Lost Art of Cooking

Do people actually cook anymore? There is a great article by Michael Pollan in the current New York Times Magazine about this. It is kind of long, but well worth the time to read. A few points he writes about really stand out to me. Did you know the average American only spends 27 minutes a day on food preparation and another 4 minutes on clean up? And that is for the day. Not just for one meal. We have got so lazy that the definition of cooking has changed. Did you know that putting mayo on a slice of bread followed by cold cuts qualifies as cooking?

What we eat has declined as well. I was disheartened to read that currently the most popular meal in America at both lunch and dinner is a sandwich washed down by the number one drink a soda. And we wonder why our country suffers from an obesity problem? We have become programmed to believe that prepackaged and processed food is what we need. Just go down to your local grocery store and purchase these items and you will be able to make fantastic meals in 30 minutes or less! Our great-grandparents must be spinning in their graves.

I admit that I have fallen into the trap. It is easy to just put a bagel in the toaster for breakfast. Or to make a sandwich to take to work for lunch. Last night we ordered pizza for dinner. Life does get in the way at times. But that does not mean we can't make the effort to actually cook the majority of our meals. Cooking does not have to be a drag. It can be fun. Especially when you cook with your spouse/partner/family. I always feel satisfied whenever I cook a meal that involves a lot of preparation and time. There is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you cannot get from just opening a jar or can.

I think one of the biggest hurdles for people to cook most of their meals is time. Most of us live such a fast paced life that we never seem to have enough time to get everything we want done. That doesn't mean there isn't time to do things. You just have to make a little more effort to prioritize. And plan ahead! There is nothing wrong with preparing something ahead of time. We have to kick the habit of processed and packaged food. And it starts one step at a time.