Cooking Basics: The Life Skill That Gives You Your Power Back
Somewhere along the way, we lost the plot. Cooking became optional. Convenience became the norm. And truthfully, I can’t stand it anymore. Am I alone?
Can we talk about how cooking - a basic human life skill - got turned into something people feel intimidated by, avoid, or outsource entirely? FAM!
Let’s be clear:
Cooking is not a hobby. It is not a gendered role. It is a life skill.
And more than that—it’s a form of personal power.
We’ve Outsourced One of the Most Important Parts of Our Lives
Think about it.
The way you fuel your body directly impacts:
your energy
your mood
your hormones
your focus
your long-term health
…and yet, so many people rely almost entirely on food they didn’t prepare.
Now I’m not saying we can’t eat out - I LOVE going out to eat with friends and family! It’s such a wonderful way to connect. I’m just saying… this cannot be the default. Not if you care about your health. Not if you’re trying to improve your life.
And here’s the thing… It's not like we’re lazy. I’m not talking about being lazy. Truthfully, most of us just weren’t TAUGHT how to cook.
So we default to:
takeout
ultra-processed frozen meals
whatever is fastest and easiest
something from the microwave
Something straight off the shelf
And over time, that disconnect truly starts to add up, and affect not only our bodies, but our minds and our spirit (because remember, it’s all connected!)
Dead ass? When you don’t know how to cook, you lose control over what goes into your body. There, I said it.
Cooking = Control (In the Best Way)
When you know how to cook, even just the basics, something changes. In my experience, I became enamored with getting creative in the kitchen
You’re no longer at the mercy of:
what’s available
what’s convenient
what someone else decided to put in your food
You get to choose:
your ingredients
your portions
your quality
your intention
That’s not about restriction.
That’s about ownership.
Cooking puts you back in the driver’s seat of your health in a BIG way.
This Isn’t About Being Fancy—It’s About Being Capable
Listen. I get it. I’m also convinced that every meal could be fancy. I’m not operating under the delusion that it SHOULD be, but every time I walk into the kitchen, I ask myself… “COULD this be fancy?” And the answer usually comes from the most emotional part of myself, and it’s usually, “No, girl, you don’t need to get fancy. Just feed us.”
We don’t need complicated recipes.
We don’t need expensive ingredients.
And we definitely don’t need hours in the kitchen.
(I know you know the feeling)
We really just need a few foundational skills:
Cooking a grain (like rice or quinoa)
Preparing a protein (chicken, ground meat, eggs)
Handling simple vegetables (roasting, sautéing, or even just washing and chopping)
That’s it.
From there, you can build hundreds of meals, using tons of combinations.
You can still get fancy from time to time and make the perfect steak with the red wine reduction and the hand mashed potatoes, and some delicately trimmed haricot verts… but in my experience, that happens on the weekends and for birthdays, and holidays, and the rest of the time? We just need to eat, and it just needs to be whole food.
The Real Barrier Isn’t Skill—It’s Friction
Most people don’t struggle because cooking is “too hard.” Literally guys. Cooking stuff is not rocket science. But as someone living (and thriving TYVM), with ADHD, I get it when it comes to starting the task in the first place - Can you say hello to poor executive function and task initiation? Yeah.
Friction creates struggling. And the struggle isn’t the cooking part. It’s usually associated with:
nothing being prepped
the kitchen feeling chaotic - i.e. dishes in the sink that I need to do before I even begin cooking a meal
you’re already tired
and you don’t have a plan
And this is when we default to whatever is easiest in the moment. We’re human y’all. We tend to choose the path of least resistance.
This is why preparation matters more than perfection.
When you:
wash and prep your food ahead of time
cook proteins in bulk
have staples ready to go
…you remove the friction.
And when you remove the friction, you can change the behavior.
I remember reading once, especially as it pertains to having ADHD, this is one of the greatest keys to success - simply removing the friction around STARTING. And I think this applies anywhere, but especially in the kitchen.
Cooking Is an Act of Self-Respect
This is where it goes deeper.
Choosing to learn how to cook…
Choosing to feed yourself well...
Choosing to prepare instead of react…
That’s not just about food.
That’s about how you see yourself.
Because at some point, you decide:
“I’m worth the effort it takes to nourish myself well.”
Not perfectly. Not rigidly.
But consistently.
This is a truth I only realized in that lived moment of realizing, “I am work the work.”
Let’s Ground This: What “Basics” Actually Look Like
If you feel overwhelmed, start here:
Boil eggs for quick, ready-to-go protein
Cook a large batch of rice at the start of the week
Season and cook 1–2 proteins you can reuse (I’m fond of chicken, and ground beef)
Keep simple vegetables on hand (fresh or frozen—both count)
Build meals using a simple formula:
protein + carb + veggie + fat
That’s it.
You don’t need more to get started.
Healthy Girl Summer Isn’t About Aesthetic—It’s About Agency
It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics of wellness. I’m still with you on wanting things about my body to change, and understanding that much of that change is going to come from the kitchen. Oof!
But strip all of that away, and what actually matters is this:
Can you take care of yourself?
Cooking is part of that answer.
Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s foundational.
Final Thought
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life this week.
Just start building the skill.
Start simple.
Start imperfect.
Start where you are.
Because every time you step into your kitchen and choose to prepare your own food—you’re choosing your health, your autonomy, and your power.
Here’s to you, Chef,
BE WELL,
L
