It’s no surprise that the art of cooking and baking is somewhat of a lost skill as time goes on. With such an emphasis on saving time, people tend to turn to boxed cake mix and pre-made cookie dough. It’s time that we stop this trend and head back to the kitchen because there is so much more to preparing your own food than the time it takes.

1. It tastes SO much better

scratch

Photo by Kirsten Andersen

Artificial flavourings versus fresh ingredients…need I say more?

2. It’s more fun

scratch

Photo by Tess Le Moing

Singing and dancing while mixing up a batter or a meal is a perfect way to de-stress, as it uses different aspects of the human spirit. Yes, it’s a little more time consuming than simply adding water to a powdered mix or microwaving a package, but the process is fun.

3. The options are endless

scratch

Photo by Luna Zhang

Making things from scratch allows you to experiment with different flavours. You can end up with so many cool combinations that you might not discover in a box. I know there are ways to improve boxed mixes or even transform them into totally different foods, but if you’re going to do all that work, why not just start from scratch?

4. It’s more rewarding

scratch

Photo by Laura Lim

It’s so satisfying to see people enjoy food that you’ve made from scratch rather than something you’ve made from a box. You can take pride in the new skill you’ve learned, and it will come in handy later on in life.

5. It’s healthier

scratch

Photo by Sarah Stettin

Way less preservatives, (propylene glycol mono esters of fatty acids, anyone?). Not to mention less sugar, salt, and fat. Also, you have the ability to make whatever healthy substitutions to a recipe you want.

Although eating food that takes little to no time to prepare may seem more appealing in the moment, think twice next time before you grab a Uncle Ben’s instant rice rather than whole ingredients because cooking and connecting with food deserve the time of day.