The number of people eating out instead of cooking at home has increased. Most would say picking up a meal is much easier than preparing it themselves.
I would disagree with this. The time it takes to place an order, pick it up, and drive home is not much more than simply going home and, with a little organization and forethought, putting a meal together. Also, as more people start working from home, getting ready and then going out to pick up something can be a hassle.
The truth is, you’ll experience the most benefits from home-cooked meals. I’m not saying don’t go out to eat, but if you limit the number of times you go out, you will save money and limit your exposure to richer, heavier, or processed foods.
Cooking from home
Cooking from home may take more effort, but its rewards are worthwhile. There are a lot of benefits of cooking from home compared to eating out.
These include:
- It’s healthier
- Saves money
- Better Ingredients
- Better for those with alternative diets or food allergies
- Stress relief and mental health benefits
- A vast choice of recipes and preparation videos are available
- Family bonding
The fact home cooking is healthier than eating out is one of its main benefits. You’ll often find the meals you eat out are packed with salt, calories, fats, and additives. When you cook at home, you can choose healthier ingredients to provide much more nutritious, less salt, and lighter meals.
Home Cooking is different from Restaurant Cooking. A line that most people fall victim to is. “Restaurant Quality.” Preparing food this way is usually loaded with salt and fats. At home, for daily meals, you want to reduce your exposure to salts, fats, and additives and stick to lighter, healthier meals. Also, Home Cooking is about tailoring dinners to family members or company. When I prepare meals, I consider spiciness, alternative diets (meat is on the side), and food allergies (gluten-free or intolerant).
Cooking at home stretches your budget. Comparing the “Cost of Goods” to the Menu Price is about 70 percent. That’s not to say restaurants make all of that; they have overhead (average Net Margins are around 6 percent). Generally, a business’s job is to supply the best product at the least cost.
Today we have access to many more ingredients than ever via; Local supermarkets, ethnic grocery stores, and online suppliers. FYI, ethnic grocery stores usually have a kitchen offering prepared foods and meals or items. Before going, check to see if they offer daily specials during the week, like produce on Wednesdays and meat on Thursdays.
If you have chosen an alternative diet or suffer from food allergies, cooking at home is much safer and offers many more choices. You know what you put in the meal at home and how it was prepared. There have been several high-profile cases where restaurants and brands have failed to list allergens or actual ingredients. So, you never truly know what you are eating. Also, at home, your meals are only limited by your imagination, not just one or two choices.
You’ll also find cooking can be a great source of stress relief. Forcing you to focus on the task at hand, it’s great for unwinding after a long and challenging day.
You’ll also have a more comprehensive food choice when you cook from home. There are thousands of recipes you can follow online. So, if you want to expand your palate, you can do that with home cooking.
Finally, when you cook at home, you can involve the whole family. Increased family time provides an opportunity for you to bond as well as create delicious meals together.
Ideally, you’ll want to eat home-cooked dishes. Then, you can eat out as a special treat once or twice a month and enjoy those gourmet prepared meals.
So, if you want to improve your diet, get healthier, and save money, It’s a good idea to start cooking more meals from home. Use eating out as a rare treat and see how much of a difference it makes to you and your family’s health and well-being.
T
