If you are sensitive to chemicals in your environment, it’s possible that the odor from cooking can be an issue for you. What odors can be a problem?
- Odor from natural gas, if you have a gas stove or oven.
- Odor from cooking foods with strong smells such as onions and garlic.
- Odor from cooking foods that cook for a long time.
- Odor from foods cooking all day in your crock pot.
- If you work in a restaurant, cooking odors you are exposed to all day long.
I have had problems in the past. I make a spaghetti sauce that simmers all day long on the stove. Several years ago, I developed a migraine because of the odor from the sauce, particularly the onions and garlic. It actually had no impact on my ability to eat the spaghetti sauce! Crazy, right?
Here’s some suggestions for you if you are chemically sensitive:
- Use your vent hood when cooking and make sure your vent hood is clean and working well.
- If you’re cooking with your crock pot, set it up in your garage or protected outside space. (Just be sure it’s in a safe, dry space – away from any animals too!)
- When simmering food all day long, I put it into a crock pot and cook it in the garage.
- If you have or love natural gas, consider an induction cooktop. It gives you all the control of gas without gas.
Do cooking smells bother you? What do you do to cope?
I love to cook. I’m also a health coach, a path I chose after going through a health crisis which taught me the importance of eating healthy meals. Now, I want to combine the two — health coaching and cooking — to help people learn to cook healthy meals. To plan healthy meals. And to eat healthy meals. For more, please visit Your Cooking Coach.
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