For many UVU students, college can be a time of burgeoning independence; a chance to not only find oneself, but to put new skills to the test. While skills such as note taking, effective studying and time management are essential to graduate college, another overlooked life skill is cooking.
On its surface, cooking may seem like a hobby or a passion. Others view it as something people do because they enjoy it or want to pursue it professionally. There is truth to this idea, as UVU and other universities offer culinary arts programs that teach the finer and greater details of cooking. But cooking has a far deeper importance than being a hobby or a career path. It is a practical life skill, and a relatively simple one to learn. Cooking also contains many benefits, including better nutrition and smarter budgeting.
Budget management
While eating out on campus or ordering takeout can be good in a pinch, it can also be costly. With the ever-increasing cost of living, saving money is more essential than ever. Buying ingredients from a grocery store and cooking at home is not only healthier, but cheaper.
According to the National Institutes of Health, increasing at-home cooking decreases your monthly cost of living. In the NIH study, households who eat out more often end up spending about $330 per month on food. However, households who cook at home more frequently spend an average of $273 per month. Cooking may take more time, but according to the NIH, it can save more money in the long run.
Healthier living
In addition to being cheaper, cooking also allows people to control what ingredients go into their meals. While some restaurants are federally required to list allergens, calories and basic nutritional information, they are not required to list every ingredient that goes into their food.
Purchasing raw ingredients allows students to know exactly what they are eating. This can be especially helpful for those with dietary restrictions, as not every restaurant accounts for them, and even if they do, options for specific dietary needs may be limited.
Cooking isn’t just for creative people—it’s a practical and useful skill that anyone can learn. While individual meals can take time, meal prepping at the beginning of the week can help students save time and stay focused on classes and other things they care about.
If that isn’t convincing, then consider the social aspect. From a cultural perspective, food is not only a raw representation of who a person is, but a way to bring people together. People can often connect while sharing a meal or even preparing one. While culinary school may not be for everyone, cooking definitely is.
