Sharpen your cooking skills and improve your diet (and even your social life)

When I was in college, my cooking skills were limited to a giant skillet of Tuna Helper. Meals were chosen by how quick and how cheap. Nutrition? Never heard of it. My outlook on cooking has changed since those days, and I now realize that despite my still limited culinary know-how, in the kitchen I have all the tools to transform my health. “Cooking is easier than people think,” says Dr. David Eisenberg of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “It is more fun and cheaper than eating out. And no matter your ability, anyone can learn to do it.” The health of cooking The more you cook for yourself, the healthier you live. It is that simple. People who frequently cook dinner at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to a study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. The findings also suggest those who frequently cook at home (six to seven nights a week) also consume fewer calories on the occasions when they do eat out. Cooking also expands your intake of healthy foods. For instance, people who live alone — who are less likely to cook on a regular basis — often have diets that lack core food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, and fish, according to a review of 41 studies published in Nutrition Reviews. Sharpen your skills You don’t need to be a contestant on Top Chef to improve your cooking. “Instead of learning individual recipes, you need to learn techniques,” says Dr...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Behavioral Health Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs