I Don't Have Time to Cook

The first thing that people tell me when I suggest they change their diet is, “… but I don’t have time to cook.”  It has certainly gotten easier to go out since there are 3 or 4 restaurants on every corner, but going out for every meal can be a disaster on your body.

Most of us can make time for the things we feel are important… kids ball games or dance practices, our favorite television shows, community service or even things like Facebook.  But really, what could be more important than taking care of ourselves and our families?

Women with cancer have told me, “I certainly didn’t think I had time for doctor’s appointments or chemotherapy treatments.”  Men with heart disease have told me, “I certainly didn’t think I had time to spend days on end recuperating from open-heart surgery.”

According to the Associate Press, because money has gotten tight for many people, they have been learning  new habits such as cooking and dining in.  In a recent story by Ellen Gibson, she says that entrepreneur Beverly Murray never thought she would have time to cook.  But in 2008, Murray’s business tanked and spending $10 or $20 on every meal was no longer an option.   She has since gotten reacquainted with her kitchen.

Gibson writes, “When Murray does go out, it’s a special occasion with friends.  Having lost 30 pounds as a pleasant consequence of cooking at home, she is sticking to the new routine, even as business picks up.”

Americans lead the world in restaurant spending, but according to the Institute for Culinary Education, registration for recreational cooking classes was up 10 percent last year.  People are once again wanting to learn to cook.

You can improve your health just by eating out less often.  Take a cooking class, read magazines and cookbooks and learn how to create tasty, yet  healthy meals for you and your family in your own kitchen.  Remember, if your health is important to you, you will find the time.

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© 2011 Melinda Coker

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