One of the major keys to eating healthily is cooking at home. It might not seem like that big a deal, but in all honesty, it is the biggest deal of them all.
Over the years, eating has become a social engagement; it’s something that we enjoy in groups and in the extreme. Yes, you can find ways to eat healthily when you’re at a restaurant, but nothing beats home-cooking, let us tell you why.
1 – Nutrition
The risk of eating out is ordering a meal that is bathed in sauce, packed with sugars, high in sodium, full of carbohydrates, and laden with fat. They also tend to be fairly low in nutrition.
Sadly, even the options that brag about being low-calorie aren’t the healthiest – they often have higher contents of fat and sugar to make up for the loss of flavor elsewhere. You don’t need to worry about any of that when you cook at home.
2 – Knowledge
Food is much more than just something that is delicious and satiates you – it nourishes your body, boosts your immune system, and can help keep your body strong.
When you cook your own meals, you learn what types of food are the best sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. This widens your food knowledge and makes you more likely to make the right choices.
3 – Savor Food
You’re more likely to appreciate the food you eat when you went through the act of preparing it. This is a key part of mindful eating is a great way to make yourself more conscious of what you’re putting into your body.
4 – Portion Sizes
When other people visit American restaurants they are stunned by the portion sizes and Americans always nod with a smile, proud of the fact. There’s just one slight problem with that… it’s fueling the obesity epidemic because you don’t need a portion that size!
Cooking at home ensures that you make the right amount and that you get your portions correct.
5 – Creating Healthy Habits
There is no better way to create healthy habits than by cooking healthily at home and making a meal plan you can stick to.
6 – Family Bonding
This isn’t just a physical health benefit, it’s a mental health benefit, too. Cooking at home and involving everyone is a great way to bond and ensure your family builds healthy habits surrounding food.
7 – Food Safety
While restaurants have legal guidelines to adhere to and their employees are supposed to be trained in food safety, the rise of food poisoning has coincided with the rise in eating out. You don’t need to worry about food poisoning when you prepare your own meals.
8 – Food Allergies
You never need to worry about stressing your food intolerances and allergies to the waiter when you cook your food at home.
9 – Cleanliness
You don’t need to worry about how clean a kitchen is when you’re cooking in your own home. You can rest assured that your health is safe.
10- Weight Loss
What better way to lose weight and maintain it than by cooking at home? Retain complete control over your portions, the ingredients that you use, and the cooking methods that you employ.
What is certain, is that cooking at home is the healthiest way to live and the most cost-effective. If you plan your meals ahead and shop, accordingly, you’ll quickly see a drop in your grocery bill and overall food costs as you stop heading for the drive-thru on your way home from work. You will also enjoy spending more time catching up with your loved ones.
