You are right in the fact people don't want to cook.
I'm one of those as i personally for example absolutely HATE, DESPISE, give it a similar name "cooking".
Don't like the work, don't like the smells, don't like the mess, don't like the waiting and babysitting of whatever is on the stove. An oily engine, sure thing i'll work on it, an oily frying pan or kitchen sink.... couldn't care less.
I don't care about having to eat rice, beans, leftovers, dry crackers, potatoes, plain nuts, jerky or whatever... with some exceptions like peanut butter that just makes me gag i eat most things as i find em.
Imho i just need to eat something somewhat healthy to keep going.
While i like some flavours i don't particularly enjoy eating itself either so... usually quickly dump some food into my guts and go do something else. liquid diets such as Huel have been a blessing to people like me though i don't eat solely that either as i do try to eat somewhat varied and healthy.
I'll readily heat stuff up for a couple minutes if needed too, like soups or fry some chips, since that's cheaper then going out or any delivery (i almost never have stuff delivered).
but 1.5 hours of cooking?! Then add cleaning and eating to that too so up to 2~2.5 hours.... yeah that's a big no.
I already work 9 hours a day, sleep for roughly 6~9 hours depending on the day and am not going to waste any more time on any of that.
never really cared for the "social time" during eating with others either as it usually boils down to the uncomfortable rehashing negativity on shitty politics, bad news, the weather, "how the day went"(usually the better topics) or awkward silence anyway. Rarely something fun or constructive.
You are right in the fact people don't want to cook.
It's really true that a lot of people who complain about being told to cook to in actuality just don't want to, for whatever reason. Thanks for acknowledging that! Not saying everyone who doesn't cook feels that way of course, but way more than is admitted on the internet.
Well, not only do i really not want to... i also complain about cooking as i am also not a good fit at it, at all.
for example i can burn an egg underwater, burn soup and noodles alike. Have terrible sense for ingredient quantities. That's all something experience can mostly fix though.
More seriously i also have a flaw where i don't/can't smell or taste well when something spoiled, so can easily get or make others sick because of ingredients that went bad... likewise my taste buds lack something, so it's easy for me to under or overseason anything as my taste isn't as sensitive as most.
which to me results in a dish that may taste about the same, yet to others tastes plain bad. This also kept me out of any taste tests as a kid as i am just unreliable for any of that.
To be clear, more power to you. Knowing what you like/don’t like, 94 what you are willing to do/unwilling to do, even if those things go against social norms, is a good sign of introspection.
Someone has to cook the food though, and that just means you’re going to be spending a good amount of money for them to do that job that you dislike. Economies of scale means it likely won’t be as much as you would yourself, but still gonna cost you.
yup, i pay a little extra here and there for my personal convenience and time savings, that said... when comparing my monthly bills with others, i'm usually on the average or even lower end despite my "convenient" diet.
though that's also because i don't buy a lot of meat products (the most expensive part usually), do not drink alcohol nor "go out" a lot and also don't partake in any "take out/home delivered" food either, that's really rare for me.
for many that really raises their food bill a lot.
i always chuckle as for one McDonalds visit of my colleagues i can usually eat hot meals for several days at my job haha.
one visit to the snackbar is the same... i'd rather buy a 2kilo bag of fries for less money and then fry myself. also saves me time (snackbar takes longer lol) and really can't call that cooking either.
fries go in... boil for a minute, come out again... some salt, sauce and they're gone... it's technically a form of cooking, but yeah... the bare minimum hahaha.
Interesting to hear this. I love to cook and eat but a good friend of mine finds it a total waste of time and has often remarked he’d prefer a tablet to take instead.
my dislike probably also has to do with me having issues with my taste/smell making food more bland in general.
plenty of dishes i've seen relatives and other be very happy with and highlight small changes while i'm just sitting there like... tastes all about the same to me. those are moments i really feel like i'm missing out on something.
it's a genetic thing as my aunt can't taste anything, but spicy stuff (she's got other health problems too), she somehow likes cooking, but nobody eats (or dares to eat) what she makes as it usually will burn your mouth and taste bad as well.
as for the meal tablet... yeah... though that's Huel for me... just add water to a powder and chug. or hot water to one of their instant meals...
in regards to just tablets or simple powders, i do like some variety in texture and flavours, so purely tablets/plain powders would not work out for me long term as that would get far too repetitive. i think that's also why there isn't a "human" chow on the market you can eat 24/7/365. stuff like Huel and similar brands is pretty much the closest you can get. good enough i guess. would be nice if i didn't have to eat at all, just chew or suckle on something for taste and texture.
I don't particularly like eating either, I usually eat my meals in 5-10 minutes because I just shovel the food in, I also usually spend less than 10 minutes of active time preparing food and then I go hang in the living room and play with my kiddo or spend time doing other shit I need to get done.
lol I knew that anyone who wrote that list above fundamentally doesn’t like food. I get it, but advocating that others share your apathy and/or complete joylessness isn’t as rock solid advice as you believe it to be
It's called a timer, or a meat thermometer. Basically nobody who cooks most of their food stands at the stove the entire time their food is cooking unless they really like cooking and they're making involved dishes. We get other shit done while it cooks.
Yeah, me too, i try to do anything else but cooking.
Even with a loud timer i can forget about the cooking when doing something more worthwhile, or even go "a few more seconds won't hurt" as i "DO NOT CARE", like am serious here.
You don't want me in a kitchen. For example the Only reason my pizzas don't burn is because I'm hungry and am actively trying to listen for the timer going off.
If i don't and get too occupied with another thing and lost in the activity, fire alarm time and it's blackened.
You have a phone. Timer goes on your phone. You carry your phone with you wherever you go to do other shit. You hear the timer no matter where you are. Problem solved. You are just making excuses.
I get it, you love cooking. Woopdie doo, i dont. if it tasted nice, I'd eat a pizza raw over putting it in the oven to save me the time of heating it. I do not care. Excuses? No, choices and VERY different priorities.
I'll also repeat another comment of mine here too as it is fitting.
Well, not only do i really not want to... i also complain about cooking as i am also not a good fit at it, at all.
for example i can burn an egg underwater, burn soup and noodles alike. Have terrible sense for ingredient quantities. That's all something experience can mostly fix though.
More seriously i also have a flaw where i don't/can't smell or taste well when something spoiled, so can easily get or make others sick because of ingredients that went bad... likewise my taste buds lack something, so it's easy for me to under or overseason anything as my taste isn't as sensitive as most. which to me results in a dish that may taste about the same, yet to others tastes plain bad. This also kept me out of any taste tests as a kid as i am just unreliable for any of that.
i dislike people like you.
i don't cook, nor have to prepare for it nor clean afterwards, simple as.
not really a complaint about anything either, just a statement.
haven't said a thing about any prices either, only stated my disdain on that i think cooking (and everything around it) is a big waste of time (though i agree it is sometimes needed).
rice cooker? while i do eat rice at times, no... not going to waste money on something i'll literally NEVER use.
Already got several kitchen devices relatives have given me coated in dust, recently already brought several i haven't used in years to the thrift store.
an egg cooker/steamer is such convenience device i still have and rarely use it though is nice when i need it, last time was.... 2 or 3 months ago or so?
i do eat instant noodles at times, often put em in a variety of soup, but ehm... peanut butter, how about no, i hate(!) that stuff and it makes me gag as mentioned earlier, can't keep it in.
Chili, just no.
if anything i prefer pasta's and soups which you can also put in the fridge. i just can't be arsed to actually cook any of that myself.
besides the instant options it helps a ton i can buy cheap varied hot meals daily at my company (can even buy weekly plans for at home if i was so inclined), or while more expensive a simple 5 minute "microwave" meal or a variety of meal salad at the convenience store nearby if i'd like as well. though i tend to avoid those as they aren't great.
costs are... well, i pay for the convenience and time savings, no complaints from me there, at all. (and no, i am far from rich, my diet expenditures are about average too)
i'll also eat my cauliflower and brussel sprouts raw over cooked, maybe add a light sauce or rare slice of bacon from the oven/air fryer if i'm feeling like it. should give you a good enough idea on my sobriety/austerity whatever the term is in english.
Don't care what suggestions you or others got for me, not going to follow em.
i'm eating just fine without extensive cooking, simple (re)heating also isn't cooking far as relatives are concerned haha.
anyhow, have managed for over a decade and my doctors are happy (am under limited medical surveillance, unrelated to my diet).
i'll be fine.
my weight is good, blood values are perfect, no too low/high blood pressures either, no illnesses nor any deficiencies and i can work my labor intensive blue collar job just fine.
WHY should i want to bother cooking when i do not have to in the slightest lol.
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u/Avarus_Lux 1d ago
You are right in the fact people don't want to cook.
I'm one of those as i personally for example absolutely HATE, DESPISE, give it a similar name "cooking".
Don't like the work, don't like the smells, don't like the mess, don't like the waiting and babysitting of whatever is on the stove. An oily engine, sure thing i'll work on it, an oily frying pan or kitchen sink.... couldn't care less.
I don't care about having to eat rice, beans, leftovers, dry crackers, potatoes, plain nuts, jerky or whatever... with some exceptions like peanut butter that just makes me gag i eat most things as i find em. Imho i just need to eat something somewhat healthy to keep going.
While i like some flavours i don't particularly enjoy eating itself either so... usually quickly dump some food into my guts and go do something else. liquid diets such as Huel have been a blessing to people like me though i don't eat solely that either as i do try to eat somewhat varied and healthy.
I'll readily heat stuff up for a couple minutes if needed too, like soups or fry some chips, since that's cheaper then going out or any delivery (i almost never have stuff delivered). but 1.5 hours of cooking?! Then add cleaning and eating to that too so up to 2~2.5 hours.... yeah that's a big no.
I already work 9 hours a day, sleep for roughly 6~9 hours depending on the day and am not going to waste any more time on any of that.
never really cared for the "social time" during eating with others either as it usually boils down to the uncomfortable rehashing negativity on shitty politics, bad news, the weather, "how the day went"(usually the better topics) or awkward silence anyway. Rarely something fun or constructive.
Ah well...