There’s low fat, no fat, low sugar, no added salt, gluten free, lactose free, low GI, high protein and the list goes on.

That’s without even considering meal plans like Lite ‘n’ Easy or meal replacements. 

But Canobolas Rural Technology High School students showed there was still a lot to enjoy about food when they held a cooking competition earlier this week.

Sure, cherry pie and doughnuts might not be the healthiest offerings, but cooking is a skill that is now quite undervalued in the impact it can have on our diets.

They say successful people make their bed because it’s the first achievement of the day and even if the rest of the day goes horribly, they can jump into a made bed that night and start fresh the next morning.

Cooking from scratch is similar. 

While cooking shows at the moment might give the impression a meal is no good unless it’s been sous vide (translation: slow cooked at a lower temperature in a water bath, usually with a tonne of butter and herbs), it’s quick and easy to make something healthy and yummy if you know how.

Those who cook regularly would also be familiar with the little kick you get from loved ones when you make something especially yummy, or rescue something from the brink of disaster.

But the main advantage of cooking from scratch is you know exactly what is going into your food, and that’s not just a positive for those with food allergies and intolerances. 

Studies have shown home cooks consume less sugar, fat and overall calories than people who rarely cook. 

This is due to a few reasons – pre-packaged meals tend to use a lot of sugar and salt to make their products taste good, particularly when they’re marketed as low fat.

Home cooks also have the advantage of making their own calls – if there’s a bit of fat in the meat they’re cooking, maybe oil can be left out or if there’s cream in a sauce recipe, it can often be substituted for lighter sour cream or Greek yoghurt. 

One of our reporters was interested to find out from the CWA that there’s even a health benefit in eating cake, as long as it’s homemade from fresh ingredients rather than packaged mixes full of chemical preservatives.

Hopefully these students have picked up from the competition not only problem solving and time management skills, but a passion for food that will set them up for life.