Let's learn new cooking skills

Last November there was a quite shocking feature in the media.  Apparently one in ten Brits had not made a dinner from scratch in the previous year. Seriously!!!!

One in ten may seem quite small - just 10%. But that means 5.5 million had not bothered to rustle up something as simple as an omelette, a survey had discovered.

And when it came to people who said they make nearly all of there dinners using fresh ingredients? That was 11% of people. The remaining 80% ate pre-made food most of the time.

Men were the worst offenders with 16% of them admitting to not cooking dinner from scratch in the previous twelve months, compared with just 5% of women.  Every year Brits spend a total of £25 billion on takeaways, consuming around 4000 of them over the course of a lifetime.

Now, we are not saying your should cook every meal. Of course not. Going out to eat, or ordering something in, can be terrific. It can lead to social interaction, family time, and general feelings of good well-being. Sometimes, there just isn't the time to sit down and create a meal. A treat is always worth it. But, clearly we should be cooking more than we are.

So why don't we?  Some people are just plain scared to cook. Nervous of making food that does not taste well, or creating something that is a disaster. Others maybe feel they do not have the patience to prepare a meal, or the skill level. It also does not help when you can just pop into the supermarket and buy entire meals already prepared - but are full of preservatives and additives, and sometimes laden with salt or sugar.

There are so many simple, quick and tasty recipes available though, so convenience is not really an excuse. Cooking does not have to be hours slaving over the stove. Twenty minutes with a five minute clean up is more than enough time to make something delicious and simple.  There are enough contraptions out there such as slow cookers, bread makers, ice cream makes, etc. that can help you too.

Seeing cooking as a chore is wrong. See it as a challenge - using that Growth Mindset that HMHB is always going on about. It can help you bond with others, impress others, and even give self-satisfaction which improves mental health. Eating something tasty that you know you prepared from scratch is a wonderful boost. Does it really matter if you spend time in the kitchen making something wholesome and delicious?

Investigate some new recipes, invest in some new kitchen equipment and let yourself loose. Try some baking, prepare vegetables you do not normally touch, and experiment with new tastes. It might not work well all the time, but is that not life? Things do go wrong. It will happen. But using this time of lockdown to teach yourself new skills can benefit you long-term. Go fo it!!!