I hate that my children live away from me. As a mother, my constant worry is if they ate. As a dietitian, my constant worry is if all their food is fast food and takeout. The convenience of fast food and takeout often tempts us away from the kitchen. The benefits of home-cooked meals go far beyond just satisfying our hunger. As an advocate for home-prepared meals, here are my eight compelling reasons to cook at home.
Ingredient Control: One of the most significant advantages of home-cooked meals is the control over ingredients. By preparing food at home, you can choose fresh, high-quality ingredients and avoid unhealthy additives like excessive salt, sugar, and preservatives commonly found in processed foods or foods cooked in restaurants. This allows you to create balanced, nutritious meals that support your overall health. Dietitian speak.
Portion Control: Eating out or ordering takeout often leads to oversized portions that can contribute to weight gain and other health issues. When cooking at home, you have the power to control portion sizes, along with ingredient control, giving you more nutritional value than outside food. If you do order in, learn to pre-portion the food before eating, so that you have 2 meals in one. Mom & dietitian speak.
Customization: Cooking at home allows you to tailor meals to your specific dietary needs and preferences. Whether you follow a particular diet, have food allergies, or simply prefer certain flavors, preparing your own meals gives you the freedom to customize recipes to suit your individual requirements. Dietitian speak.
Food Safety Control: Ensuring food safety is easier when cooking at home. You have full control over food handling practices, cooking temperatures, and storage conditions, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses that can result from improper food preparation or storage. Dietitian speak.
Budgetary Control: While eating out may seem convenient, it can quickly add up in terms of expenses. Cooking at home is generally more cost-effective, as you can buy ingredients in bulk, plan meals in advance, and reduce unnecessary spending on restaurant meals or takeout. Mom & dietitian speak.
Family Bonding & Destressing: Cooking together as a family can strengthen relationships and create lasting memories. Sharing the experience of preparing a meal fosters communication, teamwork, and a sense of unity among family members. Sometimes just chatting with friends or family while cooking can be a de-stressing activity that you can use as 'therapy' time. Mom speak.
Mindful Eating: When you cook your own meals, you are more likely to be mindful and respectful of what you are eating. Taking the time to prepare a meal allows you to appreciate the effort that goes into it and encourages mindful eating practices that promote better digestion and satisfaction. Respect for food, its maker and its value increases. Mom & dietitian speak.
Skill Development: Cooking at home provides an opportunity to develop valuable culinary skills that can benefit you in various aspects of life. From learning new recipes to mastering cooking techniques, honing your cooking abilities can boost your confidence in the kitchen and empower you to create delicious meals from scratch. And this does NOT depend on your gender! Mom speak.
Making meals at home can sometimes feel like an additional mountain to climb, especially if you're a busy college student or a young adult living away from your family. The inputs required may seem huge. But is it worth it? TOTALLY!!
It is the need of the hour-especially for young generation.