I know what you’re thinking: “I’m already a student with a packed schedule, why would I possibly want to add more to my calendar!” That’s a great question, I’m glad you asked!
It might seem counterintuitive to add another class to your schedule as a student, but in the long run, you’ll be thanking yourself for ensuring you have the practical knowledge you need to help keep yourself happy and healthy.
According to nutritionist Ishi Khosla, “many [students] opt for unhealthy high-calorie food outside of college, which may leave calorie and nutrition gaps.
These poor food choices during college years can often lead to problems such as lowered immunity, hormonal imbalance, frequent bouts of cold and cough, digestive problems, skin and hair problems, and even depression.”
If you’re not paying attention, it is all too easy to slip into a bad pattern of either eating too much junky food, resulting in weight gain and medical maladies associated with too many fats and salt. Alternatively, it’s also easy to accidentally not eat enough, or only eat foods that offer little to no nutrition, leading to unhealthy weight loss and problems associated with under-nourishment.
Healthy Cooking Tips & Recipe Suggestions
- Use healthier oils: Opt for healthier oils like olive, avocado, or coconut oil instead of unhealthy oils like vegetable or canola oil.
- Bake, grill, or steam your food instead of frying it.
- Use herbs and spices: Add flavor to your meals with herbs and spices instead of relying on high-sodium condiments or sauces.
- Incorporate more vegetables: Try to include more vegetables in your meals, either as a main dish or a side dish.
- Limit processed foods: Opt for whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible.
- Watch portion sizes: Be mindful of portion sizes, especially when it comes to high-calorie foods.
Recipe Suggestions
- Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables: Cut up your favorite vegetables, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast in the oven. Serve with grilled chicken breasts.
- Quinoa salad: Cook quinoa and mix with diced vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red pepper, and a dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.
- Veggie stir-fry: Sauté your favorite vegetables with a small amount of oil and serve over brown rice.
- Baked salmon: Season salmon fillets with herbs and spices, then bake in the oven until cooked through. Serve with roasted vegetables or a salad.
- Chickpea and vegetable curry: Sauté diced onion and garlic, then add diced vegetables, chickpeas, and a can of diced tomatoes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, then serve over brown rice or with naan bread.
But don’t worry! With a few tips, you can keep your health at the front of your mind, and make sure to set yourself up for success in your studies and through the rest of your life.
Learn How To Cook With A Teacher Near You
Cookery classes from a private teacher who is right for you will understand your particular needs and help you learn them. If you only want to learn recipes, they will teach you recipes.
If you want to know knife skills, how to deglaze with wine, and how to brulee a brulee, they will teach you that as well.
So, you need to decide what exactly you want to ask your teacher to teach you!
Taste Preferences
Do you want a teacher who can teach you Mediterranean cuisine? Do you absolutely hate onions and need a teacher who can teach delicious food without them? Or better yet, show you how to cook onions so well that you actually enjoy them? Decide what you need to ask your teacher for in your introductory lesson so you can tell if they understand your palate.
Along these lines, remember that SuperProf has teachers from all over the world on the platform. You can find so many different cooking experiences and philosophies from so many different countries! But one thing to keep in mind is: can they provide easy-to-cook recipes for Indian students?
Dietary Restrictions
Even more important than taste is any dietary restrictions you have. If you’re allergic to peanuts or milk or tomatoes or gluten, you need a teacher who knows how to take that into consideration. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you need a teacher who will know how to cook without using meat. The cooking recipes your teacher gives you will suit your specific needs.
Kitchen Gear
Often, in student quarters or small apartments, you will be limited in what cooking equipment you have. Either there is no room, or the gear is simply too expensive. No worries! Your teacher will know how to use all the items you do have to their fullest potential.
The recipes they teach you will be possible using only what you already have, or they will let you know if there is a vital and useful item that you need to pick up, like a cutting knife. Your ideal teacher will not require you to invest in kitchen gear you don’t want or cannot afford.
What’s In Your Fridge?
Just like kitchen items, food items can be hard to find or afford as well. And just like the equipment, your teacher can teach you to use basic and easy-to-find ingredients to make all kinds of delicious recipes to your tastes. If you are able to get fresh ingredients regularly, they can tell you how to make the most of them.
If you find yourself unable to shop a lot, your teacher will help you use dry ingredients to make your meals.
A Friendly Face
Of course, you can’t forget the most important part: your vibes! The right teacher for you will make you feel comfortable, capable, and will have patience with you while you learn. Maybe you need a teacher you can crack jokes with, or maybe you’d prefer to be more professional. Either way, it’s all your choice!
Synchronized Schedules
The great thing about hiring an online teacher is that you can learn cooking at home! Since there are teachers all over the world, it means that you will definitely be able to find a teacher who fits your schedule. Do you only have time to learn every other Wednesday at 11:30 PM? Well, your teacher can accommodate you! For them, it might be 9 AM on a Thursday, and they’re more than happy to be helping you during normal business hours anyway! It’s a win-win.
Lesson Plans
If you only have so much time or funds to invest in your cooking journey, then your cooking teacher will know how to reach your goal in the time frame you require. Maybe you can only spare 4 hours over the course of a month, and that’s all you can do. Your ideal teacher will work with you to know what is the most important stuff to teach you first so that you can reach your goal.
Judgment Free Zone
Whether you need to learn how to boil water, or you are ready to learn to sear a salmon, your teacher will be able to help you reach your particular goals.
Help Yourself, Too!
Along with a cooking teacher, you can always help yourself learn skills on your own.
Maybe you already have basic skills but you need a little recipe inspiration. Check out some recipes on our blog, located here and also here!
Everything About Nutrition!
It’s possible you might find a teacher who also has an education in nutrition. If that is a requirement for you, then you will find them! But, if you’re willing and able to learn a bit about nutrition on your own, it can go a long way in knowing what to ask your teacher about.
If you already know how much protein, carbs, sugars, and fiber you need to feel your best, then you can make sure to learn recipes from your teacher that take those figures into consideration.
It’s important to remember that even if your teacher has education in nutrition, they are not your doctor. It’s up to you to keep yourself healthy as best you can and to make sure to see a doctor if you need medical advice.
The goal is to be able to cook healthy meals for yourself with the help of a teacher to guide you in the right direction. Once you get familiar with the ingredients, methods of cooking, and basic nutrition knowledge, you’ll be able to make sure you are fed well for the rest of your life!
Cooking Is An Essential Skill, Understand & Hone It
To sum it all up: cooking is a valuable skill you can use to feed yourself, friends, family, and others for the rest of your life. You will eat so many meals throughout your life, it’s worth knowing how to make them good! You’ll save valuable time and money by cooking at home rather than ordering takeaway or buying unhealthy premade foods.
Cooking is an essential skill for everyone, not just students. Every doctor you visit in the near future will tell you that you are what you eat and everything that happens to your body is a reaction your body gives you. A person who eats only junk food will often find that the unhealthy salt content of the food can harm the body in a lot of ways. In order to avoid eating junk food every day, it is essential to learn cooking as a skill.
A person who can cook can ideally balance the healthy and the unhealthy, as its scientifically proven that you can reduce the amount of salt and oil in your food by making the food at the home.
Furthermore, you’ll preserve your health by having fresh foods.
And, with the right teacher, you’ll know how to use different skills to create the outcomes you want in your kitchen. Maybe you’ll even make a friend! It may be a little bit of an investment in the beginning, but once you become a home chef, you’ll save so much more by being fast and efficient in the kitchen. Gain that confidence for life with a cooking teacher!
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