When I was at University I realised how important cooking was, until then I had gone by thanks to my lovely mum who had always prepared every meal for me and my family and I never really picked up a wooden spoon in my life. When I went off to Uni I quickly realised that I had to step up my game and learn the basics of cooking. Here are a few of my thoughts on cooking and why it is such an important skill to have, especially for young adults.

Cooking can save you a lot of money

The major cost for most students apart from their rent is usually the food bill. Costs can quickly go up if you eat out for most of your meal and if you never cook at home. Learning to make tasty meals at home can help you save a lot of your cash. Why not save the eating out for when you have a special occasion and instead pack your lunch. Most people equate packing your lunch with eating soggy sandwiches or other bland food. Well if that is what you eat of course you will get bored of it and get back to eating out. Mastering a few basic cooking skills can help you make some delicious recipes, saving cash and not missing out on any of the flavours.

Seasonings matter

You can’t expect the food to taste good if you don’t season it well. Sometimes it is down to the basics, such as salting your boiling water when you are making pasta (super important!). Salt and pepper are often your best friends for most types of food, although you should not be afraid to experiment a bit with your seasoning. Chilli, Paprika, Garlic are great spices you can add to your food and it will take it to a different level. A great website that I use when I want some help with cooking is BBC Good Food which breaks down recipes in simple steps and gives you the ingredient list you need to make it.

It is all about the experience

I honestly love cooking, I and my girlfriend often make a dinner date out of it. It can be an extremely inexpensive way to have some fun and try out something new. Grab a bottle of wine, some potatoes and meat and voila’ you have an amazing steak night right at home. Cooking is one of those skills that young people have been neglecting, the abundance of ready-to-eat meals and the growth of delivery services has made it super convenient to order food and buy pre-made meals. I think that putting a little bit of effort in preparing food and researching new recipes and cuisines is a lot of fun and it provides a healthier alternative to more processed food that you would buy instead.

Final words

People are abandoning the art of cooking in favour of convenience and speed. I encourage you to go online and search simple recipes to get started, go shopping and get to work. The satisfaction you get when you eat a meal you have made from scratch is nothing like buying something made from someone else.