ForkBytes

Note: this piece first appeared in the October 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

By the year 2010, 75% of the American population will not know how to cook.

That’s a real statistic (from Restaurant News, 1998). Here’s another one. In 1955, Americans spent 25% of their food dollars on restaurant food; in 2002, we were spending 46% — and that number is expected to climb to at least 53% by 2010.

It seems unavoidable in our fast-paced culture that home cooking will fall by the wayside. Between work, school, the kids’ soccer practice, returning phone calls and emails, and paying bills, it’s no wonder that most people scarf down take-out in front of the evening news instead of preparing a home-cooked meal. The warmth and glow of the cooking fire has been replaced by the glow of the television or computer screen.

Many people are intimidated by cooking, especially if they’re beginners. But preparing a wholesome, balanced meal doesn’t have to take hours or be difficult. And it’s worth the effort. In fact, there are a lot of advantages to cooking your own food:

When you prepare it, you have ownership of the food in every sense. You can decide what goes into the food you’re eating (both ingredients and energetics!). You can also cultivate a connection with what you’re putting into your body. It’s empowering to know that you can “own” what you eat.

Cooking your own food is healthier. In terms of nutrient content, most people eat about 50% more fat, calories, and sodium per restaurant meal versus meals prepared at home. It’s also much easier to put extra food away and stop when you’re full when you eat at home.

Preparing food is a positive family, couple, or friends activity. Cooking and eating together is wonderful for nurturing and strengthening relationships. It’s also great to get children involved and teach them healthy habits. And the kitchen is the home’s natural center.

Cooking is therapeutic. Preparing your own food can be like a meditation. To paraphrase something Dr. Andrew Weil taught me in school, cooking is an exercise in manifestation. You have an idea of something you want to create, and you have to juggle many variables in order to bring that thing into existence—make it real, manifest it. You can learn the skills in the kitchen and then take them out into the world in general and use them in your life.

This month, I encourage you to take steps to reclaim your own hearth. If you’re new to cooking, take a cooking class or try one of our easy recipes. Start with simple, nourishing recipes, and be patient with yourself. If a mistake happens in the kitchen, try again!