Do you like cooking outside — perhaps even during the wintertime? It can be a pleasant experience cooking on your patio deck if you prefer to avoid feeling cooped up behind the four walls of your kitchen. But did you know there are also some health benefits of cooking outside?

Continue reading for three reasons why cooking outdoors can be good for your health.

1. Fresh Air

Your kitchen can get stuffy if you’re cooking up a storm. Are you used to having all four of your stove burners going as you make a multi-course meal for a family gathering? Depending on the menu, your kitchen could be filled with all sorts of aromas. Even the best-smelling cuisine can overwhelm you if the scents are confined to a small area. Opening a window can help, but you might still lack the fresh air you want. That’s why cooking outside makes sense.

Cooking out in the open air means you’ll be able to breathe in fresh air. According to one source, fresh air cleans your lungs, boosts your energy levels, reduces your heart rate, and improves your digestion. 

So, the next time you use your flat top grill to cook up a storm on the patio deck, remember that you and yours will be healthier cooking and eating outdoors. It’s the right thing to do, and you and yours will enjoy gathering on the back deck for family time.

2. Vitamin D

Another reason to cook outside is that you can get exposure to the sun, which will get you some vitamin D. Vitamin D is a nutrient you can get through your diet and a hormone your body manufactures. The benefits of vitamin D are many. For instance, research suggests it can reduce cancer cell growth, lessen inflammation, and help fight infections. Vitamin D is also needed to help your body absorb phosphorus and calcium, which are required for bone building.

While you can get some vitamin D through your food, few foods naturally contain the essential vitamin. That’s why many people rely on supplements to get the vitamin D they want. But another way to get vitamin D is the sunshine. So, cooking outside will allow you to get your daily dose of vitamin D. Of course, too much of a good thing can be bad. 

If you don’t have a patio cover providing some covering, you’ll want to wear a hat, use suntan lotion, or limit your direct exposure to the sun.

3. Mental Health

Spending time outside in green spaces can benefit your mental health. Do you have a garden in your backyard? Have you invested in creating a great outdoor living space? Cooking outside, where you can enjoy relaxing, can bring significant mental health benefits. For instance, it can improve your mood, lessen feelings of stress, and boost your connection to nature. 

If you enjoy cooking in a kitchen, you’ll enjoy cooking out on the back deck even more. And knowing that being outside in a green space can help your mental health, you’ll enjoy it all the more. It’s also been shown that families that eat together can improve mental health. So, that’s all the more reason to cook outdoors and enjoy a meal as a family outside.

As you can see, there are various health reasons to cook outdoors rather than indoors. So, while that doesn’t mean you have to cook all your meals outside, doing so occasionally is a good idea. You and your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of not only cooking outside, but also enjoying meals and family time in the great outdoors.