These 5 Tips Will Help Make Cooking Much More Fun!

by Chris Sovey · January 16, 2012

I know how it is. You get up late, and the last thing on your mind is making a nutritious meal. Or perhaps it is has been a long day, and you just don’t even want to think about food, or what to eat. You want to eat better, but a quick drive through at the local fast food joint seems much easier. Fear not! We have some tips to make cooking a lot more interesting:

Prepare meals with someone else. Get your kids, friends, or your significant other involved. Cooking alone can be a drag sometimes, but interacting with food while you are with another person takes on a whole new dimension. It saves time too. Frequently, you will come to appreciate the creation process a lot more when it is done with someone else you care about. Try planning out a few meals for a trial run with someone else. Assign jobs, and watch it all come together!
Have 2-3 emergency meals in under 20 minutes. Check out websites like EatingWell.com, ThePPK.com, Allrecipes.com, or similar sites and find a few meals that you can prepare quickly. This will save you from the temptation of the Golden Arches.
Grow a garden. I never realized how significant this was until I read Michael Pollan’s book, “In Defense of Food.” Planting and tending to a garden (with others of course), helps connect with food on a new level. You’ll develop a newfound pride, knowing the ingredients came right from your backyard. If a garden is not possible, or you can’t commit, you can always try an herb garden in your windowsill.
Set aside 15 minutes per week to pick out 1-2 new recipes from various cultures. This will force you to keep ideas fresh, and add variety to your diet. Every culture has healthy cuisines. It just takes a little time to find them.
Take cooking classes together! If you’re a guy, step off the macho pedestal for a second, and think about how great of a date opportunity this could be. Most classes allow you to eat the food after as well, so it is a great chance to bond. Plus, girls love a guy who cooks. A lot of couples will usually want to go to subsequent classes after trying it once.

So there you have it. 5 easy tips to make cooking more fun. Food has always been, and can be, an excellent bonding opportunity. Make it social. Hold each other accountable to make meals together, and the benefits could be endless. Not just within the health realm, but for your relationships as well.