7 Reasons Why You Should Take Cooking Classes

Always wanted to try a cooking class, but don’t know if they’re for you? I’m here to tell you that cooking classes are for everyone, whether the only meal you can make is toast, or you’re a seasoned pro in the kitchen. Classes are a great way to get out of your comfort zone, learn new skills, meet new people, and spice up date nights. And if you’re a homebody like me, they are a great excuse to get out of the house and go make food instead of just buying it. Need further persuading?

Here are seven reasons you should take cooking classes:

1.  Learn new recipes

Whether you’re cooking for one, two, or meal planning for the whole family, sometimes you can get stuck in a recipe rut, making the same meals over and over again because they’re easy or quick. Going to a cooking class can inspire you to try new meals and add some variety to your weekly schedule. Classes cam also give you more meal ideas that you can involve your kids in making.

2.  Meet new people

Alone or as a couple, the usual setup for cooking classes crams a whole lot of learners into a confined space. Which is perfect for making new friends, striking up conversations, and getting help if you’re fumbling the recipe. The people surrounding you may be new to the class or regulars, but since you’re mixing ingredients and not dangerous chemicals, those around you should have time to chat and socialize. Just make sure you don’t burn your own dish if you get caught up in a conversation!

3.  Try new foods

Just like with tried and true recipes, it’s easy to fall into the habit of using the same meats, vegetables, and spices over and over again in the cooking that you do. Maybe you have no idea how to prepare a squash, or cooking anything but chicken seems like a dangerous proposal. A cooking class is the perfect arena for trying new things, as the instructions (and instructor) are right there, guiding you through the process. And you may learn to love some new foods that you can add to your grocery shop!

4.  Great for date night

If you date nights have dwindled or started to get stale (there’s only so many new movies out every week), a cooking class is a great way to spice up your one-on-one time with your partner. You get to work together and collaborate to make a dish, try new things and learn new skills, and the outcome is something you can both enjoy and share. Maybe only one of you rules the kitchen at home, but in a cooking class, you’re a team, which is a great dynamic for any relationship.

5.  Teaches you about seasonal dishes

This may not apply to all cooking classes, as I imagine some will have you making delicious desserts and cheesy main courses, but other classes will have you using seasonal fruits and vegetables to create your dishes. Becoming more familiar with what’s available locally and in season means that you’ll be getting the freshest ingredients to use at home in your own cooking, which gives you options for the hot summer months and cool winter ones too.

6.  Gives you healthier options

Again, not every class will have you making healthy meals, which is great, because sometimes we want to indulge. But learning how to make healthy snacks, low calorie meals, or meals packed with good-for-you ingredients mean that on days when you’re feeling sluggish or had one too many donuts for breakfast, you’ll have a recipe up your sleeve that will make you feel good and guilt-free to eat.

7.  Teaches you new skills in the kitchen

I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of kitchen utensils that intimidate me. And there are a lot of recipes that ask you to stuff, peel, chop, grate, julienne, mash, core, etc., and you can only Google or YouTube these things so many times before becoming disheartened. That’s why cooking classes are so invaluable, because you learn how to use different utensils and prepare your food in different ways, so when you get back to your own kitchen, you feel like a pro, and can chop herbs with the best of them.