How to Cook…(even when you may not feel like it)

As Young Black Professionals, our health is of utmost importance, and a major part of our health is our diet. We may be busy people, but we have to remember to eat healthy so that we do not pack on unwanted pounds or get a disease like hypertension.

There are many benefits to cooking and you might even find that you enjoy it. Think of it as another skill that you want to learn, rather than a chore or something you have to do. Cooking helps balance your nutrition and gives you an opportunity to eat healthy foods.

If you live with a close roommate, or a significant other, it might be helpful to make out a “weekly cooking schedule.” Even if you live alone, you can write out what days a week you will cook. Planning ahead can help you get into the habit of cooking. When I lived with my sister and her husband, we were responsible for cooking at least one day a week. I found that the best way to tackle this job was to think about what I was going to cook early in the day, so that by the time I got home I knew exactly what I was going to make (and if I needed to go to the store first). So planning ahead is definitely a first big step. And if you’re thinking about it at work, there are several websites that you can go to for recipes:

• Emeril’s Recipes
• Everyday Cook
• All Recipes
• Recipe Source
• Betty Crocker

And check out Amazon.com to find some great Cookbooks. Some of my favorites are Patty LaBelle’s Lite Cuisine Recipes, Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin (also a TV Show on TVOne), Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook, and Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today.

So get some good practice in before the holidays, and bring over your specialty dish to the festivities. Cooking can also be a good stress reliever and therapy. It can be a welcome change and relief from the busyness of other activities. And don’t forget that it can be yet another creative (and cheap) date!

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