8 Reasons Why We Should Learn To Cook
Cooking is an activity that brings many economic, social, therapeutic and health benefits. However, some think that this is a complicated task. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. In this article we will point out 8 reasons why we should learn to cook and some tips to do it with ease.
There are more and more elements and appliances that make cooking easier at home: electric pots, air fryers, mincing machines and many others. However, it is not always necessary to have a large endowment or be a skilled chef to prepare delicious dishes.
Likewise, cooking is an activity that allows the family to unite and involve the family around the kitchen and at the table, prepare diverse and balanced dishes and take advantage of free time in a profitable activity. Gastronomy goes beyond eating; it is an activity that has a history and is part of the culture.
Food is an activity around which many social and commercial relationships are woven. Here are some good reasons to learn to cook.
1. Help save money
Eating every day in restaurants is very expensive in the long run. In addition, low-cost ones do not usually use high-quality food and homemade food is much more tasty.
Therefore, cooking at home saves money and has richer meals. You can choose the foods to cook on a budget basis and leave the restaurants for special meals or a weekly treat.
2. Allows you to consume healthier
An article from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico indicates that the decrease in the preparation of homemade meals and the increase in the consumption of industrialized products has coincided with the increase in obesity.
Another publication from the University of Cambridge indicates the danger of fast and processed foods for health due to their incidence in the development of obesity and chronic diseases.
In this regard, cooking at home allows you to have control over what is consumed and the ingredients that are used. It is a great alternative to take charge of a balanced diet, which has direct effects on health.
However, it is not about buying ready, processed foods and heating them up. It is learning to cook with healthy and natural ingredients that nourish your body.
Keep reading: Tips for healthy and low calorie cooking
3. Helps develop soft skills as a family
In the kitchen you put your creativity, patience and ability to innovate to the test. Although it seems like a basic activity, it allows you to develop autonomy, attention to detail and security.
In addition, it is a great option to transmit values to children, such as teamwork, perseverance, tolerance for frustration, a job well done, responsibility and patience.
It also allows them to increase their self-esteem, because they realize the things they can achieve and it helps them to get involved in household chores to take responsibility.
Some educational methods, such as Montessori, which aim to develop autonomy and self-discipline in children, encourage the inclusion of children in the kitchen with appropriate activities, depending on their age.
4. If you have children, it helps them develop motor skills
After pointing out the soft skills that are developed in the kitchen, it should be noted that it is also an ideal setting for motor skills.
From a young age you can involve them to help you chop soft fruits and vegetables with dull knives. In addition, they can help to reach the containers, mix the ingredients or peel the food.
Children love to explore and discover the world, so the kitchen will leave them in awe. It also helps them explore flavors, smells, and textures with their senses.
5. It is therapeutic and helps to de-stress
An article published in Frontiers in Psychology looked at the positive psychological impacts of cooking. The study found that this leisure activity brought pleasure and relaxation to people.
Cooking can be an escape activity from stressful occupations. Especially when this task is undertaken with pleasure and not as an obligation.
By awakening various senses, such as smell and taste, it is pleasant. If it is also combined with pleasant music and a good disposition, it allows to de-stress, reduce anxiety and share spaces with the family.
6. It’s a fun social activity
Who doesn’t love having a barbecue with friends or preparing a romantic dinner at home? Cooking as a couple, with friends or family is a plan that allows you to spend a fun time with loved ones.
You can learn to cook to surprise those you love with delicious dishes. However, it’s also a great plan to have a cooking night with friends or your partner that everyone gets involved in. These two options save you money.
7. Less food is wasted
When you know how to cook, food waste in your home will be less, because you will know how to take advantage of everything in the pantry. Sometimes you buy fruits or foods that are lost because you eat away from home frequently.
In addition, when you learn to cook, you also better calculate the amount of food you consume per month. Also, you will never be stopped for something delicious and fast.
8. You will have a more varied diet
Eating the same thing gets boring over time, even when it comes to restaurants. Therefore, learning to cook expands your possibilities of eating a variety of dishes and pampering your family more.
When you don’t know how to cook or recipes are too basic, mealtime is boring. However, learning cooking tricks will allow you to innovate.
Tips for learning to cook
If you are determined to learn to cook, the most important thing is to have an attitude of willingness to experiment and try. Incorporate these tips that we bring you below.
Learn the basics of food handling
In general, cooking is a safe activity. However, it is necessary to take some precautions when handling food to avoid cross contamination, which can cause illness and poisoning.
The main precaution is not to mix raw and cooked foods, especially when it comes to meat, poultry and fish.
Similarly, fruits and vegetables can contain bacteria and pesticides, so it is necessary to disinfect them very well. As for cooking, chicken and pork are the foods with which you should be more careful.
Discover: 3 tips to avoid cross contamination
Know the basic cooking techniques
In the kitchen there are hundreds of techniques that make it possible to prepare sophisticated foods. However, when learning to cook you start with the basics.
Here we share some of the techniques that you must first learn and they are the following:
- Boil: it is about cooking food by putting it with a liquid at its boiling point. It is used with meats and hard foods, such as potatoes, pasta, and grains.
- Steamed: it is a technique that is used more frequently with vegetables, as it allows them to preserve their nutrients. It is about cooking food with the heat of the steam generated by boiling water.
- Sautéing: consists of using a large frying pan that allows food to be moved over a small amount of fat.
- Grilled: it is usually used with meat, poultry and fish. It consists of having a griddle, preheating it and putting the meats to cook until they have the desired point.
- Baked: it is one of the easiest techniques. It does not require adding fat and allows you to have crispy and healthy foods. It consists of putting in the oven on molds or plates what you want to cook.
Dare to use spices and seasonings
When food is too simple, people tend to get discouraged. However, there are certain spices that are an ace up your sleeve to give flavor to dishes.
Garlic, pepper, salt, turmeric, oregano, bay leaf, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil and thyme are some of the seasonings that you can have in your kitchen.
Read the labels
Most foods have recipes or cooking methods in their packaging. Following the steps it is very easy to make rice, pasta, beans, lentils, and quinoa, among others.
However, don’t limit yourself. As you gain confidence, you can dare to experiment and adjust the processes to your liking.
Ask for help
Surely, in your family or groups of friends there is someone who knows how to cook. So lose your embarrassment and give them a call!
It will be the perfect excuse to talk with loved ones. In addition, you will ensure that family traditions and delicacies are not lost in time.
Seek inspiration
When you are learning to cook, it is normal that you do not have much creativity to invent dishes. However, on social networks, the internet and books it is possible to find thousands of delicious and easy to make recipes.
For example, if you want to cook healthy, look for resources that teach you this style. Little by little you will be able to modify them to adjust them to your palate.
Adapt the kitchen according to your needs
After knowing the benefits of learning to cook and some tips to start doing it, it is necessary that you adapt the kitchen to your needs. It is essential to have a cutting board, knives of different sizes, stirring spoons, pans, griddles and pots.
If you have children, adjust to make it a safe space for them. You can store dangerous objects with which they can be burned or cut in areas out of their reach. Make a drawer with items for them, such as tables, plates, glasses and implements that are handled without risk.
