They’re not exactly egg-celling in the kitchen.
Just in case Gen La-Z wasn’t struggling enough with “adulting,” more than two-thirds of Zoomers lack basic cooking skills, including tasks as simple as making an omelet.
In fact, Zoomers’ pan prowess is so abysmal that many dining in restaurants and/or eating takeout meals, per a study by dating app FindingTheOne, the Daily Mail reported.
“For Gen Z, the kitchen isn’t just a source of uncertainty but also a space where they feel out of their depth,” said Sylvia Linzalone, a dating expert with the app.
The love locator polled more than 1,500 participants from different age groups on their proficiency in the kitchen.
Gen Z certainly wasn’t the greatest generation in that department.
Per the survey, a whopping 42% of those aged 18 to 28 said they could not whip up a basic stir fry, while 27% couldn’t figure out a simple soup.
Omelets were another big no-no despite having only one ingredient. Often seen as the litmus test for culinary literacy in cooking school, this life skill completely eluded a whopping 61% of Zoomers.
Understandably, more complex dishes completely went over Gen Z cooks’ heads with a staggering 80% admitting they wouldn’t know how to cook lasagna or roast a chicken.
A staggering 64% of Zoomer participants said they preferred eating out due to their inability to put fire to food. Just under half said anxiety about their dismal sautéeing skills is what caused them to rely on ordering in or going to restaurants.
Some self-conscious Zoomers even passed off restaurant or takeout dishes as their own. Perhaps it’s no wonder why many 20-somethings prefer sticking to “girl dinners,” idiot-proof recipes such as canned corn or popcorn with soda.
Why do Zoomers have eggs on their faces when it comes to cooking?
“I feel like a lot of us just didn’t grow up in kitchens the way older generations did,” explained 23-year-old participant Mia. “Plus, with food delivery apps and ready meals I can just stick in the microwave, it’s easier to get by without cooking.”
The survey found that Gen X adults, aged between 44 and 59, were the most talented home cooks with 85% claiming they felt comfortable in the kitchen — perhaps because a staggering 72% of them said they learned the proper skills from their parents.
Even millennials — those aged 29 to 43 — were superior to the Zoomers with 68% admitting to feeling at ease whipping up dishes.
Zoomers also don’t share prior generations’ view that cooking is synonymous with romance.
Whereas Gen X and Millennials overwhelmingly saw prepping food as a way to show intimacy, just 17% of Gen Z adults said they preferred home-cooked meals as part of the dating experience.
However, many Zoomers admitted that not knowing how to cook can be awkward in that regard.
“When it comes to dating, I’ll admit it’s a little embarrassing,” said Mia. “I wouldn’t dare invite someone over for a home-cooked meal unless I had help.”
Twenty-one percent even admitted to recruiting their parents to cook for a date — and then pawning the meal off as their own.
Coincidentally, a shocking survey found that one in five Gen Z jobseekers admitted to bringing a parent with them for a job interview.
This isn’t the only life skill that Zoomers seemingly lack.
Gen Zers are refusing to get behind the wheel in record numbers with many claiming that driving isn’t necessary, given the plethora of ride-share and public transit options.
