Why don't today's younger ladies cook?

[SierraCook]

again, now how much control do YOU have over the salt & sugar content in all the pre-packaged and fast foods that kids eat today?

Very little. Even what is considered to be healthy for you at a fastfood restaurant actually may not be that healthy. I agree the healthiest way to eat is at home where you can control your portions or sugar, fat, and salt amounts.

at the same time, how many ladies here want/desire/ask for expensive dinner tables... and they don't cook. if EVERYONE is eating fastfood, takeout, or pre-packaged, in-front of the TV set, or eating while driving, why do you need a dinner table?

Ok, this is really getting old!! Why do you keep mentioning the fact that women or ladies as you call them don't cook. That line of thought is getting redundant. I know many women who have 40 hour or more per week jobs and do the majority of the cooking. Also, why do you keep referencing women? What about the men? And personally, I don't really care want kind of table folks have or whether they eat at it or not. The main thing is that whether a meal is prepackaged, takeout, fastfood, or in front of the TV that they do it together.

and since no one is sitting down, enjoying dinner together... i wonder what impact that has had on the traditional american family where you ACTUALLY had discussions with your parents & kids over dinner.

So, let say that Mom packs up the kids and drives to her son's soccer game and stops at Asian takeout to buy dinner and Dad meets them there after work. Is that necessarily a bad thing? At least she is getting the family together in some fashion. Just because they don't sit around a table like the Walton's does not mean that they are not a family or don't have family values and discussions.

Ok, I have had my say and I will step off the soapbox now.

 

[Little Miss J]

I am 23 and I work full time and live by myself. I still cook dinner most nights. Living in the country means that if I want to eat something I like I had to learn to cook. I was encouraged to cook by my mum but my excellent home ec teacher in high school was a big inspiration and helped me think outside the square a bit more. And encouraged me to try to cook things that are a little bit harder. Now I give recipes to my mum to try and cook!

 

[Banana Brain]

I'm a young woman who loves cooking. But I guess I'm one of few. The reason most of my friends don't cook is because they say their too busy. I think the reason really is simply that taco bell is always open, cheap, and wonderfully convenient. The times have just made it easier to buy a pre-made meal.

 

[AriesGirl71]

Wow.. what an interesting but yet true topic. I have been reading everyones replies and do tend to agree that most women are so busy working outside the home that when they do come home.. they are so tired that they do not feel like cooking. I consider myself part of the younger ladies and I DO cook, mainly because I love to cook and prepare home cooked meals for my family. I even have my availibilty at work as days so I can be home to make dinner every night. Other women were never taught how to cook. If it had not been for my grandmother.. who knows I may not of had the interest in cooking that i do have. My grandmother was an awesome cook and she was my inspiration for cooking. She taught me so much. It is sad that the younger generation don't cook as much. I myself am making sure my kids KNOW how to cook, even my son.

 

[JCook]

I am 22 and I am in school. I love to cook and I at least try and cook 3 or more days out of the week. My husband is only home 14 days out of the month so I cook mostly when he is home. But we do enjoy eating out.

 

[lkcheat]

When I was young I was liberated from sex roles and refused to learn to cook. My mom insisted that I learn to at least sew. It looked like a life of slavery to me. Now that I have a family, I have developed a keen interest in cooking. I also learned how to fix cars early on, a skill that young men don't seem to care to learn.

It depends on how you look at things. My dh has learned to cook and feels its easy and every man should learn how. My ds wants to take home ec in school, a move that might brand a male 30 yrs ago. I think you should learn all the skills you need to be independent as an adult.

I have improved my cooking to the point that my mom would rather eat my meatloaf than chocolate.If only I could find someone around here to teach me how to can food...

 

[CharlieD]

Hm, I think I'm going to go ask my wife. She doesn't cook and actually nobody in the family wants her to cook, though kids are very polite in telling her that her cooking is fine, but then they run to me and ask me to cook diner for the next day.

 

[Claire]

I've only read a portion of the answers, but I'll chime in anyway. So many women refused to learn to cook (or type, for that matter) because once they knew how to do that, people (i.e., men in power) wouldn't look past that. You're a woman, you cook, you make coffee, you type. It didn't matter if you had a Masters in Science, when you showed up for work, or got married, you were expected to cook, type, clean.

SO ... what happened was that (my) generation of women, instead of teaching their sons to type (a valuable skill in the computer era, no matter your goals) or cook (a valuable skill for everyone), women quit teaching their daughters those skills, thinking that if they didn't know how to cook or clean or type, they wouldn't be type-cast (pun not intended). So now we have generations of kids -- male and female -- who can't take care of their own sorry butts. EVERY kid should learn to do cooking basics, certainly to really type (not cutesy crap, really type) and sew on buttons, take out garbage, mow the lawn, etc. Instead of equalizing the chores, I'm afraid (I don't have kids myself) we've got a generation of kids who can't take care of themselves until years after they live home. Sad.

 

[DaCook]

Well I guess I can be proud. My daughter won the Yukon Culinary Skills competition when she was only 15. She was the youngest competitor that year. One of my sons makes an awesome mushroom sauce (I had made it for him and he loved it so much that he puts it on almost everything), he also makes nearly all his dinners (he no longer lives at home). The only problem is with the youngest one who still lives at home. He is still at the "shake'n'bake" chicken and fries stage. He does make the fries from raw potatoes, so he is learning, but he cooks alot of eggs when I am not home to cook for him.
I edited to add that the Yukon Culinary Skills Competition was a highschool level competition.

 

[licia]

I suppose being brought up in a traditional family, we assumed the role of cook, housekeeper, etc. I must say that even tho dh doesn't cook (except eggs) he is very good about keeping his clothes picked up and helping with the housework. When we first married anyone would have thought I was a slave. His mom did everything for him and I guess he thought I would too. NOT! I was going to school and later working. He had the same amount of time off that I did. If he was really interested in cooking, that would be fine with me, but his idea is just to get a meal (any meal) on the table and I don't like that. I want a meal to be worth the time it took me to make it.

 

[txoldshirley]

I still think it'd be nice if schools offered (or made mandatory) life skill classes, including cooking, sewing, small home repairs, balancing a checkbook, etc. would benefit all kids today. Even if they just taught the basics of cooking.

 

[Lizannd]

When you say a first of second date and cooking together

may explain why you think younger women aren't interested in cooking. What they really are not interested in is being alone with a man they don't know well. It would not really be safe or smart to put themselves in that situation. I would certainly not recommend that any woman (young or old)
go to the home of a person they don't know well when they will be alone. It is much safer to date in public places, and saying they don't cook may be easier to say. Just my take on it.

 

[velochic]

As an American who has spent a fair portion of her adult life in Europe, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY say it's cultural. Life is so fast in the US that PEOPLE IN GENERAL don't cook anymore. Not just young women, but young men, mothers, fathers, everyone! Life just isn't as fast and competitive in Europe. (Warning, sweeping general statements ahead, not directed to ANYONE here.) In the US, kids don't take the time to learn at their parent's elbow in the kitchen (I never did). It's also not presented as a passing on of cultural or familial tradition by parents (for me it wasn't - I mean, why pass on the recipe when you get it in the box). It's just not important - getting to soccer practice is (in my case basketball practice). My husband has a cookbook (handwritten) of his mother's Turkish and Armenian recipes and it would never have even occured to him to have passed up the opportunity to learn how to make these from his mother. Likewise, he is teaching our daughter, as well. We eat dinner together every night except the two hubby is teaching late at the uni. Every family that I know in Europe eats dinner together EVERY SINGLE night. Every family I know in the US (mostly cousins, sisters, etc.) RARELY eat together. I truly believe that if more focus was put on FAMILY TOGETHERNESS like it is in Europe, growing and grown children would see the benefit of a home-cooked meal and follow the lead. JMHO.

 

[Ishbel]

I echo Velochic's comments. (Not about the US - I'm not an American and therefore prefer NOT to make comments!)

BUT, even though my family are now grown and flown - my husband and I still eat dinner at the dining table, properly laid and we TALK... I think that's probably why we're still married after 30 years!

Nowadays, sadly, the UK seems to be following the lead of the US in eating on the hoof.

 

[urmaniac13]

Regarding the post of Velochic, I have noticed the similar trend also in Italy (or in Rome, more particularly...). Prepackaged readymade foods are so readily available in supermarkets and I see so many people buy piles of these stuff. Also I have encountered many other people (like wives of friends of Cris) who are less than impressive at cooking and their kids growing up on those blandly prepared or readymade packaged foods. It seems that also here, only those who have special interest and passion in gastronomy / good eating choose to do creative cooking these days. To me, very sad, especially in such food heaven like in Italy

 

[txoldshirley]

I echo Velochic's comments. (Not about the US - I'm not an American and therefore prefer NOT to make comments!)

BUT, even though my family are now grown and flown - my husband and I still eat dinner at the dining table, properly laid and we TALK... I think that's probably why we're still married after 30 years!

Nowadays, sadly, the UK seems to be following the lead of the US in eating on the hoof.

Well, I'm in the U.S.--Texas to be exact--and I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said. And, I'll go a step further--we here in the U.S. do everything to the "supersized" level--it's why a lot of Americans are overweight and have diabetes, heart problems, and high cholesterol. And, we're teaching our kids to be like that. Very rarely do you hear of families sitting down to dinner together anymore in this Country. Here in TX, the big family get-together is bbq (again, fatty foods served in overabundance). My boss just returned from France and talked about how small the portions of food were and how there are no 24 hour fast food places. We could take lessons from that.
Honestly, I have been a single parent and I have been in the position where hub cooked the meals because I worked late. I have just now become really interested in cooking (was always a good baker though). I try to cook healthy meals for us. I'm glad my son is learning the same, although he eats a lot of fast food.

 

[Choleskitchen]

I am 28 and have been cooking my entire adult life ( as well as much of my childhood). I make healthy and homecooked meals for my family and friends everynight. Also, as a result of this, many of my other young friends come to my house weekly for cooking classes, where I teach them just how simple it is to do some of this stuff. Many of my friends grew up without a mom cooking much, but because of my love of cooking they have become interested. If you like to cook, it kinda has a way of affecting those around you =0)

 

[Ishbel]

Well, I'm in the U.S.--Texas to be exact--and I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said. And, I'll go a step further--we here in the U.S. do everything to the "supersized" level--it's why a lot of Americans are overweight and have diabetes, heart problems, and high cholesterol. And, we're teaching our kids to be like that. Very rarely do you hear of families sitting down to dinner together anymore in this Country. Here in TX, the big family get-together is bbq (again, fatty foods served in overabundance). My boss just returned from France and talked about how small the portions of food were and how there are no 24 hour fast food places. We could take lessons from that.
Honestly, I have been a single parent and I have been in the position where hub cooked the meals because I worked late. I have just now become really interested in cooking (was always a good baker though). I try to cook healthy meals for us. I'm glad my son is learning the same, although he eats a lot of fast food.

I know what you mean about the HUGE portions in the USA. I have always found that I am what we in Scotland call 'over-faced' with food on my plate in the US.... I can only eat a small portion of the serving, and then find myself apologising profusely for leaving so much.... We are not used to the absolutely full-to-overflowing generous portions!