Foodskills

Foodskills

One of the easiest ways to start eating more healthily is to start cooking your own meals rather than relying on ready meals or takeaways. Eating food you prepared yourself from scratch means you know exactly what has gone into it so there is no hidden fat, sugar or salt.

Being able to cook is also a cheap and effective way to impress potential or current partners as it shows you’ve made an effort!

Once you have gained in confidence you can start experimenting with different foods and flavours and adapting recipes to make your own signature dishes. If you find a recipe you particularly enjoy why not share it by submitting it in the contact us section of this site. Then we can post a healthy version for everyone to enjoy.

Contact us

Top tips for getting cooking

  • Wash your hands before you start!
  • Don’t prepare raw meat on the same chopping board, or with the same knife as other ingredients to avoid spreading germs.
  • If you are making something for the first time read the recipe all the way through before you start
  • Start slowly – prepare any chopped ingredients before you start cooking so you don’t rush and end up cutting off a finger!
  • Don’t be afraid of trying new ingredients – there is a world of exotic fruit and veg available in Hackney
  • Wash up afterwards – Don’t leave the kitchen looking like a bomb site.

If you haven't cooked before, then start by following recipes - there are loads on offer in the foodhall to inspire you.

The link below takes you to video clips showing you how to carry out basic food preparation techniques including chopping, grating and peeling safely. When you get more confident there are also demonstrations of recipes being made so you can see someone else doing it before you try.

See demonstrations

To help everyone in Hackney and the City of London improve their cooking skills and learn some new healthy recipes we are starting to run cooking classes. Look out for information in the local press about new cooking skills classes running across Hackney and the City of London in the coming months.