Homemade foods also serve as a strategy to change eating habits
Cooking is a sacred time for many people. In addition to bringing pleasure, the act of making homemade food can go much further, positively impacting mental health. This is what a study from Edith Cowan University, Australia, points out, when observing the effects of a healthy cooking course on 657 participants.
Participants reported positive psychological changes, as well as increased confidence and culinary satisfaction in both men and women – even breaking gender bias when talking about cooking.. “This, in turn, can help overcome some of the barriers presented by not knowing how to cook, such as easing the time constraints that can lead to high-energy but low-nutrition ready meals.”said in a note the leader of the research Joanna Rees.
COOKING AT HOME ALSO CHANGES EATING HABITS
“Obesity and mental health disorders are increasing simultaneously with the shift in eating behavior away from home cooking to typically low-nutrition, energy-dense convenience meals”, highlighted the researchers in the study. In addition to mental health, cooking at home also had an impact on changing eating habits.
According to Rees, a healthy and homemade diet is a strategic measure to prevent from the worsening of mental health to obesity. “Community-based culinary interventions target barriers to healthy eating and facilitate the development of food literacy skills, potentially increasing home cooking and positively influencing health”the researchers said.
Source: Recreio
