture into the scary world of home cooking?

With a little a knowledge, know how, and a dash of passion for good food, you can create something far more delicious, healthy, and satisfying meal yourself.

While collecting ingredients and the time may seem like a daunting hassle, a little planning ahead can save your butt when you’re tired, hungry and need to eat now.

You know what you love, so keep the basic elements of your favorite cuisine on hands. If you love Italian, keeps a variety of pastas and canned tomatoes, etc on hand. You should have everything you need besides fresh meat and produce to make your favorite meals so that in a pinch a quick trip and short grocery list are all that are required to make your meal a reality.

There are three basic consumers: vegans, vegetarians, and the give-me-what-you-gotters. Each eater has their own specific needs. Vegans will need to stock up on beans, nut butters, and frozen corn in order to meet their nutritional needs plus a variety of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians will need to stock up on these items as well, plus keep eggs, yogurt, cheeses and butter on hand to make delicious meals. And last but not least, the give-me-what-you-gotters can add canned fish, frozen chicken breasts, and canned broths to the above lists.

With these items already on hand you can create a meal seemingly out of thin air. Have nothing but pasta and peanut butter? With the help of a few spices you can turn the two into noodles with spicy peanut sauce. Out of Easy-Mac? A bit of butter, flour, cheese and milk make a delicious sauce for bite sauce pasta you cleverly had on hand.

Not only is cooking yourself practical, it’s a great skill to have. Trying to impress your new love interest? Both guys and girls can impress their special someone with a meal that’s delicious, beautifully presented, and from the heart.

In the weeks to follow you’ll get tips and techniques to make scrumptious, hearty, and health meals, snacks, and desserts right in your home. You’ll also be able to explore healthy alternatives to your favorite fattening foods.

Take for instance french fries, which are not French, but french-cut, can be made healthier by first micro waving a potato for a few minutes, slicing it into wedges, spraying them with little olive oil, seasoning with salt, garlic, anything you like really, and placing them on a baking sheet to cook for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F until golden and crispy.

There’s a multitude of clever alternatives to make your favorite foods healthier, and it’s worth taking the time to seek them out. Your health is extremely valuable, but you don’t have to sacrifice flavor when eating healthy. Yes, candy bars and ice cream are delicious, but there are many nutritious foods that taste great too, and once you find and develop a taste for delicious healthy food you won’t miss those tasty heart stopping treats.

Happy cooking!