If you are among the people who don’t enjoy cooking, eating out or ordering takeout may sound more tempting, because it saves you a lot of time and effort. But here’s the thing: as convenient as this may be, it can end up depleting not only your bank account but also your health. This is because the food you eat when going out is high in chemical additives, salt, sugar, unhealthy fat and calories, which can affect your brain as well as your physical health, leaving you feeling irritable and bloated.
And did you know that restaurants often serve portions that are way bigger than the average person’s needs? That’s true – and this can increase your risk of blood pressure and diabetes. The solution? Start preparing your own meals. There are plenty of reasons why this is the better alternative – and there are studies to prove it- and the good news is that cooking at home is not even as difficult as you may think it is.
Woman cooking at kitchen
Exploring the benefits of cooking at home
While preparing your own meals may seem like a lot of work, your body will thank you for doing it. Here are some of the benefits you’ll get:
Reduce your intake of processed foods
Meals that aren’t cooked at home are often processed and contain high amounts of added sugars and unhealthy fats, and if you consume these ingredients in excess, you are at risk of experiencing different health issues, from heart disease to obesity. In fact, it’s now estimated that processed foods can lead to more premature deaths than smoking.
The good news is that preparing meals at home makes it easier to completely reduce or cut out the number of processed foods that you eat. You are in control of how much sodium you include when cooking and can switch to healthier alternatives – for instance, using olive oil instead of regular oil. Home-cooked meals are lower in unhealthy fats and calories, and since you are the one cooking, you can use fresh, whole ingredients and ensure your meals are nutritious and balanced, thus supporting your overall health.
Practice portion control
Restaurants often serve portion sizes that are two to three times higher compared to the recommended dietary guidelines. However, when cooking at home, you can stock up on different servings for another night’s dinner or the next day’s lunch. And if you cook a healthy portion, you will also not be tempted to eat more than you should. According to the National Institute of Health, the super-sized portions you are served at a restaurant can distort your idea of what a healthy dish looks like, affecting how much you eat at home. However, the more you cook, the more it will help you resolve portion distortion.
Promote relaxation and mindful eating
The physical benefits of cooking at home are well known, but there are also lots of emotional advantages. Beyond what it does for your body, cooking can also be a therapeutic activity that helps you relax. A modern kitchen designed for your own taste can feel like a sanctuary, giving you a much-needed break from everyday life’s demands as you cook delicious meals. The simple process of chopping and stirring can be a form of self-care, and a great opportunity to nurture yourself.
Moreover, cooking at home encourages mindful eating; when you invest effort and time into preparing a recipe, you start to pay more attention to what you are eating and how much you are consuming. Being mindful can help you make better choices in terms of the foods you eat, helping prevent overeating and mindless snacking during the day.
Decrease the risk of ingesting PFAS
You may be familiar with the pesky and frightening chemicals, as there have been lots of discussions revolving around them. Well, it turns out that PFAS, or forever chemicals, are found in higher amounts in fast food or food that you eat at restaurants. In fact, people who eat home-cooked meals have lower levels of PFAS in their blood compared to those who frequently go out to eat.
PFAS are very common, and they have been linked to liver and kidney disease, high cholesterol, and immune dysfunction, to name a few. If you want to protect your health, it only makes sense to dine in rather than out, as it will decrease your chances of exposure to these chemicals considerably.
When obstacles get into your way of cooking at home
While there are notable benefits to cooking at home, most people still find it a chore, either something that only experienced cooks can do or something they don’t have time for. But here’s the thing: it is possible to overcome all these obstacles, and it all starts with shifting your mindset regarding meal preparation. Here are some of the most common reasons why you may not like cooking at home, and what you can do about it:
- Believing you don’t have time to cook. We get it – shopping, chopping, cooking, and cleaning afterwards can all be time-consuming, all the more so when you are a busy homeowner. But here’s the good news: you can speed things up in a few ways, like shopping online and having all the ingredients arrive at your door, getting your family involved in the process, doing some preparation ahead of time, buying convenient items that will make it simpler to prepare meals, like pre-cut fruit or canned beans, and so on.
- Feeling too tired to cook at the end of the day. After a long, busy day, the last thing you want is to spend lots of time in the kitchen, and that’s completely understandable. However, cooking doesn’t have to take up a lot of effort. You can prepare meals in bulk and freeze leftovers, so you can eat them later when you lack the energy to cook. Another idea is to load a slow cooker with veggies and meat in the morning, so you can come home to a hot meal which you can savour at night.
- Now knowing how to cook. If the prospect of cooking a meal at home intimidates you, it may be good to remind yourself that cooking isn’t an exact science. This means you can skip an ingredient or swap it for another if needed. Besides, you can always look online or check a cookbook if you need inspiration for recipes, and as with anything else, you will improve your cooking skills the more you do it.
The bottom line
Preparing a meal at home can be a deeply fulfilling activity, with benefits for your physical and mental health alike. While it may feel daunting and you may face different obstacles, it’s possible to overcome them, and in the end, it will be worth the effort, as your body will be healthier and, in turn, you will feel happier inside and out.
