The pelican has nothing to do with the topic, but it is cool, right?

I happen to like to cook.  I think this is a good thing, since I also like to eat and eating happens multiple times a day.  Cooking is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our health.

To clarify, cooking is not about throwing a prepackaged dinner in the microwave, even if we put it on a real plate afterward.  It is about chopping up vegetables and slicing fruit and choosing seasonings and herbs.  While there are many advantages to cooking, I will focus on three.

One:  it gives us control.  When we are doing the cooking, we have the power over how much sugar, salt, and fat we add or omit.  We don’t have to worry about colorings and preservatives.  Heck, we can even leave out the cilantro, just because we don’t like it (or double the amount if we do…).

Two:  it saves money.  Processed food costs more because the food processors have to add energy.  Cooking our own food saves on packaging costs.  The farmers who grow our food do not need to recoup the costs of the huge marketing campaigns they have mounted to get us to buy the Super Branded Snack-o-Rama Food of the Month in the New Improved Cheese and Bacon Flavor.

Three:  it increases pleasure.  Homemade food generally tastes better.  Also, there is the sensory pleasure of cooking:  the smell of herbs, the sizzle of hot pans, the colors of fresh vegetables.

Give it a try.  It’s good for us.