This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rowan chapter.
Packing your own lunch is a difficult task that many of us can only dream of doing. However, there are many reasons to do it! Although the fast food may be calling your name, these 10 reasons may just change your mind.
- Save money: Even though we all love Panera, Taco Bell, Pizza, and basically all other fast food items that are popular for lunch time, we know that the bill adds up, and at end of the month our statement looks like we literally ate hundreds of dollars. Does this seem ridiculous to think about? Well, it is the truth. If you average just $5 on lunch every day for a month, you can easily spend $150 a month! And let’s be honest here, we all know that a $5 wholesome lunch is rare.
- Know exactly what you’re eating: Speaking of wholesome food, you can never be too sure what is in that pasta salad you’re buying, or just how long that sandwich was sitting there before you ordered it. When you make the food, you know exactly what is in the ingredients, and you know how fresh (or not) it is.
- It’s better for your health: Along with knowing exactly what is in the food, you can also control the quality of the ingredients. A lot of times, prepared foods we buy from the store or lunch items we buy from quick to-go style places not only contain preservatives, but also salt, sugar, and fatty ingredients. These are not the ideal things to be consuming at any point in your life, and especially not when you are a busy college student! You need your energy.
- Saves you time: But being a college student means that you have very little time to spare around lunch hour. However, think of it this way; every day you eat out for lunch, you spend at least 30 minutes on the process. You have to decide what you want, you have to wait in line, you have to wait for your order, and things aren’t often as quick as we want them to be. But when you cook lunches at home, you can meal prep at the start of the week and spend 1-2 hours at one time, instead of spending 3.5 hours spread throughout the week.
- Experiment: And while you meal prep, you can experiment! You can try new things you’ve seen on TV, buy new ingredients from the store, and play with the flavors you have in your pantry. It’s much better than going with the usual sandwich from the same shop – you don’t want to end up in a rut!
- Learn to cook: Meal prepping, no matter how small it is, is an experience. It teaches you skills needed in the kitchen, and teaches you how to cook! You can start off small – boil some pasta and add sauce. But after a few weeks, you’ll be broiling, sautéing, and meal-prepping your way to the Next Food Network Star. Well, maybe.
- Feel like a YouTuber: Admit it, you watch Youtuber’s whiz around their kitchen with DIY Healthy Lunch tips and recipes and a small part of you wants to do it too. You’ll feel like a Youtuber if you start making your own lunches, and maybe even with a little practice, you can start your own channel or blog.
- Relaxing: Taking time out of your week to make meals can be really relaxing. You put effort into your entire life, and your meals should be no different. As long as you stay calm, follow directions when necessary, it can be really calming. Also, it saves you the anxiety of running late in the mornings and not knowing what you want to eat!
- Expand your world: Learning new skills helps you grow as a person, and cooking lunches will be the tip of the iceberg to the opportunities that will arise once you master the skill. You might learn that you love it, and take up a new hobby. You might become the master chef in your social group! Also, cooking could lead to other hobbies as well!
- Makes you accountable: When you make your meals, you are not only more conscious of what you are eating, but what is in your fridge. You know what the better choices are and you know how to avoid them – by not using them in the first place. You can monitor your intake more carefully too.
Cooking can be a daunting task, but when you work on the skills you need to refine, you might start to enjoy it. The benefits of cooking far exceed the pitfalls, and the internet is a wealth of information for you to use to enhance your skills. Try it out, it may surprise you!