There are a bunch of us in the repeat offenders list when it comes to giving the excuse, ‘’Oh, I didn’t get the time to cook today”. You say it every day–to yourself, and to those around you with the gleeful hope that perhaps they’re buying the BS. The truth is, they’re not. Neither is your wallet.
Ordering in instead of cooking is a seemingly less daunting task, but there is a very clear limit. The population that’s still living at home with mummy-papa might have it a bit easier, like getting ghar ka khaana packed and ready to go. Living alone or with flatmates in another city doesn’t warrant for an unhealthy ordering-out obsession, which unfortunately is exactly what a bunch of us outstation kids fall prey to. Who in the world is going to spend 40 minutes just chopping vegetables when you can watch another episode of The Umbrella Academy, and let someone else deal with it? Well, that’s our failure in adulting speaking. It’s time to stop with the excuses and grow the eff up.
What we’re trying to say is that it’s not just about your health. It’s common knowledge that excessive junk food does mostly harm than good to your body. A cheat meal once in a while can still be justified as absolutely necessary, but eat out more often than that–and you’re pretty much dead meat. (Yes, we understand the need for a McAloo Tikki burger on hangover Saturdays). Then there is the money sitch that’s even more taxing. Although spending 250 bucks for a meal might seem like an okay-ish amount, but most often than not, when you add everything up, the total cost is eye-watering. Almost equivalent to the Zara bomber you were eyeing for three months.
If you relate to this, then there is a high possibility that you’ve given at least one of the following excuses when someone’s pointed out your very obvious flaw.
1. I hate cooking! I don’t think I can do it
Newsflash, honey! You don’t necessarily need to take out your kadhai to make a Masterchef-esque lunch. Go raw–make a salad or a salami sandwich. Even a bowl of fruits is a great option. There are a number of ways to go about it, but you will need to put in your best effort.
2. I am not overspending! My budget is a-okay…
Okay, maybe you earn enough to make up for the salary drainage, but we have one question: how’s your health? Doing well?
3. I have other things to do in the evening
Don’t all of us? How many of us can actually say we go home and do nothing? No one. With cooking, the best thing is leftovers. You can do one session and you’ll have enough food for the rest of the week, if you please. Again, the main thing is effort and dedication. Also, planning ahead is a great way to go about this challenging task.
4. Outside food is much tastier!
Of course, it is! Without the three-day-old stale oil and the refrigerated vegetables, how else would the food taste like it’s from Masterchef Australia? This is the main problem you must tackle, and it’s mostly in your mind. Every time you think this, visualize the conditions under which your food must have been prepared. Kitchens of most restaurants don’t follow hygiene regulations, you know!
5. Leftovers suck, and I don’t know where to keep them!
The main point of leftovers is that you get two square meals by cooking just once. So, how can you complain? Maybe it’s because you don’t want to eat the same thing twice in 24 hours–but that’s where a little planning goes a long way. You can easily eat some fruits, nuts, granola bars etc to compensate for the taste and not let the food go to complete waste. If you want to do well at adulting, there are some tiny sacrifices you’ll have to make! Like cooking, and not ordering takeaway every chance you get.
