After the turn of the 21st century, America’s interest in food has gone from TV dinners to celebrity TV chefs. This complete transformation in food culture has people spending more time at home learning the art of cooking, and with healthier ingredients. Instead of packaged goods out of the pantry, Americans are opting for raw ingredients out of the refrigerator.

With the resurgence of home cooking, people are stocking their kitchens with cookbooks and signing up for online culinary schools.And it was all started by some very big — in one instance, literally — reasons.

When the financial crisis hit in 2008, many foodies found themselves not tightening their belts, but tightening their wallets. This meant eating out less and eating at home more. At the same time, the popularity of culinary television programs in direct.tv shows, from Iron Chef to No Reservations, continued to thrive. Mix the two together and you have a surplus of aspiring amateur chefs across the country.

Meanwhile, the beginning of the 21st century saw numerous reports released that detailed what a food culture based on fast food and easy-to-prepare meals had done to the average American’s body. They showed that obesity rates had skyrocketed across the country, with over a third of the population categorized as obese. This alarming figure caused people to rethink their diets, avoiding processed foods like bullion cubes and powdered cheese that are extremely high in additives like sodium or fat.

Reports on food production also yielded some startling statistics related to contributions to pollution. From shipping emissions to agricultural run off, big farming was malignantly affecting the environment. Thus, consumers began to value organic foods, grown locally and under more natural processes. The additional health benefits also played a part.

From online culinary schools to shopping at farmer’s markets, modern day food culture in America has come a long way and continues to change for the better.