For the past two years, the world has been going through many significant challenges.
The pandemic is an unprecedented event nobody was prepared to experience. What’s more, it isn’t like the typical seasonal disease. Its effects weren’t just limited to the infectious illness one can contract. It also demanded many changes in people’s behavior. This includes practices such as social distancing, wearing of masks, and the constant need for sanitation. Above all, the pandemic has also affected people’s lifestyles far more significantly than they have noticed.
How did the pandemic affect people’s lifestyles?
With the fear of infection its most significant hurdle, restrictions were the primary changes the pandemic has imposed. Malls, theaters, sporting venues – any area which can hold several people had to close. The lockdown had forced people to stay inside their homes for most of their days and find new hobbies and ways to entertain themselves. This had people becoming artists one moment to being top chefs and bakers the next, hoping to find new pursuits to spend their time with.
One of the trends that gained popularity commonly had people stuck in their kitchens, finding peace against the chaos through cooking and baking. From specialty coffees to pancake cereals, people have become creative at home. Staying at home had undeniably triggered a lot of resourcefulness in people to turn the same available and limited ingredients into new and unique dishes. Additionally, the pandemic did not only tap into people’s hidden chefs. It also pushed some to undergo an increase in snacking and emotional eating, such as boredom and stress eating. Thus, it can be presumed that the pandemic has changed people’s eating habits and how they view food.
While the world is slowly healing after years of struggling with the virus, it’s still far from the normal that it had been. Though years have passed since its emergence, the virus continues to spread, lockdowns intermittently happen, and new variants continue to rise. It’s unsurprising that people still stay vigilant around crowds and limited spaces. Given how the post-pandemic situation is playing out, recovery back to the pre-pandemic normal may take long.
The world’s future now depends on how people react to the continuous threat and their measures to lessen the chances of contracting the virus. In terms of their cooking and eating habits, more people have chosen to eat healthier. Since the lockdown has somehow become their trial ground in the kitchen, they have likewise become more confident in cooking.
Research says 71% of the population will continue to cook at home post-pandemic.
Given that the pandemic and the worldwide trends taught people to enjoy their time in the kitchen, it’s easy to picture how people may continue this behavior. Even with the world returning to normal and the restaurants resuming services, they may continue to cook independently rather than buy outside. One of the top motivators for this change is people realizing they can save more if they cook at home, which can help them eat healthier. When they have the liberty to choose their ingredients and cook them how they want them, they can better control their health and lifestyle.
Additionally, the lockdowns had taught people that cooking at home can be fun. They can try out new recipes, making cooking a relaxing and exciting chore. While it’s all predictive, as long as this trend of exploring new recipes and sharing them with the world continues, it’s safe to expect that people will prefer staying at home to eating out more in the future.
The pandemic redefined cooking
With the uncertainty of what’s to come in the future, new trends may continue to pop up with people constantly experimenting, and seeking new recipes. The pandemic has made cooking a worldwide community, where people are free to share their unique recipes, and others are more than willing to try them. It widened people’s perspectives about food and made them more adventurous in trying out new things. But above all, the one surefire influence the pandemic has over people’s eating habits is the evident focus on health. With the immune system playing a massive part in ensuring the virus stops spreading, it’s only crucial that people learn how to take care of it.
If you’re still in your experimental spirits, it’s high time that you explore various recipes and hear out advice from new people. You can start by purchasing cookbooks from celebrities or local people who wish to participate in this chance. You might want to check out author Eleanor Gaccetta’s book “Generations of Good Food” to reflect on how cooking trends and habits have changed over the previous generations. The book compiles Gaccetta’s recipes and heartfelt stories about families’ kitchen experiences.
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