When it comes to cooking, the ‘wellbeing’ aspect is lost on many of us. The fact is, most of us cook because it’s just something we do; a means to feed ourselves and our families without having to constantly rely on takeout and eating at restaurants. How many of you however, actually enjoy the art of putting a meal together?

In fact, did you know that studies have shown a significant connection between cooking and wellbeing; both mental and physical.

In terms of its benefits to our physical health, read on to understand more about the key reasons why cooking is good for you:

Cooking & Wellbeing

1. Allows you the means to manage any ailment or dietary restrictions you or your family member(s) may have. When you cook at home, you have full control over your ingredients and can thereby pick and choose how much or how little goes into your food. If you’re dealing with high blood pressure for example, cooking at home makes it easy for you to decide how much salt goes into your food (if any). Similarly, if you’re trying to limit your sugar intake, cooking your own meals will allow you the flexibility to do just that.
2. Makes portion management much easier. This is particularly important for those of you who like to meal plan and don’t have the time to cook on a regular basis, or if you’re one of those busy people who likes to cook large batches once or twice a week and then divide them into portions. This is another reason why cooking at home is good for you; allowing you to control your portion sizes, thereby preventing overeating and in turn, restricting excessive calorie intake.
3. Allows flexibility for you to dictate your meal times. Since many of us lead very different lifestyles, we also tend to eat at different times. Whether we prefer to stick to a typical routine, practice intermittent fasting or are trying to achieve certain goals, cooking at home allows us to do just that. In short, when we rely on ourselves, we are able to eat according to our body’s requirements, enabling us to adhere to a lifestyle that suits our bodies best.

This now bring us to the mental and emotional health benefits of cooking. Though less obvious, they are certainly no less important:

1. Allows full control over what you put into your body. This in itself should bring you a degree of comfort, especially in a world where we have so little control over most things. When you start cooking your own meals however, the decision of what goes into your dish and what doesn’t is entirely your own, which is great; because let’s face it, how many things in life do we have that much control over?
2. Acts as a meditative practice. When you’re present and mindful, the simple repetitive act of chopping, peeling, seasoning or stirring can and will calm the mind, thereby reducing stress and anxiety and giving you a sense of peace.
3. Creates a sense of empowerment. Much like how we feel after achieving pretty much anything, the mere act of being able to put together a delicious meal from scratch has been known to create a strong sense of accomplishment. Over time, trial and error and developing these skills, you will start to notice a boost in your self-esteem, leading to an overall improvement in your stress levels and emotional well-being.
4. Acts as a creative outlet. Cooking is a great way to nurture new skills and much like anything creative, the more you do it, the more you find yourself wanting to improvise and experiment with more flavours and textures until eventually you find yourself creating dishes that are completely your own. This freedom of expression is both therapeutic and good for cognitive balance and emotional wellbeing.
5. Promotes mindful eating. Cooking encourages you to be present, which in turn provides you with the right head space to connect with your food. This sense of awareness is known to lead to better enjoyment and appreciation of the food we eat, and also improves our relationship with food.

There you have it! A bunch of reasons why it’s important for all of us to be cooking more! If there’s anything you care to add, please do so in the comments!