Learning to cook boosts your health, saves money, sparks creativity, and builds confidence. You’ll make mistakes—but that's part of learning.
Let’s be real—figuring out what to eat everyday can feel like a lot. Life moves fast and convenience often wins, even if it means spending more or settling for food that doesn’t really nourish us. And while eating out can be fun, it’s not always the healthiest or most affordable option. It’s not your fault, our society hasn’t exactly made prioritizing health and home cooking easy.
We genuinely love cooking, but we still have those nights where we just don't want to think about it. On days like that, we treat ourselves to some take-out or something we can heat up in our air-fryer or oven. The point isn't to be perfect, but to be more conscious of how we fuel our bodies and slowly make changes to better our health, save money, spark creativity, develop an important life skill, and build confidence. We believe cooking for yourself is caring for yourself.
Health Benefits
There’s something really powerful about cooking at home, especially when it comes to your health. Being able to control how much salt, sugar, or oil goes into your food? That’s huge. And listen, we get it—eating out is so fun (and honestly, delicious). But part of why it tastes so good is because restaurant meals usually lean hard on the sugar, salt, and fat. Like, have you seen Gordon Ramsey's scrambled egg recipe? That man put like half a stick of butter into the eggs! Yeah, we bet that tastes delicious too. As tasty as going out to eat is, it usually isn't the healthiest. Learning to cook is an empowering skill, it feeds you and gives you full control of how to nourish your body.
When I started learning to cook I was 15 years old. I had just decided to commit to being vegetarian in a Hispanic household that usually ate some kind of meat in every meal. Fortunately, I have a mom who’s incredibly creative in the kitchen and who supported me as we experimented with new ingredients like tofu. Looking back now, I realize how lucky I was to have that kind of support.
Learning to cook changed everything for me. It’s more than just a skill, it’s a way to take care of yourself, to feed yourself with intention. It gives you the power to decide what goes into your body, and how you want to feel afterwards. And maybe most importantly, it reminds you that you’re worth the effort.
Saves You Money
Although it's not cheap to stock up on pantry staples and kitchen supplies, the initial investment will pay off shortly after you begin preparing meals at home. We keep our kitchen supplies to a minimum and we get most of it second hand through thrift stores, online marketplaces, or estate sales. Remember you don't need all the fancy stuff to get started, having one large knife, a cutting board, a pot, a pan, a spatula, is plenty to get cooking.
Think about it, how much do you spend on going out to eat? I know for us it can vary from $40-$100 for just one night's dinner. While the average cost of our weekly groceries are typically between $100-$150.
This is one of the more exciting aspects of cooking for us, not only do you get to save money but you also get to have any kind of dish you want. The fancy dinner you wanted to go out for, well you can try making that meal at a fraction of the price. The unique recipe you saw a restaurant from across the country advertising on social media, well you can try to make that too and avoid having to book a flight or deny yourself the treat.
In addition to saving money with cooking, it empowers you to save money when hosting dinner parties, comforting loved ones, making connections, and bringing people together. You don't need to order take-out, you can be there for people, you can have them over for dinner, all while saving money.
Creative Expression & Self-Love
Cooking is a kind of art—one that lives in the small, personal details. That’s why your mom’s food always tastes like home, and why no matter how closely you follow her recipe, it never turns out quite the same. There’s no secret ingredient—it’s just her. The way she stirs, seasons, and pours love into the dish.
Like brushstrokes in a painting, your style in the kitchen becomes uniquely yours with time and practice. The more you cook, the more you start to trust your instincts, experiment with flavors, and make it your own. Over time, what starts as a skill turns into something more: a form of self-trust, self-expression… and yes, self-love.
Because cooking for yourself is caring for yourself. It’s saying, “I’m worth the time. I’m worth the effort.” Even when the recipe flops. Even when you’re exhausted. Maybe especially then.
You’ll burn a few things, sure. We all do. But you’ll also make something incredible. Something comforting, bold, or beautifully unexpected. The more you practice, the more confidence you’ll build—not just in your cooking, but in yourself.
So go ahead: make the messy meals, the amazing ones, and everything in between. You’re not just learning to cook—you’re learning to show up for yourself, one plate at a time.
So, What’s The Takeaway?
Learning to cook is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. It’s not just about saving money or eating healthier (though that’s totally a bonus)—it’s a way to care for yourself, build confidence, and get a little creative in the kitchen. Even the simplest meal is a reminder: you’re worth the effort.
Need a place to start? We’ve got a growing recipe collection of cozy, culture-inspired vegan meals to help you feel at home in the kitchen.
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We hope you enjoyed this post. Remember, every step you take towards a plant-based lifestyle is something to be proud of. Whether you're vegan, trying to eat more plant-based meals, or just curious -
thank you for being part of the journey with us!
