If you’re in a relationship, you might have already discovered that dividing chores as evenly as possible can go a long way toward avoiding arguments. In fact, one study found that couples who divide chores in an egalitarian way enjoy a better sex life than those couples in which one partner does significantly more housework than the other. However, there is one chore that you might actually want to share with your partner if you’d like your relationship to last, and that is cooking.

In a survey of more than 1,000 American adults carried out by Light Speed GMI, 87 percent of respondents said that cooking was one of the most important activities for couples to do together to make their relationship stronger.

There are lots of ways that cooking can help couples bond, so get your aprons ready! A remarkable 98 percent of Americans consider communication to be an essential part of a happy marriage, and cooking together is a terrific way to encourage communication, whether you’re pouring over a cookbook together, over a glass of red wine, while deciding what to make for dinner, or simply chatting about your day as you chop up some organic vegetables to make that new ginger chicken recipe.

In fact, the idea that cooking brings couples together through communication was echoed by people in all types of relationships, with 88 percent of people in serious relationships, 84 percent of people who have been married for a long time, and 94 percent of people who were engaged, agreeing with this sentiment.

Cooking requires lots of communication at every step of the process, from deciding what to make to debating which spices to add and dividing up the individual tasks along the way, such as asking your spouse to keep an eye on the fish while you set the table. Learning to ask your partner for what you need can also carry over into the bedroom, where it can boost satisfaction with your sex life.

Cooking is also thought of by many as a way to show love for your partner. More than nine out of ten respondents felt that home-cooked meals can help connect partners, while 78 percent believe that couples that cook together, stay together.

If you’re not the next Julia Child or Wolfgang Puck, don’t fret. The act of cooking together is the key here, not the quality of the final product. Something as simple as chatting while making sandwiches together in the kitchen can help your relationship.

Cook healthy food together for further benefits

You can derive even further benefits from cooking together if you strive to make healthy meals as a couple. Home-cooked meals made with healthy ingredients can boost your longevity so you can stick around to enjoy your partner for many years to come, while eating packaged foods laden with sugar and chemicals can send you to an early grave.

You can take these benefits to the next level by growing your own food together. This not only ensures that you are avoiding GMOs and other toxic ingredients, but gardening is another shared activity that fosters communication, much like cooking, as you spend time together outdoors.

You can also bring some adventurousness to your relationship by thinking outside the box and trying some new dishes. Being willing to try new things together can carry over into other aspects of the relationship, further boosting your happiness with your partner.

The benefits of cooking together don’t end when you leave the kitchen. Sharing a meal together is also a great bonding experience, and some studies have shown that eating alone can have detrimental effects on your health. Enjoying the fruits of your labor together, and exchanging opinions about how the dishes you prepared turned out, further enhances your communication as a couple, and you’ll bask in knowing that the two of you were able to work as a team to reach a shared goal. Isn’t that what relationships are all about?

Sources include:

TheHeartySoul.com

FoxNews.com

ChicagoTribune.com