Why does something we all have to do (eating) require something that many of us really dislike (cooking)?
Whether you struggle with executive functioning skills yourself or if you’re a parent or caregiver of a learner with unique needs, learning to cook can be a challenge. Yet because it’s tied so closely to eating, it’s a daily living skill we can’t ignore.
Today, we’re taking a deep dive into some strategies you (or your student) can use to make cooking more EF-friendly.
Why is cooking not always EF-friendly?
Cooking involves many of the core executive functioning skills, including planning (identifying ingredients, creating a meal plan), organization (gathering items, keeping a tidy kitchen), time management (adding elements and watching cooking times), and flexible thinking (learning to adapt and adjust quickly or when things don’t go according to plan).
These skills are on top of the fine motor skills (chopping, cutting, stirring) and academic skills (reading comprehension, math, sequencing steps
) required in most recipes. Bah! So. Many. Skills.
Top it off with the hundreds of distractions at home that pull you away from the kitchen, and it doesn’t take long before cooking feels completely overwhelming.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Thankfully, you can take some simple steps and strategies to help make cooking more EF-friendly. These EF hacks don’t require you to learn any fancy cooking techniques or purchase special equipment.
They’re simple tools that show you how to stage your environment to be more successful in the kitchen. They can be applied to any recipe or dish you’d like to make. It’s about making the cooking process more EF friendly.
Let’s check it out:
10 Ways To Make Cooking Executive Functioning Friendly
Separate the idea of eating from the behavior of cooking.
We try to help our learners understand that eating and cooking aren’t one and the same. Even though cooking may lead us to eat a great meal, we don’t always have to cook to eat.
Some days, decision fatigue makes cooking too challenging. Or we have other things planned or don’t have enough time to cook a meal. That’s okay. Those are days where eating is more important, so having some no-cook options (PB & J, anyone?) is best.
Save cooking for days when you know you already have some EF capacity left to dedicate to the tasks required to make a meal. Choose cooking days for when you have plenty of time, aren’t already hangry, and can maybe even enjoy it.
Read the entire recipe first.
First and foremost, if you decide to make a recipe, read the entire list of ingredients and the whole list of steps for the recipe. Make sure you understand what each cooking step means. Then, try to visualize what you will do for each step.
Not all recipes are well written, and many of them assume you know how to do other steps. For example, a recipe may not specifically list out a step “chop the carrots” before adding them to the soup pot. Instead, it may just say, “Add the chopped carrots,” or worse, “Add all ingredients.”
By carefully reading and visualizing each step of the recipe, you can plan ahead.
Check off the ingredients and the supplies you’ll need.
There’s nothing worse than getting well into a recipe before realizing you’re missing a key ingredient. It’s hard to make grilled cheese without the cheese, right?
After you read the recipe through, check that you have each ingredient on the ingredients list and each piece of kitchen equipment you need to make the meal. Check each item off like a checklist, so you visually know you’ve got what you need.
Clear out some space.
Once you’ve confirmed you have everything you need, it’s best to have a clean slate to cook in. Spend a few minutes clearing off the table or countertops before beginning the recipe. If the sink or dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, you’ll only add to the mess. Extra clutter may cause distractions and make it harder for you to focus on the recipe steps. Take a few minutes to organize and clean up the space before starting.
Set out items as you need them.
Now that you have some space cleared gather all the ingredients and items you need to make the recipe. Set them in the clean area to easily see them, and generally arrange them in the order the recipe says you’ll use them. This avoids scrambling for something tucked away in the back of the fridge or accidentally forgetting to add something in.
Designate a clean-up area.
Before you begin the actual cooking, designate an area for dirty dishes and utensils. I always start with the sink and dishwasher empty or with only dirty dishes. That way, as I dirty a mixing bowl or spoon, I can put it right into the area for clean up, and it’s out of the way as I’m trying to cook.
Put leftover ingredients away as you use them.
The same idea applies to ingredients. Put those away as you use them as well. For example, if you’re using 1 cup of flour for baking, after you add the cup of flour to the recipe, put the rest of the flour away.
This helps for two reasons. First, you have less mess waiting for clean-up since you’ve already put things away when you get to the end. Secondly, if you get to the end and there’s still an ingredient left out, you know that you’ve missed something in the recipe and can go back to double-check.
Set timers.
This is a given during cooking, but it’s worth investing in easy-to-use kitchen timers (Affiliate Link) or a smart device (Affiliate Link).
If you tend to get distracted in the kitchen, ask the smart device to help remind you to complete a step, keep stirring, or check if an item is finished.
If you forget to turn off the stove or the oven at the end of cooking, set a reminder on your phone to check.
Use visual reminders.
We know visuals are beneficial for individuals who struggle with executive functioning skills. There’s no reason we can’t apply them to the kitchen – and in some ways, they can be a great safety tool. Here are some ideas for using visuals:
- Strategically place a sticky note to remind you to turn off and unplug appliances.
- Write the date on a piece of masking tape of when you cooked a meal, then place it on the top of leftover containers, so you always remember how old something is.
- Use labels to help you keep ingredients and supplies organized in your kitchen cabinets or pantry.
Find things to enjoy about cooking.
Our final tip is not necessarily a hack to make cooking more EF friendly but a general piece of advice for tackling tasks that may be challenging or less rewarding. Look for ways that you can customize cooking to be more enjoyable for you.
Learn to make your favorite dishes. Cook something to enjoy with friends or family. Make a funny bloopers video of your cooking fails and share them online.
We tend to find enjoyable tasks more manageable, so find simple ways you can start to see cooking not as a burden but as something rewarding or even fun.
Further Reading
Find these tips helpful? Looking for additional ways to make other daily living activities more EF friendly? Check out these other guides:
- How To Make Studying Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make School More Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make Your Living Spaces Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make Running Errands Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make Riding Public Transit Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make Physical Fitness Executive Function Friendly
- How To Make Planning A Date Executive Function Friendly