It’s almost certainly a fair statement to make that the vast majority of people, all around the world, are well aware of just how great food is.

From culture to culture, and across time and space, people have relied on delicious meals to commemorate special occasions, to help to get them through difficult times, and to more deeply appreciate the beauty and wonder of everyday life, in and of itself.

But while everyone loves to eat, it’s unfortunately not the case that everyone loves to cook.

If you’ve been thinking about getting seriously into home cooking, but have felt as though you don’t have the time, skill, or energy to do so, here are a few reasons why you should just take the plunge and get started today.

Because both your health and sense of well-being can benefit significantly

Cooking your own meals from scratch is one of the best ways out there of taking more direct control of your own health and sense of well-being in life.

While it’s certainly possible to create home-cooked meals that aren’t “healthy,” cooking your own meals from scratch does – at the very least – put you in the driver seat with regards to choosing which ingredients you’re going to add to your meals, and in turn consume.

Not only is home-cooked food virtually always healthier than heavily processed food, but even just the act of cooking can be very relaxing and therapeutic, and can help to boost your sense of well-being and personal agency.

Because it’s never been easier to find recipes, ingredients, and resources

Once upon a time, eating a varied and interesting diet likely would have required a fair bit of effort, just in terms of actually finding the right recipes to use, and sourcing the ingredients required.

Today, however, it’s never been easier to find delicious recipes, ingredients, utensils and appliances, and other resources that can help you to be a more effective chef.

Within minutes you can find a mouthwatering Philly cheese steak casserole recipe online, or can find instructions for a great recipe that you remember your grandmother making, but that you never yet figured out how to make yourself.

Because getting into cooking can increase your gratitude and intentionality across various dimensions of your life

There’s something special – and deeply intimate – about cooking your own meals.

In one sense, it re-connects you to the earliest days of humanity, when hunter gatherers would have had to expend effort every day to secure their meals. And in another sense, it helps to remind us that we are active participants in our own lives, at a time when all of our basic needs can be met through third-party services, with virtually no effort on our part.

If you’re looking for ways to increase your sense of intentionality and engagement in your own life, in addition to enhancing the level of gratitude you feel for the everyday blessings of life, getting into home cooking is a brilliant place to start.