5 Reasons You Should Learn to Cook in your 20s

Hey everyone! Today I’ve got a guest blogger here, Kate Robertson from A Thought and a Half! She going to write today about why cooking in your 20s is awesome and something we all need to learn how to do! I love the post, and hope you will, too! Enjoy!

I’ve always loved being in the kitchen. As a kid, I was always willing to help my mom with whatever she was cooking or baking. She liked having an extra hand and I liked watching and learning what I could. If I’m being honest, though, I was only helping so I could lick the bowl.

As I got older, I started to appreciate cooking so much more. In college, I looked forward to moving to an apartment for the sole reason of having an actual kitchen and not having to use my dorm’s hall kitchen. (Okay, I looked forward to an apartment for other reasons, too, but the kitchen was definitely at the top.) My junior year of college, I got my kitchen and the fun began.

In the last few years, I’ve made more conscious efforts to cook for myself and to learn to prepare solid, easy and filling meals. Being able to cook has proved extremely beneficial in so many ways, and I highly encourage you to learn to cook, too.

Here are my top reasons why you should learn to cook in your twenties.

1. It’s Healthier

Cooking for yourself is often a healthier option than eating out. Sure, there are healthful options from restaurants and other dining establishments, but preparing your own food gives you the control to make it what you want. I can’t always get dishes made with whole-wheat flour or my other favorite low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar ingredients when I’m eating out. Now that I can cook, I can substitute and alter ingredients as needed.

Plus, I’m not using a ton of oils and syrups and artificial flavors. I try to cook as cleanly, naturally and simply as possible with whole foods and ingredients. That makes a world of difference in itself!

2. It’s Cheaper

Cooking at home is a great money-saver. For the price of one meal at some restaurants, I can buy multiple ingredients at the grocery store, and use those ingredients for a variety of meals and dishes. Shopping at wholesale clubs lets me buy in larger amounts that ideally last longer, thus letting me cook more and save some money.

Since I live by myself, when I cook, I usually end up with enough food to last for a few days after. Leftovers get old eventually, of course, but it is nice to have them for a couple of days so I don’t have to worry about cooking again immediately.

Related: 5 Ways to Save Time & Money on Lunches

3. It’s Impressive

Seriously, being able to cook and prepare a nice meal, or even just one nice dish, is super impressive. Even if it’s not anything fancy or gourmet, showing up to a dinner party or get-together with a home-cooked or baked dish will make everyone say wow. “How did you make that?” is the best conversation-starter ever.

Cooking is also pretty impressive to a romantic partner (at least I think so). A guy who can cook me a nice dinner? Yes please! Some of my favorite nights my boyfriend and I have spent together are when we stay in and cook our own dinners. When there are no restaurant distractions, like other loud customers or kitchen noise, there’s a lot to talk about and learn about each other. It’s a great bonding experience, and can be a fun way to flirt, too.

Related: 10 Quick & Easy Snack Ideas for Students

4. It’s Creative

In a way, cooking is an expression of creativity! From plating and presentation, to the colors of the food, to the different ingredients used, each dish is a work of art. A dish or meal is what you make it. Using cooking as an opportunity to be creative really helped me appreciate each meal that much more.

5. It’s a Chance to Discover

The more I cook, the more I want to try using ingredients I’ve never used in my life. I had never touched coconut oil or quinoa until I tried them in new recipes. Little did I know quinoa is delicious and versatile, and coconut oil and be used beyond the kitchen (hi, natural hair conditioner).

Just as I’ve found new foods that I love, I’ve tried other foods that I didn’t like as much. As popular as cauliflower is as a low-carb option, I tried it once and I just couldn’t do it, no matter how much I told myself it was healthy. I learn what ingredients work and what meals I can make, and how I can make those meals better next time.

Cooking is a never-ending learning and exploration process. There’s always something new to try and discover. Learning to cook in your 20s will make a huge difference, in your health, in your wallet and beyond.

Believe me: finding one or two recipes that you can nail each time will totally give you the confidence to keep going!

Kate Robertson is a 20-something Southern girl making her way through life after college and grad school. When she’s not blogging, you’ll find her sipping coffee and sweet tea, DIYing, cooking, and trying to write her first novel.

Visit her blog A Thought and a Half for more of her writing!

Thanks for guest posting, Kate! :) I’m getting hit pretty hard by end-of-year projects so you’ll see a few more guest posts around here in the coming weeks!

What are some of your favourite meals to make?