Sooooo.... is the “stupid stuff said by family” supposed to be both of them- because it seems like everyone at this party is a few cans short of a full six pack. Personally I think skills like cooking are part of self sufficiency, but ok. If you think cooking is sexist or whatever- that’s fine too. We all make choices on how to love and principals.
Not learning to cook won’t make you way 300lbs. Eating fast food every day won’t even make you “300lbs.” Eating too much will- that applies to home cooking too- plenty of people have gotten overweight on home cooked meals.
You won’t starve if you can’t cook. There are a WHOLE host of foods you an eat safely without needing to cook them at all. Most fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw, many grain products come pre cooked, and if we are willing to expand our definition of what “no cooking” means- a toaster or microwave can be used without “cooking” skill or knowledge- plenty of foods can be made simply with the skills to boil water more or less, and if we include things like waffle irons and counter top grills- or here’s a genius one- a crock pot/pressure cooker. I don’t think I’d classify throwing some stuff and water in a pot, pressing “go” and waiting all day “cooking.”
But even if we define “cooking” to include any heat source or any effort beyond opening a package and possibly stacking or mixing some pre portioned goods together... you won’t starve. You don’t have to spend a ton of money (for bulk cost you really would have trouble beating a home cooked meal like beans and rice- but if you’re making fancier dishes with proteins and such, and you aren’t buying in bulk- you can often eat out for similar cost per day if you shop smart.)
But as for gaining weight or not being healthy- that comes down to ones knowledge of nutrition- not cooking. There have been periods where I have literally not cooked a meal at home for several years. Not a single meal. The quality and quantity of food you get, and how much the costs hurt your finances depends a lot on how much you make, and what your budget is. Don’t forget- there are people who pay “fine out prices” to have ingredients delivered to their houses and they still cook it themselves. There are people who shop at high end or boutique markets and pay MORE for groceries a month than if they ordered casual dining.
It’s almost always going to over you a potentially less expensive option to make food at home- and comparing the costs of eating out to high end shopping- the costs of sandwiches made with high end deli or imported meats and cheeses and fresh made artisanal bread, built up with fresh “organic” produce- it will be pretty close to slightly more money than the cost of eating out- but you’ll likely be getting food that is less processed and has less additives and preservatives. But it’s all relative-
Eating high sodium “instant” cheap foods and canned goods and pre packed long shelf life goods for every meal for decades is very likely going to impact your overall health- but... there isn’t really a super clear consensus on that as long as you aren’t “overdoing it” and your sodium, cholesterol and other indicators are in range and you’re getting water and nutrition as you should- most people aren’t going to see a huge transformation in their health. Some folks are more sensitive and some less to these sorts of things. So it really depends.
It also has a lot to do with how involved and interested you want to be in your diet. How much time and effort you want to expend on it. Wether you’re seeking to make every meal delicious, or maximize the nutrition and health benefits of your diet- if you are willing to source your own food and network- you can often get top shelf ingredients that have some reason they didn’t or couldn’t be sold to market- but can be picked up for almost as cheap or even cheaper than big label consumer market grade stuff.
Most people, learning to cook is either or both just a question of budget, or a either the joy of cooking or the joy of eating. If you don’t like to cook, but you like to eat- cooking skills are almost a must, at least enough that you can provide yourself with a few meals you enjoy and can afford. So even if you think cooking is sexist- I think that MOST people will be able to enhance their lives by learning to at least cook their own favorite meals, or at the least some simple and affordable, healthy recipes that they can make when and if they need to feed themselves.
But overall I think that both siblings are cut from the same cloth here. I don’t see the bright future if humanity resting on either of their shoulders unless they both do some mental growing- because basically everything I read there from both of them was... let’s say... neither one appears very informed on the subject- but I can’t fault the sister who doesn’t want to cook as hard since it’s up to her if she thinks cooking is sexist, and I don’t know her life so if she doesn’t need to learn to cook- hey. That’s her choice.
Say cooking is sexist one more time. I dare you, I double dare you! It's a fucking skill! It's good to have it, no matter your gender! It makes you self reliable and more independent. If anything, it should be considered on the feminist side of the spectrum. If you don't want to cook for some man, that's fine, but at least learn it so that you can do it for yourself.
I swear to fucking god, I am going to cook one of these stupid fucks one day!
I swear to fucking god, I am going to cook one of these stupid fucks one day!