Life has become faster-paced, with more stir-fry dishes in restaurants and the refrigerator packed with quick-frozen products. A home-cooked meal has become a luxury for many busy professionals and those who frequently socialize. An increasing number of people are unwilling to cook at home. Recently, at the 11th Annual Conference of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, a survey on the changing trends in food consumption concepts among the Chinese public over the past decade was released. The results showed that 67.1% of people find traditional cooking methods troublesome, especially among the 18-30 age group, where only 8.8% of young people are willing to enjoy the pleasure of traditional cooking. Meanwhile, over the past ten years, the proportion of people who enjoy Western-style fast food has increased from 24.7% to 32.8%; 90.1% of people said they can accept frozen staple foods, with 5.5% consuming them daily.
However, entrusting your diet to others raises questions about nutrition and safety. Generally, the more you eat out, the more fast food and instant products you consume, and the less food rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants you eat. Moreover, most dishes in restaurants are greasy, salty, and spicy. Besides causing weight gain, they can also lead to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, chronic stomach problems, and kidney disease.
Cooking at home allows you to control the ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings, ensuring fresh ingredients and less salt and oil. The Journal of Public Health Nutrition, published by the University of Cambridge, stated that people who cook at home five times a week have a 47% higher chance of living longer in the next 10 years. It considers cooking a healthy lifestyle that should be promoted as a health policy. Additionally, a study by Johns Hopkins University found that people who often cook for themselves are happier than those who don't, because the effort involved in making food increases their sense of value.
Although the health benefits and drawbacks of cooking at home versus eating out are clear, many people still don't want to cook. A survey showed that 34.71% of people are "too lazy to cook," 32.07% chose "too busy, no time to cook," and another 26.30% and 6.92% have to eat out due to frequent social engagements or simply not knowing how to cook. In fact, the problem can be solved by improving cooking methods, simplifying complexity, and trying "simple cooking."
First, change your cookware. Stir-frying with a wok over an open flame is the most common method in the kitchen, but it requires constant attention, dealing with smoke, and higher cooking skills. Some cookware that doesn't require an open flame, such as electric pressure cookers and slow cookers, can not only cook congee but also make braised dishes like pork ribs, pig's trotters, fish pieces, and chicken wings. You just need to add the ingredients, seasonings, and some water, and wait for over twenty minutes for the meat to become delicious braised dishes.
Second, change your cooking methods. Methods like frying and stir-frying are complex. Switching to steaming, boiling, or mixing is much simpler. For example, braised eggplant seems simple but is time-consuming. If you change the method to steaming the eggplant and then dipping it in sauce, the taste is just as good, but the time in the kitchen can be greatly reduced. Stir-fried vegetables can also be turned into cold salads, which not only reduce the loss of nutrients but also allow you to eat more varieties at once. Besides the commonly eaten cucumber and tomato, many crisp and tender vegetables like crown daisy, bok choy, lettuce, sweet peppers, and cabbage are suitable for cold salads.
Finally, prepare ingredients in advance. Going grocery shopping and cooking after work can be hectic. You can stock up more on weekends or during your free time. For example, various grains and beans have a long shelf life and can be turned into nutritious eight-treasure congee in a rice cooker after half an hour. You can also keep well-storable ingredients like dried mushrooms, kelp, wood ear mushrooms, and tremella on hand. For chicken, duck, fish, and meat, you can prepare enough for 2-3 days at once. For example, stir-fried shredded pork can be stored in the refrigerator and then quickly reheated when needed, but be mindful of the food's shelf life.