Cooking isn't as hard as you think it is

Cooking is not easy if it is your first time living alone. You're probably used to having your parents around to help you out with meals.  Even though many of us are studying about different disease states, and benefits of living healthy in University, we as students neglect healthy eating. Students are known to have bad eating habits and low activity levels. University students do not consume the recommended amount of grains, vegetables and grains and they tend to select choices that are quick which has a lot of sodium and fat  (Warmin et al., 2012). There are long term effects to poor diet which may not be evident until later on in life. Research shows that nutrition education and learning to cook improves one's nutrition behaviour and the choices they make in their eating habits (Warmin et al., 2012). By learning to cook, you will get to appreciate the tastes of different ingredients and how they all come together to form a delicious meal. It also gives you more control over what you're putting in your body. It may seem impossible to be able to cook your own meals, but rest assured, by the end of your University life, you will be an expert cook. Here are some tips to learn how to cook!

1. Start out with an easy recipe that takes a short amount of time
There are many recipes that you can use to cook up a delicious meal in 15- 30 minutes. Start with something that involves low amount of ingredients so it is not overwhelming. Also, don't be threatened if your food does not look like the pictures posted on the recipe page. (Remember that they were taken professionally)

Check out Jamie Oliver's 129 Quick fixes recipe HERE

Hungover noodles can be prepared in 20 minutes! 

2. Attend a Potluck where you can share the food with your peers
Eating with your peers is a great way to try out different foods. You can cook with your peers regularly which is double the fun. Also, explore that competitive side of you when it comes to cooking for others by putting your chef's hat on. You can encourage your friends to eat healthier at the potluck. Maybe the theme can be healthy and delicious food? 

Brazil's new food guide recommends eating with others. If you're interested in reading more about Brazil's new food guide, click HERE

3. Look for a food club on campus. They may offer cooking classes
If you are a student at Western University (Ontario, Canada), check out FRESH on campus. They provide various services to improve the nutrition environment on your campus. They provide cooking classes, nutrition education and offer various services that identify healthy food within the campus. 

Check out their website HERE

4. Don't be afraid to try new recipes
Thanks to the online community, there are many bloggers online and you can easily find new recipes.  If you are sick of making and eating the same thing all the time, try a different recipes. Try to tweak the recipe a little by adding different spices. It will make your meals more exciting.

Here are some of my favourite food bloggers

Love & Olive Oil
Minimalist Baker
Naturally Ella
Sprouted Kitchen
Oh She Glows (Vegan recipes)

5. Don't give up
Did you know that even famous food bloggers went through trial and failure to get to where they are? Don't be discouraged if your food does not look/ taste good right off the bat. Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. 

If you're interested in reading about a blogger's secret to becoming a more confident cook, click HERE. 


If you have any questions, please e-mail us at mphteamone@gmail.com

References

Warmin, A., Sharp, J. & Condrasky, M. (2012). A Culinary Nutrition Program for College Aged Students. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, 27(2), 164-173. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/sp-3.14.0b/ovidweb.cgi?WebLinkFrameset=1&S=NDDHFPOFPADDMAPJNCLKGAGCJNDOAA00&returnUrl=ovidweb.cgi%3f%26Full%2bText%3dL%257cS.sh.22.23%257c0%257c00008486-201204000-00010%26S%3dNDDHFPOFPADDMAPJNCLKGAGCJNDOAA00&directlink=http%3a%2f%2fgraphics.tx.ovid.com%2fovftpdfs%2fFPDDNCGCGAPJPA00%2ffs047%2fovft%2flive%2fgv024%2f00008486%2f00008486-201204000-00010.pdf&filename=Cooking+With+a+Chef%3a+A+Culinary+Nutrition+Program+for+College+Aged+Students.&pdf_key=FPDDNCGCGAPJPA00&pdf_index=/fs047/ovft/live/gv024/00008486/00008486-201204000-00010