As we welcome the turning of a new year, many of us have spent ample time reflecting on how we can improve our health. We envision ourselves eating healthier, exercising more, and having more energy. Simultaneously, we are being inundated with information on new diets and cleanses touting that we can improve our overall health with a short stint of clean eating before happily returning to our old eating habits. Although these programs can be beneficial in jumpstarting a healthy year, they generally lack staying power and are not conducive to promoting sustainable lifestyle changes.
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Healthy eating has become so confusing that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Our culture has become so far removed from promoting wholesome food that the thought of crafting a meal from scratch can be daunting for some. With our food system being predicated on consumers being ignorant and lazy, we are constantly being exposed to processed foods fraught with salt, sugar, and fat. In this system, it can seem extremely difficult to champion our health through our diet.
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The answer to a healthier diet is simple: we need to roll up our sleeves and get cooking. While prioritizing cooking in a society that constantly tells us that we are (or that we should be) “too busy” to cook certainly elicits a shift in mindset. At the end of the day if we want to know exactly what we are putting into our bodies, we must start in our kitchens.
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When we cook, we give ourselves the opportunity to choose what kinds of ingredients we use and we get the opportunity to know where those ingredients come from. In a world where prepackaged food has become the norm, knowing where our food comes from can be incredibly liberating. Here in West Michigan, we have several local businesses that strive to be transparent about where our food comes from making it easier to promote our health through cooking. Some of these businesses include the Fulton Street Farmers Market, Downtown Market, Kingma’s Market, Nourish Organic Market, Harvest Health, Horrocks Market, and G.B Russo & Son International Grocery.
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With access to local meat, dairy, produce, and the like, cooking can become an act of solidarity with our community. When we cook and choose to support our local food economy, we are supporting families in our region who work hard to provide us with the opportunity to eat real food. Cooking not only makes us healthier and connects us to our local economy, but it also connects us to one another in an intimate way. Taking the time to craft a nutritious meal for someone else, whether they be a friend, family member, or neighbor, is a beautiful act of love that promotes dialogue, creativity, and fosters connection. Choosing whole foods over convenience foods ultimately gives us the ability to take accountability for our health while celebrating our right to know what we are consuming. This year as we strive to nourish our bodies and our communities, let us keep in mind the power of cooking.
