Brain Health Brain Food Mental Health Benefits of Cooking Your Own Meals By Julia Childs Heyl, MSW Julia Childs Heyl, MSW Julia Childs Heyl is a clinical social worker who focuses on mental health disparities, the healing of generational trauma, and depth psychotherapy. Learn about our editorial process Published on April 29, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD Medically reviewed by Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD LinkedIn Twitter Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Mindful Media / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Cooking Supports a Brain-Boosting Diet Cooking Increases Social Connection Cooking Boosts Self-Esteem Cooking Can Help You Build a Routine Cooking Expands Creativity How to Get Started It isn’t uncommon to hear the praises of cooking our own meals. Many applaud this practice because it can save money, improve our health, and deepen our cooking skillsets. Yet, despite these benefits, many can find cooking to be a bore. This is understandable—with cooking comes daunting trips to the grocery store, dirty dishes galore, potentially setting off your home’s smoke alarm, and an inedible dish here or there. For these reasons, cooking can be a divided hobby: Some of us love it, and some of us hate it. Regardless of which side you’re standing with, cooking is clinically proven to support our mental health. If you feel this is unexpected news, don’t just take our word for it. Read on to learn about the different ways preparing your meals can boost your mental well-being, plus some ideas on getting started! How Much Does Diet Impact Depression? Cooking Supports a Brain-Boosting Diet Did you know that certain foods can boost your cognitive functioning? A study conducted in 2014 illustrated a connection between poor mental health and unhealthy diets. Mediterranean Diet Conversely, a balanced diet void of processed foods can positively impact your memory and support proper neurotransmitter functioning. An example of food options that can boost these mental health benefits is the Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on healthy fats like olive oil, plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, and minimal red meat. It is essential to acknowledge that the term unhealthy diet can be riddled with much stigma and often negates the factors that lead to unhealthy food choices, including a lack of access and poverty. If you find that fresh whole foods are inaccessible to you, consider checking out your local Community Supported Agriculture organization (CSA). This is an option offering fresh fruits and veggies weekly that are often more affordable than farmers' markets and grocery stores. In addition, some offer low-cost fruit and veggie boxes to support community members experiencing financial hardship. Give them a call to see what your options for support are. Try a Healthy Eating Plan to Reduce Stress Cooking Increases Social Connection How often does a recipe yield just one serving? It is pretty rare. Food is meant to be shared, and cooking offers an easy excuse to build community. It can be as simple as hitting up your farmer’s market and chatting with some of the vendors for recipe ideas. You could enlist a buddy to experiment in the kitchen with or invite some loved ones over to break bread. Regardless of your choice, there are plenty of routes to social interaction when it comes to food. The socialization linked to cooking is grounded in recent research. A 2017 study published in the Health Education & Behavior Journal cites cooking as a great intervention used in therapeutic and rehabilitative settings. If you’re not sure where to begin, take a gander at some YouTube tutorials and get to experimenting. Benefits of a Morning Routine Cooking Boosts Self-Esteem When our mental health is suffering, it isn’t uncommon for how we feel about ourselves to suffer. If we think that our brain isn’t functioning correctly, that thought often snowballs into believing that we’re unable to do anything correctly. Nailing a recipe you’ve been hoping to perfect can bolster your self-esteem significantly. Even if it is as simple as a three-ingredient pasta dish (noodles, butter, parmesan – voila!), cooking is clinically proven to be a significant confidence booster. This is because the feeling of creating something tangible that others can enjoy can be very gratifying. Cooking Can Help You Build a Routine Routine is so beneficial for our brains that a form of psychotherapy has been formed around it. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) is a form of psychotherapy most commonly used with those experiencing bipolar disorder. This therapy acknowledges how stressful life events and shifts in one’s daily routine can trigger mental health concerns—in the case of bipolar disorder; it can contribute to the onset of a depressive or manic episode. This type of therapy instructs folks to create a schedule of when they go to bed, wake up, and eat, among other daily activities. In following a routine, our circadian rhythm can become balanced. The circadian rhythm is our bodies’ internal clock that regulates cortisol, a stress hormone, and melatonin, the hormone controlling our sleep-wake cycle. Cooking can become a pillar in your routine, thus contributing to your increased overall well-being. What Is Cortisol? Cooking Expands Creativity A recent study states that incorporating creative activities into your daily life can significantly boost moods and overall well-being. Another study qualifies cooking as a creative activity, going as far as to highlight the connections between cooking and mood improvement. So we can’t deny the science—donning your chef hat and courageously exploring your kitchen can lead to feeling better than ever. What Is Mindful Eating? How to Get Started At this point, you may be on board with the idea of cooking to boost your mental health but may have no idea of where to begin. Here are some ideas: Reflect on what some of your favorite foods to enjoy are. Perhaps you love food that feels extremely intimidating to attempt yourself, like sushi or filet mignon. That is OK—you can still use that as an idea of what flavors you might like. For example, you could try baking salmon in your oven or making a simple burger in a skillet. Consider a cooking class. You’re likely to be around others who are also gaining confidence in the kitchen, which may help the experience feel much less stressful. If you’re nervous about going alone, enlist a friend to join you. Reach out to your inner circle. Asking a loved one to show you a few tips and tricks for preparing your meals may be a comfortable way to get started. Plus, it offers some social interaction that may feel like great solace during challenging times. A Word From Verywell Regardless of how you choose to get started, don't let fear or a lack of confidence intimidate you. Everyone starts somewhere and the mental health benefits of cooking provide plenty of reason to dig in. Feel Good Foods: The Diet-Brain Connection 6 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A. Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review. Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-180. doi: 10.1177/1090198117736352 O’Neil A, Quirk SE, Housden S, et al. Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Am J Public Health. 2014;104(10):e31-e42. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110 Ekstrand B, Scheers N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Ross AB, Landberg R. Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health. Nutr. Re. 2021;79(6):693-708. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa09 Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder. Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrank Conner TS, DeYoung CG, Silvia PJ. Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing. J Posit Psychol. 2018;13(2):181-189. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049 Mosko JE, Delach MJ. Cooking, creativity, and well-being: an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods. J Creat Behav. 2021;55(2):348-361. doi: 10.1002/jocb.459 By Julia Childs Heyl, MSW Julia Childs Heyl, MSW, is a clinical social worker and writer. As a writer, she focuses on mental health disparities and uses critical race theory as her preferred theoretical framework. In her clinical work, she specializes in treating people of color experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma through depth therapy and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) trauma therapy. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.