Namrita: Creative Cooking with the Family
I cook because it is a way to be creative and take care of my family and me. – Namrita
Cooking does not have to be a solo activity. As Kitchen Hero Namrita discovered, cooking builds independence and creativity, which is why she makes it an activity to do with her daughter. The result is less picky eating and more quality family time. So whether Namrita is cooking the latest Cook Smarts meal plan dinner with her daughter or making homemade chapattis with her mother, everyone is able to get creative and enjoy healthy, delicious, homemade food together. Read more about her Hero in the Kitchen story below.
Name: Namrita Kapur
Age: 49 – yikes – I’m old!
City, State: Boston, MA
I cook for: my husband and 2 daughters – 12 months and almost 4.
Outside of the kitchen I: work for Environmental Defense Fund.
I discovered Cook Smarts through: the website Lifehacker when I was researching meal prep services.
I cook because: it is a way to be creative and take care of my family and me. It has also become an activity with my older daughter.
Favorite Cook Smarts meal so far: Crispy Chicken Thighs with Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO COOK?
With my mother. She is a fantastic cook and just creates things from whatever is available. I hope to be like that eventually.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST COOKING CHALLENGE?
Learning how to make chapattis – traditional Indian flatbread. I’ve done it dozens of times, but it is still not something that I’m comfortable doing on my own without my mother.
How has your cooking routine changed since starting Cook Smarts’ meal plans?
I plan out meals for the following week on Thursday or Friday; get groceries delivered either late Friday or early Saturday morning; and do meal prep on Saturday afternoon. I find that I often cook pretty much the whole meal on Saturday and then just reheat during the week. This way I don’t have to worry about any of the meats going bad before I get to them, and makes weeknight meals easier as I’m finding with 2 kids that I really have zero time to do meal prep when I get back from work.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROUDEST KITCHEN MOMENT.
When my mother came for a visit and complimented me on the meals I made her.
WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR HEALTH AND SUCCESS IN THE KITCHEN?
With kids in the picture, get them started on helping you prepare as soon as possible. It builds independence, creativity and much better eaters. My older daughter always eats what she has helped prepare. There are ways to have them help without it getting too messy. For example, when my daughter first started learning how to crack eggs, I would set her up with a separate bowl for cracking before adding it to the recipe.
Thank you, Namrita! We know it’s not always easy to include kids in the kitchen, especially after a long day at work, but your story is motivation to make that happen more often. We also wish you success on the homemade chapattis! Pretty soon you’ll be able to master it, and then this wonderful mother-daughter tradition can be passed down to the little ones. 😉
To join Namrita and cook meals like her favorite Crispy Chicken Thighs with Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes, check out our meal plan service. You can get started for free!
