Learn to Cook

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How to take action

• Confront your fears! Some people don't cook because they never learned and don't believe they can. Cooking can be as simple or elaborate as you wish – you reap benefits from even the easiest steps. Buy a basic how-to cook book and read it when you have time to think it through – then go to the kitchen and try things out. Look for how-to-cook websites, on-line videos or DVDs that seem right for your level and needs, or take a class.
• Start simply. Add one side dish of steamed fresh vegetables with a bit of butter and lemon or herbs to every dinner meal. Eliminate canned or prepared pasta dishes; boil your own pasta and top with a sauce that's ready to use (over time, add your own sautéed veggies or other ingredients to that sauce). Learn a few favourite soup recipes and freeze soup in serving-sized portions. Buy plain yogurt and dress it up with your own fruit, nuts, granola, maple syrup – avoid highly processed versions. Over time, you can increase your repertoire and slowly eliminate more processed foods, but one step at a time is easiest.
• If it goes from package to microwave to plate, target it for elimination. Some of the most highly-processed, over-packaged, high-expense foods are those that have been developed for immediate microwave eating. Learn to make your own rice; drop the microwave version. Replace items such as "pocket pizzas" with grilled cheese sandwiches made on whole grain bread, or tortillas topped with fresh items of choice and broiled (or microwaved). The difference is in the ingredients – whole, nutritious foods you control, rather than a long list of mystery ingredients and preservatives aimed at producing a long shelf life and predictable product.
• Make the time. It doesn't have to take a lot of time to cook, but it does take a bit of planning and timing. Your speed in the kitchen increases with experience – it's especially worthwhile to practice knife skills so you get quick at preparing and chopping vegetables and other fresh foods. Listen to your favourite music, get your kids involved, do some of the prep work on weekends or in the morning – find ways to make time in the kitchen both efficient and pleasurable. Consider the time spent a healthy investment: studies show that people are less likely to overeat when the "time-cost" of food is higher (i.e. when it takes a bit of time to prepare).
• Keep growing. Add a new recipe each week and repeat favourites so they become easier. Cook for friends – or better yet, with them. (Avoid recipes that rely on processed foods as ingredients – seek those that start with fresh, whole foods.)
• Allow yourself to experiment. Swap the veggies in a recipe for others; try recipes with different meats. Add more or less of herbs or spices you like. You'll make some mistakes, but you'll get more comfortable in the kitchen along the way.
• Reinforce your efforts by exploring new places to shop for whole, fresh, local foods. Try out a farmers' market or new produce shops. Buy what is in season and learn what to do with it. Tour local farms when possible, or go to a "U-pick" operation to harvest your own food. Gain a sense of how the food you cook connects you to your local environment. Then, share what you know, and what you cook, with others!

Why it makes a difference

• Highly processed foods typically contain unhealthy levels of fats, sugar and salt, and can be low in nutrition. A diet comprised only of processed foods is likely to lead to obesity and chronic disease. Replacing highly processed foods with food you cook from scratch is a meaningful investment in the health of all those you cook for. (Learn to recognize what foods to avoid/replace. Minimally processed foods, such as plain frozen vegetables, plain natural yogurt, or whole grain bread without additives or preservatives, can be helpful time-savers. Foods with long lists of hard-to-pronounce ingredients are those to avoid, as is fast food and "junk" food.)
• The culture of food is important; knowing how to cook and eat well is most often learned at home. Increasingly, kids in Western cultures are losing touch with basic food literacy – what fruits and vegetables look like, how to prepare and enjoy them. Learning to cook at home not only improves your kids' health – it is likely to improve their lifespan.
• Whole foods typically come with far less packaging than processed foods. By cooking more, you'll help cut down the plastic and cardboard you throw away.
• How and what we eat has an impact on our environment. A diet heavy in meat and processed foods that are transported over long distances contributes far more to global warming than one that is heavy on fresh vegetables sourced locally. Learning to cook provides a tool for greener living.

For more information

• Jamie Oliver is a British chef who has been working in the U.S. to fight obesity and educate families about healthy food and cooking. Watch his 20-minute speech about the importance of teaching children about food.