Top 7 Reason's Why We Don't Want to Cook

I recently read this blog post shared by Superhealthykids.com from thefoodnanny.com. It was titled 'The 10 Most Common Excuses for Not Cooking'. I loved the article and found myself thinking about the reasons why I choose not to cook or am hesitant to start up a meal in the kitchen. I realized my reasons were a little different then the ones listed above, and I would love to hear what your reasons are for leaving the kitchen unattended!

 My Top 7 Reason's Why We Don't Want to Cook 

#1 I Don't Want to Make a Mess

You read that right, so many days I don't want to cook dinner because I don't want to mess up my clean kitchen. As I write this it sounds even more ridiculous than when I thought it. I like my clean kitchen, and by the time dinner time comes not only am I tired and don't want to mess up my already cluttered kitchen, but I don't want to make more of a mess. Do I clean the clutter to cook, to make a bigger mess, to clean that up to? Seems crazy to clean, cook, and then clean some more....did I hear someone wanted Pizza? Delivery it is!

#2 It's Cheaper to Go Out!

I like to believe the lie that it is actually in our financial benefit to dine out. I don't want to go to the grocery and spend a X amount of dollars on all of the ingredients I need, to then come home and cook it, when I could drive through or order takeout for $20. BUT when I take the time to think of the number of meals I'll be cooking, all of the left overs, and the cost per person per meal - very rarely is eating out less money then dining in. But I still have a mental battle when my fridge is bare and I just don't want to spend money.

#3 It's Work!

This is so true. It takes work to think up a meal, buy the ingredients, create the meal, dish out the food, eat it, and then clean it all up. It's work...work that when I plan is a heck of a lot easier but work it is. Some days I just don't want to 'work' any more.

#4 Dirty Dishes

This goes along with my first reason. I don't want dinner to end because I don't want to attack the mass of dishes, utensils, rags, and chewed food waiting for me in the sink. I just don't want to do it. I've contemplated using paper plates on a regular basis so I don't have to do dishes. We run our dishwasher every night. By the end of the day it is full and I just don't love loading the dishwasher and then hand washing the large pots/pans or whatever doesn't fit in the evening. Is it just me?

#5 I Don't Plan

I cook the most when I plan. I am the most efficient and less likely to eat out when I plan. BUT days, let's me honest here, weeks come when we are scrambling at dinner time, eating out more, or eating poorly all because I forgot to meal plan (that also goes back to #3 It's Work!).

#6 Shopping with Kids 

I love my kids, I actually don't even mind grocery shopping, but something about going to the grocery with my kids makes me want to shut down. I have to give myself a pep-talk before heading to the grocery and it's not because my kids are wild. It's the amount of work I have to go through to get out the door, to then get them in the cart, to walk through the store while magically distracting them, and then loading all of the groceries in and out of the cart and into the car, and trying NOT to leave the kids unattended while getting back IN the car. Ugh it's just not my favorite thing. So this makes me not want to cook some days.

#7 I Don't Know How

Ok, let me explain. I know how to cook, or at least I like to think that I do. I've always loved to bake, and if you give me a recipe I can usually follow it, but sometimes cooking is intimidating. Trying new recipes can be a lot of fun, but when you spend a lot of money on ingredients you don't want to screw up a recipe. So I know that sometimes we don't want to cook because we are intimidated by the  idea of cooking or the specific meal.