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How to Motivate Yourself to Cook When You Really Don’t Want To

By on February 24, 2022

By Cora Gold

There’s nothing worse than feeling hungry and having no desire to make food. Life gets busy, especially for moms, working women or anyone with other daily responsibilities. You might have a stocked pantry and all the supplies to cook, but the motivation isn’t there. This guide explains how to motivate yourself to cook when you really don’t want to, even if you don’t have time to make a complete meal.

1. Pick Your Favorite Flavor
If you’re one of those people who genuinely don’t enjoy cooking, focus on enjoying the flavor of your favorite dish. The idea of a tasty meal with your favorite spices, cheeses, or sauces will make standing at the stove look more appealing.

2. Prep the Ingredients
Time is another factor that complicates cooking. You might not have enough free time to cook for half an hour, but you can shorten the experience by prepping the ingredients.

Chop a few heads of lettuce for your weekly salads or combine ingredients for recipes in labeled sandwich bags. The prep time for each meal will disappear in a single afternoon.

3. Use a Random Number Generator
Think about your top 10 favorite recipes and create a virtual list in no particular order. Assign each recipe a number and use a random number generator website or app to select one. It’s a great solution when you don’t know what to make and feel up for anything.

4. Watch a Cooking Video
You can find free online instructional videos for anything you want to learn. When you’re craving seafood, browse cooking videos to learn how to use seafood ingredients in different ways. With guidance from a virtual expert, you could use the same lobster purchase to make mac and cheese, chowder, or grilled sandwiches.

5. Plan to Post a Photo
Posting your meal on social media could be the best way to motivate yourself to cook when you really don’t want to. Arranging it on your best plate and creating a centerpiece for your dinner table could get you excited enough to try a new recipe.

6. Delete Your Delivery Apps
Food delivery apps are tempting. They promise instant access to all your favorite foods and all you have to do is tap a few buttons. It’s much easier than cooking, which is why research shows the industry will grow to $289.60 billion by 2026 worldwide.

Removing them won’t delete your accounts forever, but it will eliminate the temptation to avoid cooking for yourself.

7. Flip Through a Cookbook
It’s much easier to start prepping and making a meal when you can’t get the final product out of your head.

Cookbooks have gorgeous photos of every completed recipe, so flip through one before heading into the kitchen. When you find a picture that makes your stomach grumble, nothing will hold you back from making it.

8. Create a Playlist
Sometimes your mood could keep you from cooking. Sad thoughts can affect your body and make you too tired to do anything, so make a playlist for those moments. A list of upbeat songs or the latest episodes from your favorite podcasts will make cooking much more enjoyable and get you in the right frame of mind.

Motivate Yourself to Cook

Now that you know how to motivate yourself to cook when you really don’t want to, try these tips when you get hungry. Whether you need a mood-boosting playlist, helpful videos, or an ingredient that can stretch into multiple recipes, you’ll find what you need to become a personal chef for yourself.

 

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Cora Gold has spent over five years writing about her passions for life, love and happiness. As Editor-in-Chief for women’s lifestyle magazine Revivalist and a freelance writer, she enjoys connecting with others who share these passions. Follow Cora on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Feature slider image by Jason Briscoe

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