At some point in life, pretty much everyone in life comes to the realization that they have to learn how to make their own food. At 19, and going into my second year of college, I've arrived at the realization that that time has come. When I move out and get my own place, it's going to be important that I am able to feed myself. Unfortunately, the amount of cooking skills that I have is pretty close to none. But I have no intention of living off microwave dinners for the rest of my life. After thinking about it, I realized that there are a lot of good things that come out of learning to cook for yourself.
1. Independence.
A big part of being able to be on your own is being able to feed yourself. You are going to be the person in charge of making sure you get your three meals a day. When the times of depending on your family for other meal are over, and you are making everything yourself, you can finally call yourself independent. I'm looking forward to learning to make something other than oatmeal cookies.
2. Cost.
Food is expensive. At least if you are cooking for yourself with actual ingredients rather than just buying Ramen noodles. But cooking your own food is certainly cheaper than eating out for every single meal of the day. It can be an effective way to eat well, eat what you want, and can even save you a little cash.
3. Quality.
Cooking for yourself means that you get to see everything that goes into your food. You can make sure that your ingredients are good for you. You can make dishes that you'll enjoy, but that are also good for your health. When your shopping, you can buy all natural, organic, vegetarian, vegan, whatever you like. The only person you have to think about (food-wise) when you're living on your own is you.
4. Taste.
When you have to depend on other people to make food for you, what you like isn't the only thing being considered when it comes to meal planning. If you are able to cook for yourself, you can cook whatever you feel like eating, and no one will give you a hard time about it. If you want you can change it up, and add something to a dish that your family never would. Just because you want to.
5. Convenience.
In the end, it is just easier to be able to cook your own meals. Not aving to go out to eat all the time. Not having to eat cheap and unhealthy foods. Being able to eat around your schedule, and being able to eat what you want, at the price point that you want.
And last but not least, the experience. In my opinion, learning to cook, like actually cook, is a big milestone in life. It's one of those indicators that shows you are ready to take on a little more responsibility and independence in your life. You can have fun with it, and it can be a good experience where you learn a lot. And the nice thing is, it is one of those things that you can keep learning forever.
