4 ms·

> This is very interesting especially if you think "synthetic foods" not just literally but as take out, processed products and such. I know a lot of young prof

by mstade 5y ago

> This is very interesting especially if you think "synthetic foods" not just literally but as take out, processed products and such. I know a lot of young professional people who technically never cook. Like almost never and whatever they have at home is just snacks, if you hungry > order. There are a lot people like these. Anecdata – I'm on of these people. I live in central Stockholm, Sweden, and almost any hour of the day I'm able to either order in or go out and buy a meal. I don't even recall last time I cooked at home. Last time anyone cooked at my place was when a friend of mine who's also a chef stopped by for a visit. My kitchen is fully equipped, there's no want for tooling or space. I more or less never go grocery shopping, and when I do shop it's for whatever snacks and fruits I might want at home. Sometimes I buy bread and other things to make sandwiches, but that's maybe once every couple of months and it's the extent to which I shop for groceries. But when I go to my summer home on a small island with no grocery store, I cook every single day. I think it's a combination of necessity (you have to buy groceries and anything else back on the mainland, and it's a trek) and the fact that usually I'm not alone in the summer house, my brother is usually there too so I have someone to cook for. I really enjoy cooking, I can spend hours doing it and I don't even mind the tedious tasks like peeling potatoes or chopping onions and other things. I just never do it at home, for myself. Why should I, when I can just as easily order in? That way I don't have to throw out groceries that inevitably go bad because as a single person it's hard to shop just what I need, everything is in large multi packs. Even a loaf of bread will go bad before I'm able to eat it all. It's odd, but for me it really is very location dependent. It was the same when I lived in London, I don't think I cooked at home even once during those years.

sailingparrot 5y ago
> Why should I, when I can just as easily order in? Because > I really enjoy cooking, I can spend hours doing it ? Also if you are even just an average/mediocre cook, you can usually cook more tasty and interesting food than what you typically find on Uber eats, unless you order from a different high end restaurant every single day.
- galangalalgol 5y ago
  I enjoy cooking, but I enjoy other things more, and time is not infinite. I notice that when my wife and I go on vacation we cook much more and try out new recipes because at the airbnb there are fewer competing tasks or activities. And while I can cook and bake decently, there are some dishes I don't always want to put the time in for, or I haven't quite gotten right yet, or require fresh ingredients that I can't buy within a 30min drive. But the thai restaurant a few blocks away will have fresh keffir lime leaves and lemongrass brought in in bulk every day.
- spurgu 5y ago
  If you extend this into making/mending your own clothing, doing your own plumbing, electricity etc., suddenly all your time goes to these "maintenance" tasks. Sure if you're growing food as well on the side so that you can sustain yourself completely, it could be a happy way of living life. But if you have to work 8 hours per day to make a living, the spare time is valuable and subject to prioritization. Some people do some of these things on the side, as a pleasant hobby, but practically no "modern person" does all of them.
- mywittyname 5y ago
  I'm a reasonably good cook and this isn't terribly true for me. There are entire classes of foods I can't do as well as restaurants can. Be that because of a lack of equipment, or a lack of ingredients. I.e, I can make great pizza, but it doesnt' compare to the stuff I can get from the wood fired pizza place down the street. Same goes for India, Thai, Chinese, wings, etc, etc.
- mstade 5y ago
  You're right, I wasn't very clear – my apologies. What I meant to say was I really enjoy cooking for others, but cooking for myself isn't at all the same.
Tyr42 5y ago
Yeah, I cooked less when I didn't have flatmates to share with, even though I do like cooking. Cooking for yourself does feel like a chore.
ipiz0618 5y ago
I guess it depends on the location and wealth. Eating healthy is wayyyy more expensive than cooking healthy in some cities, even when you can buy a meal virtually everywhere.
davemp 5y ago
I live in a place were I could easily order / go out for every meal as well. If I cook ~2-3 times a week for myself and box up the leftovers, I get high quality meals for $2-5/meal vs $10-30/meal. This can save ~$8k per person per year just cooking 10 meals a week. This may not be worth it for some, but I've found the time savings of ordering in/carryout is marginal or actually worse than cooking and reheating leftovers. Waste and grocery trips generally sort themselves out in a couple weeks as you figure out a schedule. This obviously scales with number of people so for a family of 2-4 you'd save $16-32k/yr for little extra effort. These sort of home economics seem to have really fallen out of favor in my sphere, even in 2+ person households where $40k+ in maintenance/service/food costs can be saved (factor in childcare/education and I image the number can get to $100k+). I don't understand why people leave so much money on the table. There aren't many ways you can make $16k/year for a <5hr/week moonlighting position. --- > That way I don't have to throw out groceries that inevitably go bad because as a single person it's hard to shop just what I need, everything is in large multi packs. Even a loaf of bread will go bad before I'm able to eat it all. You have to cook larger batches and eat the leftovers. I've had bad luck with bread too tbh. I might just start making my own smaller loafs, because the quality is also just bad. EDIT: it’s also worth pointing out that savings values are post tax
Server6 5y ago
I did this for a decade and gained 60lb. I've since lost it, mainly from cooking at home.
- frockington1 5y ago
  Reduced sodium probably lowered your blood pressure as well
danans 5y ago
> My kitchen is fully equipped, there's no want for tooling or space. I more or less never go grocery shopping, and when I do shop it's for whatever snacks and fruits I might want at home. Sometimes I buy bread and other things to make sandwiches, but that's maybe once every couple of months and it's the extent to which I shop for groceries. > But when I go to my summer home on a small island with no grocery store, I cook every single day. The incentive to cook yourself instead of ordering food is multi-factorial, but a significant part is financial. People who only cook "touristically" like you describe are people for whom daily food expenses are a rounding error, whether ordered or cooked by themselves. This could include single well compensated people or very wealthy families. This is further amplified by the fact that food consumes a smaller portion of household income than it has historically. In contrast, when working and middle class families decide that they need to save more, the first place they usually economize is in their restaurant expenditures.
distances 5y ago
I feel tossing together some basic meal is so simple I can't bother to go pick anything from outside even though I live in the middle of great restaurant concentration. A bit of frozen veggies heated on pan, with pasta or couscous on the side. Takes literally ten minutes and costs less than one euro. Or a large casserole that takes an hour to cook but gives eight portions. Quick heat-up for lunch during the week saves time too, and you stay in control of the salt intake unlike with ready meals. So cheaper, healthier, faster. Downside is that those meals are pretty basic and repetitive, but then again eating out feels a bit more special if you don't do it every day. I do cook "real" recipes too with more steps and more flavor, but only with my partner as I don't care to do it just for myself for weekday meals.
xkgt 5y ago
People often overlook how wasteful (both time and food wise) it is to cook for single person, except for non-fussy eaters who don't mind eating leftovers.
- Nick87633 5y ago
  Leftovers are the best. Home cooked food without the hassle!

by mstade 5y ago

sailingparrot 5y ago

> Why should I, when I can just as easily order in? Because > I really enjoy cooking, I can spend hours doing it ? Also if you are even just an average/mediocre cook, you can usually cook more tasty and interesting food than what you typically find on Uber eats, unless you order from a different high end restaurant every single day.

galangalalgol 5y ago
I enjoy cooking, but I enjoy other things more, and time is not infinite. I notice that when my wife and I go on vacation we cook much more and try out new recipes because at the airbnb there are fewer competing tasks or activities. And while I can cook and bake decently, there are some dishes I don't always want to put the time in for, or I haven't quite gotten right yet, or require fresh ingredients that I can't buy within a 30min drive. But the thai restaurant a few blocks away will have fresh keffir lime leaves and lemongrass brought in in bulk every day.
spurgu 5y ago
If you extend this into making/mending your own clothing, doing your own plumbing, electricity etc., suddenly all your time goes to these "maintenance" tasks. Sure if you're growing food as well on the side so that you can sustain yourself completely, it could be a happy way of living life. But if you have to work 8 hours per day to make a living, the spare time is valuable and subject to prioritization. Some people do some of these things on the side, as a pleasant hobby, but practically no "modern person" does all of them.
mywittyname 5y ago
I'm a reasonably good cook and this isn't terribly true for me. There are entire classes of foods I can't do as well as restaurants can. Be that because of a lack of equipment, or a lack of ingredients. I.e, I can make great pizza, but it doesnt' compare to the stuff I can get from the wood fired pizza place down the street. Same goes for India, Thai, Chinese, wings, etc, etc.
mstade 5y ago
You're right, I wasn't very clear – my apologies. What I meant to say was I really enjoy cooking for others, but cooking for myself isn't at all the same.

Tyr42 5y ago

Yeah, I cooked less when I didn't have flatmates to share with, even though I do like cooking. Cooking for yourself does feel like a chore.

ipiz0618 5y ago

I guess it depends on the location and wealth. Eating healthy is wayyyy more expensive than cooking healthy in some cities, even when you can buy a meal virtually everywhere.

davemp 5y ago

I live in a place were I could easily order / go out for every meal as well. If I cook ~2-3 times a week for myself and box up the leftovers, I get high quality meals for $2-5/meal vs $10-30/meal. This can save ~$8k per person per year just cooking 10 meals a week. This may not be worth it for some, but I've found the time savings of ordering in/carryout is marginal or actually worse than cooking and reheating leftovers. Waste and grocery trips generally sort themselves out in a couple weeks as you figure out a schedule. This obviously scales with number of people so for a family of 2-4 you'd save $16-32k/yr for little extra effort. These sort of home economics seem to have really fallen out of favor in my sphere, even in 2+ person households where $40k+ in maintenance/service/food costs can be saved (factor in childcare/education and I image the number can get to $100k+). I don't understand why people leave so much money on the table. There aren't many ways you can make $16k/year for a <5hr/week moonlighting position. --- > That way I don't have to throw out groceries that inevitably go bad because as a single person it's hard to shop just what I need, everything is in large multi packs. Even a loaf of bread will go bad before I'm able to eat it all. You have to cook larger batches and eat the leftovers. I've had bad luck with bread too tbh. I might just start making my own smaller loafs, because the quality is also just bad. EDIT: it’s also worth pointing out that savings values are post tax

Server6 5y ago

I did this for a decade and gained 60lb. I've since lost it, mainly from cooking at home.

frockington1 5y ago
Reduced sodium probably lowered your blood pressure as well

danans 5y ago

> My kitchen is fully equipped, there's no want for tooling or space. I more or less never go grocery shopping, and when I do shop it's for whatever snacks and fruits I might want at home. Sometimes I buy bread and other things to make sandwiches, but that's maybe once every couple of months and it's the extent to which I shop for groceries. > But when I go to my summer home on a small island with no grocery store, I cook every single day. The incentive to cook yourself instead of ordering food is multi-factorial, but a significant part is financial. People who only cook "touristically" like you describe are people for whom daily food expenses are a rounding error, whether ordered or cooked by themselves. This could include single well compensated people or very wealthy families. This is further amplified by the fact that food consumes a smaller portion of household income than it has historically. In contrast, when working and middle class families decide that they need to save more, the first place they usually economize is in their restaurant expenditures.

distances 5y ago

I feel tossing together some basic meal is so simple I can't bother to go pick anything from outside even though I live in the middle of great restaurant concentration. A bit of frozen veggies heated on pan, with pasta or couscous on the side. Takes literally ten minutes and costs less than one euro. Or a large casserole that takes an hour to cook but gives eight portions. Quick heat-up for lunch during the week saves time too, and you stay in control of the salt intake unlike with ready meals. So cheaper, healthier, faster. Downside is that those meals are pretty basic and repetitive, but then again eating out feels a bit more special if you don't do it every day. I do cook "real" recipes too with more steps and more flavor, but only with my partner as I don't care to do it just for myself for weekday meals.

xkgt 5y ago

People often overlook how wasteful (both time and food wise) it is to cook for single person, except for non-fussy eaters who don't mind eating leftovers.

Nick87633 5y ago
Leftovers are the best. Home cooked food without the hassle!