So many of us don’t really bother to cook from scratch! I mean let’s be honest here – pre-packaged, ready-to-go foods are so much easier to use and save us so much time. You may think you’re cooking from scratch but opening up a pre-seasoned and ready to roast Vegetable Bake is NOT cooking from scratch. And whilst cooking is not everyone’s cup of tea, there are so many wonderful things you can learn about food, about yourself and about your friends along the way. We found some inspiration in a recent article from a woman who developed food allergies and was forced to cook for herself, from scratch. The revelations about this type of cooking are inspiring – take a look:

You will learn how to grocery shop correctly

It’s one thing tossing some frozen pizza or sushi in your trolley – it’s a whole other thing being able to navigate the grocery store for the exact ingredients that you need. Write a shopping list and buy exactly what you need…instead of hitting all the 3 for 2 specials in the frozen section. Even if you don’t save time, you’ll save money and eliminate food waste.

You learn how to read the ingredient labels

Knowing exactly what is in your food may change the way you shop, cook and eat. For those who care about the environment, about their health or about allergies, reading the food labels will teach you how to prepare food that’s the healthiest option for you! Don’t give in to readymade foods that give you indigestion and heart-burn, or don’t agree with you. Listen to your body – the small print on the label is for your health benefit…so, use it.

You start to taste food differently

A dish made with fresh ingredients tastes very different to your standard frozen ready-meal. You’ll notice the difference right away and your palate may even broaden with these new tastes. Pride in your own cooking also tastes great – Just saying!

You start to enjoy your meal-time company

When you’ve dedicated yourself to making a delicious meal, somehow you enjoy the company all the more just because it’s something you’ve made from the heart and you’re sharing it with someone or people you love.

You connect with others who cook

It’s hard not to gush about your new found love for cooking – and in doing so, you’ll connect with others who share the same passion. Before you know it, hints, tips and a whole lot of recipe swopping are going on. Its fun and it’s social.

Going out vs staying in

Sometimes, it’s good to know that you can have as much fun staying in and cooking a meal as you can going out for a meal with mates. Feeling insecure about what you’re able to cook is suddenly a thing of the past – inviting friends round for dinner is the new hot trend.

Whether you’re studying to be a chef or you’re just interested in food, there’s no substitute for cooking from scratch. You know exactly what you’re putting into your body, you know how long it takes to prepare a meal so you can plan better, it becomes a social aspect of your life and you get to take better care of your health and the planet. We say give it a bash…you say?

Image Credits

Image 1: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Image 2: www.organic.about.com
Image 3: www.tastykitchen.com
Image 4: http://www.foodallergygal.com/