Cooking Your Own Food Can Make a Big Difference to Your Mental Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCooking Supports a Brain-Boosting DietCooking Increases Social ConnectionCooking Boosts Self-EsteemCooking Can Help You Build a RoutineCooking Expands CreativityHow to Get StartedNext in Dinner Party GuideHow to Keep a Conversation Going: Strategies That Actually Work

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Cooking Supports a Brain-Boosting Diet

Cooking Increases Social Connection

Cooking Boosts Self-Esteem

Cooking Can Help You Build a Routine

Cooking Expands Creativity

How to Get Started

Next in Dinner Party Guide

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It isn’t uncommon to hear the praises ofcooking our own meals. Many applaud this practice because it can save money, improve our health, and deepen our cooking skillsets. Yet, despite these benefits, many can find cooking to be a bore.

Regardless of which side you’re standing with, cooking is clinically proven to support our mental health.If you feel this is unexpected news, don’t just take our word for it. Read on to learn about the different ways preparing your meals can boost your mental well-being, plus some ideas on getting started!

Foods to Help Fight Depression

Did you know that certain foods can boost yourcognitive functioning? A study conducted in 2014 illustrated a connection between poor mental health and unhealthy diets.

Mediterranean DietConversely, abalanced dietvoid of processed foods can positively impact your memory and support proper neurotransmitter functioning. An example of food options that can boost these mental health benefits is the Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on healthy fats like olive oil, plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, and minimal red meat.

Mediterranean Diet

Conversely, abalanced dietvoid of processed foods can positively impact your memory and support proper neurotransmitter functioning. An example of food options that can boost these mental health benefits is the Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on healthy fats like olive oil, plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, and minimal red meat.

It is essential to acknowledge that the termunhealthy dietcan be riddled with much stigma and often negates the factors that lead to unhealthy food choices,including a lack of access and poverty.

If you find that fresh whole foods are inaccessible to you, consider checking out your local Community Supported Agriculture organization (CSA). This is an option offering fresh fruits and veggies weekly that are often more affordable than farmers' markets and grocery stores.

In addition, some offer low-cost fruit and veggie boxes to support community members experiencing financial hardship. Give them a call to see what your options for support are.

Meal Planning for Eating Disorder Recovery

How often does a recipe yield just one serving? It is pretty rare. Food is meant to be shared, and cooking offers an easy excuse to build community. It can be as simple as hitting up your farmer’s market and chatting with some of the vendors for recipe ideas.

You could enlist a buddy to experiment in the kitchen with or invite some loved ones over to break bread. Regardless of your choice, there are plenty of routes tosocial interactionwhen it comes to food.

The socialization linked to cooking is grounded in recent research. A 2017 study published in theHealth Education & Behavior Journalcites cooking as a great intervention used in therapeutic and rehabilitative settings.If you’re not sure where to begin, take a gander at some YouTube tutorials and get to experimenting.

How Long Should Your Morning Routine Be?

When our mental health is suffering, it isn’t uncommon for how we feel about ourselves to suffer. If we think that our brain isn’t functioning correctly, that thought often snowballs into believing that we’re unable to doanythingcorrectly.

Nailing a recipe you’ve been hoping to perfect can bolster yourself-esteemsignificantly. Even if it is as simple as a three-ingredient pasta dish (noodles, butter, parmesan – voila!), cooking is clinically proven to be asignificant confidence booster. This is because the feeling of creating something tangible that others can enjoy can be very gratifying.

Routine is so beneficial for our brains that a form of psychotherapy has been formed around it.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT)is a form of psychotherapy most commonly used with those experiencingbipolar disorder.

This therapy acknowledges how stressful life events and shifts in one’s daily routine can trigger mental health concerns—in the case of bipolar disorder; it can contribute to the onset of a depressive or manic episode.

This type of therapy instructs folks to create a schedule of when they go to bed, wake up, and eat, among other daily activities.In following a routine, our circadian rhythm can become balanced.

Thecircadian rhythmis our bodies’ internal clock that regulatescortisol, a stress hormone, andmelatonin, the hormone controlling our sleep-wake cycle. Cooking can become a pillar in your routine, thus contributing to your increased overall well-being.

What Is Cortisol?

A recent study states that incorporatingcreativeactivities into your daily life can significantly boost moods and overall well-being.

Another study qualifies cooking as acreative activity, going as far as to highlight the connections between cooking and mood improvement. So we can’t deny the science—donning your chef hat and courageously exploring your kitchen can lead to feeling better than ever.

What Is Mindful Eating?

At this point, you may be on board with the idea of cooking toboost your mental healthbut may have no idea of where to begin. Here are some ideas:

Keep in Mind

Regardless of how you choose to get started, don’t let fear or a lack of confidence intimidate you. Everyone starts somewhere and the mental health benefits of cooking provide plenty of reason to dig in.

Feel Good Foods: The Diet-Brain Connection

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A.Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review.Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-180. doi: 10.1177/1090198117736352O’Neil A, Quirk SE, Housden S, et al.Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2014;104(10):e31-e42. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110Ekstrand B, Scheers N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Ross AB, Landberg R.Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health.Nutr. Re. 2021;79(6):693-708. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa09Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankConner TS, DeYoung CG, Silvia PJ.Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing.J Posit Psychol. 2018;13(2):181-189. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049Mosko JE, Delach MJ.Cooking, creativity, and well-being: an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods.J Creat Behav. 2021;55(2):348-361. doi: 10.1002/jocb.459

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A.Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review.Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-180. doi: 10.1177/1090198117736352O’Neil A, Quirk SE, Housden S, et al.Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2014;104(10):e31-e42. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110Ekstrand B, Scheers N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Ross AB, Landberg R.Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health.Nutr. Re. 2021;79(6):693-708. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa09Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankConner TS, DeYoung CG, Silvia PJ.Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing.J Posit Psychol. 2018;13(2):181-189. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049Mosko JE, Delach MJ.Cooking, creativity, and well-being: an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods.J Creat Behav. 2021;55(2):348-361. doi: 10.1002/jocb.459

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A.Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review.Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-180. doi: 10.1177/1090198117736352O’Neil A, Quirk SE, Housden S, et al.Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2014;104(10):e31-e42. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110Ekstrand B, Scheers N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Ross AB, Landberg R.Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health.Nutr. Re. 2021;79(6):693-708. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa09Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankConner TS, DeYoung CG, Silvia PJ.Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing.J Posit Psychol. 2018;13(2):181-189. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049Mosko JE, Delach MJ.Cooking, creativity, and well-being: an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods.J Creat Behav. 2021;55(2):348-361. doi: 10.1002/jocb.459

Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A.Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review.Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-180. doi: 10.1177/1090198117736352

O’Neil A, Quirk SE, Housden S, et al.Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2014;104(10):e31-e42. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110

Ekstrand B, Scheers N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Ross AB, Landberg R.Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health.Nutr. Re. 2021;79(6):693-708. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa09

Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrank

Conner TS, DeYoung CG, Silvia PJ.Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing.J Posit Psychol. 2018;13(2):181-189. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049

Mosko JE, Delach MJ.Cooking, creativity, and well-being: an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods.J Creat Behav. 2021;55(2):348-361. doi: 10.1002/jocb.459

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