The Importance Of Home Cooking

Throughout the childhood and adolescence, my breakfasts and dinners were traditionally prepared by our family’s cook—my mom. As I recall, she went to the market several times a week and bought fresh produce, eggs, meat, fish, and put a lot of time and effort into the preparation of our meals. These meals were portioned and had no substitute options. On occasion, of course, my family enjoyed going out and dining at the restaurants, where a vast variety of selections has always fascinated me. I could order anything from a given menu, order it multiple times, or ask for several different meals—as there were no rules or limitations. Accordingly, my eating habits have begun changing, since the hunger compass has routinely pointed to the fast-food

Traditionally, homemakers, such as my mom, took care of ensuring that a family is fed several times a day. Changes to such a practice have been noticed, as most of the wives and mothers have shifted gears from being full-time cooks to becoming full-time employees. Journalist Roberto Ferdman states that, “women, who traditionally have carried the brunt of the cooking load, are working more, and therefore spending less time at home cooking” (Ferdman). Current-day workplace consists of more women holding basic-labor, managerial and executive positions than the previous years. While still enjoying the art of cooking, most women simply lack the time it takes to dedicate themselves to the stove and a cutting board. Such lifestyle forces families to look elsewhere for the prepared meals—they’re in search of a new

Unfortunately, these families do not realize the long-term effects of such low-nutrition diet, as the core ingredients and vitamins are replaced by an excessive amounts of sugar, carbohydrates and unsaturated fat. Professor McColl indicates that, “when carbohydrates and sugar enter the stomach, the food quickly moves on and there is no feeling of having had a full meal; hunger returns and the consumer starts to eat again” (McColl). This illustrates a repetitive cycle between junk food and the consumer. Weight-gain, however, is not repetitive—it’s continuous. The food industry is constantly searching to cut back the production costs, this includes the use of cheap chemicals and substitutes in order to manufacture a delicious product. When speaking about the ultra-processed foods, Dr. Holly Phillips states, “What you 're really getting are chemicals -- additives, things like preservatives, sweeteners, coloring, flavoring, trans fats, emulsifiers. These are all chemicals that are then put back into 'fake ' foods to make them taste real” (Welch). It takes years for the consumer to make a connection between eating habits and weight. Unfortunately, solving such a gradual fattening of our population isn’t atop the priority list of the government. Such a situation reminds me of the boiling frog anecdote—will the morbid