If my last article on our collective fear and resistance to learning new skills in the kitchen wasn’t a compelling enough argument for you to reconsider your eating and cooking habits, I believe that clarifying the advantages to cooking may sway you. My goal for all of us is that we would begin moving away from shopping in the middle aisles at the grocery store and begin exploring the glorious outer edges full of protein and vegetables.
Health
Cooking for ourselves has substantive benefits for our physical health and may just be the “diet or fad” that you’ve been looking for. Michael Pollan, a prolific writer on food, health, and cooking, spoke about his research into nutrition in a speech with RSA. An interesting fact he discovered is that although the scientific understanding of nutrition is still primitive, “the biggest predictor for a healthy diet was not necessarily the nutrients or calorie count, but the fact that food was being cooked by a human being and not a corporation.” He goes on to explain the way corporations use calculated amounts of salt, fat, and sugar in your favorite junk food in order to get you addicted in a way they measure called “craveability.” Looking for the perfect way to lose weight or be healthy often results in us overcomplicating our pursuit and losing heart quickly. The myth that it is more expensive and complicated to be healthy, needs to be expelled. I know that nutrition is a touchy topic because of the insecurity so many of us feel about our weight and appearance. I believe the truth’s sharing with you have the potential to set you free, but first they are going to make you feel uncomfortable. If certain foods have been designed to be addictive, it makes perfect sense why it’s hard for you to stop indulging. This means you can stop blaming yourself and realize that they were created to have that effect. It also means that it is up to you to choose to eat differently. Cooking for yourself and avoiding processed junk foods is a simpler and more sustainable way to regain control of your health and what you’re putting in your body.
Social
Learning how to cook has the potential to improve our social connections, which would simultaneously result in positive effects on our mental health and well-being. Alexa Mikhail responded to a survey conducted on 1,000 U.S. adults about their dining habits by the American Heart Association (AHA) in Fortune Well, which found that “that almost all parents (91%) say their family is less stressed when they share meals together. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of adults reported being at least somewhat stressed, with 84% wishing they could share a meal with others more often.” Chronic stress contributes to the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, as well as mental health, which is notoriously at an all-time high. Research has shown that people have felt a boost in self-esteem, improved social connection, and becoming open to new perspectives as 67% of respondents said that “sharing a meal reminds them how important it is to connect with others, with 54% saying it reminds them to take a break and slow down.” In a nationwide survey from Home Run inn Pizza, reported by Taylor Knight in The New York Post, 1,000 Gen Zers and 1,000 Millennials were asked about their attachment to cell phones while cooking or eating and it was revealed that “66% of Gen Z, aged 18 to 26, and 58% of millennials, aged 27 to 42, admit to staring at their phones while cooking,” which has resulted in “55% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials adding the wrong ingredients to their cuisine, and a whopping 75% of both groups have been so distracted that they’re injuring themselves with cuts, burns and more. Once the time comes to dig into their meals, 81% of Gen Z and 60% of millennials admit to scrolling on their phones while eating.” Perhaps this is another way we are unconsciously setting ourselves up to experience a lack of connection and an increase in negative emotion without knowing it. We need to let research and facts move us towards practical solutions for the existential problems that we find ourselves grappling with. Just like our addiction to sugar and fat, our phones deliver quick fixes while we long for real connection. Arrange a time once a week to cook with friends or family and eat a whole meal without looking at your phone. It’s important that we disconnect. Cooking socially may be a way that we can properly reorient ourselves in the world and remember what’s most important to us.
Romantic
There are massive amounts of data that show how knowing how to cook can impact our romantic lives positively. The Little Potato Company conducted a survey that revealed America’s favorite love language: cooking. “The new study of 2,000 Americans examined the role cooking plays in our relationships: Two in three Americans polled agreed they would be more likely to go on a first date with someone if they mentioned they’re a good cook on their dating profile.” “Four in five said if a first date talked about how they liked to cook they’d be much more open to a second date with them.” “86% of Americans find cooking to be an attractive trait.” “Cooking is the most surefire way to someone’s heart, beating out flowers (24%), phone calls (22%) and presents (10%).” Singles reading this should be encouraged that by learning how to cook now, they will be setting themselves up for successful dates and relationships in the future. The research also reveals that cooking can improve and sustain the quality of romance in relationships. “More than four in five (81%) respondents who are married or in a relationship, say they are still quite impressed when their partner cooks them a meal.”
Having to provide food for yourself, your mate and children is inevitable. We all obviously need to eat to live. You will, no matter what, must visit the grocery store. Why not push yourself to learn how to make the most delicious foods? If we were given the option between an instant, plain meal, or home-cooked meal, wouldn’t the choice be clear? So again, it’s important that we ask ourselves why we don’t prioritize cooking, even for the simple reason of wanting to eat delicious food every day. Cooking is massively rewarding and fun when you open yourself up to it. I would encourage you to start somewhere small. Look up a recipe for your favorite food and ask a friend to tackle it with you. Meal prep simple and healthy foods for the week. Make your weekend meals opportunities to plan more difficult and exciting dishes. Check out cookbooks from the local library and be inspired by the endless, delicious potential that is available to you.
The next article I will be releasing in this series will be my third and final article for the series. That article will explore practical ways to get started. My hope is that by clarifying how to cook a couple simple meals with the resources provided on campus, you will begin to see how you can incorporate cooking into your daily lifestyle.
