I’ve liked food for a long time (as my friends and family know too well…) but starting two years ago, I became interested in cooking it as well. Perhaps against better judgment I threw myself right into things, pretty much exploring and learning as I went. I made schawarma, fried chicken, shakshuka, creme brulee french toast, all sorts of things. What conclusion did I come to after my first bit of real cooking? It’s fun!

There’s are aspects to cooking that aren’t there when you reheat frozen food or pickup Wendy’s The combination of excitement and trepidation that goes with making a meal never seems to go away or lessen is degree, which makes you feel all the more proud when you finish triumphantly. Even prepping feels like you’re fulfilling a”Mission: Impossible” type task. There’s also an element of quality control that simply cannot come from 9processed foods. There’s no questioning the ingredients of your meal when each one is laying in front of you.

I’m not the only cook in the kitchen either. According to Pew Research, about a third of the public (34%) say they enjoy cooking “a great deal” and another quarter (26%) say they enjoy cooking “a fair amount.” These figures have essentially remained the same since 1989, but there has been a notable shift in their gender composition. Today about the same percentage of women (35%) and men (32%) say they enjoy cooking a great deal; in 1989, women (39%) were more likely than men (25%) to say this. The broader increase in cooking is in line with the public’s growing preference for fresh, more natural food over processed, fatty items. So give it a shot! It’s a great way to start eating healthier and really knowing what you’re putting in your body.