At the very peak of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid is “Self-Actualization,” or making optimal use of one’s potential. However, reaching this peak is contingent upon the fulfillment of simpler needs placed at lower levels of the pyramid–food being one of those foundational needs. For this reason, my priority as a student, which should be my education and career growth, takes a backseat if I have to worry about what is my next meal or whether it is going to arrive at all… yes, I did have a nightmare experience once when I ordered a late night meal and only 1/4 of the order (just fries, to be specific) got delivered at my doorstep. This had caused me an emergency-like situation where I had to scavenge the refrigerator for tidbits to serve as sides for the fries. I resorted to binge cooking because I believed that if this basic worry of what next to eat were out of the way, I could dedicate more of my mental faculties to school work.

My several attempts at binge cooking have not resulted in a fine dining experience, but the no fuss meals put together in a higgledy pigglety have been very satisfying firstly, because I was very hungry when I ate them. Secondly, I made them myself, which gave me a sense of achievement. Third, I knew what ingredients went into it, so I can say with more confidence that I ate healthier food (at a cheaper price), and fourth, I also saved a lot of time (as compared to cooking every day) because my binge cooking approach is like working in an assembly line. You start with the common ingredients like salt, pepper and oil and sprinkle everything in a queue, customizing each item with a different seasoning or two so they taste different. Then you go on to preheat the oven and bake multiple meals in there together at the same time, and finally, clean up the scene of the crime. Also, because I have food stocked up and ready to wolf down this week, I end up saving the time I would otherwise spend in choosing what to order online, looking out the window to see if I could make the fast food delivery come faster, or going out to pick up the order.

With respect to how much effort it takes, one would wonder whether binge cooking is difficult for someone  with lesser culinary experience and if they could really climb the mountain of binge cooking especially when cooking even one meal can feel like a huge ordeal. Also, food shelf life also needs to be given some thought since the last thing you want is to have your effort land up in your trash can’s belly.  Well, binge cooking (the way I approach it) does not mean having to cook 21 meals a week. It means that you have something to fall back on when your work schedule does not permit. It is like putting together a minimalist wardrobe. Have the basics ready in advance, and then mix and match and disguise. Give a boring dish a makeover – the sauces are the jackets, the carbs are the scarves, the veggies are the hats and the nuts are the accessories. Other tips are to freeze parts of every dish and use some recipes with vinegar to extend shelf life. 

Sometimes when work piles up, self-care takes a back seat. I have heard older people say, often when it is too late, take care of your health because what your health will be like in later decades depends a lot on how you care for it in the present decade. Cooking a healthy meal for yourself is one way of investing in your own self-care. Basic cooking is not rocket science and through trial and error one gets better (think tastier and more efficient with errors that get increasingly palatable as one gains more experience).