The Benefits of Cooking at Home

After a long, busy day, the last thing you want to do is stand in the kitchen chopping, boiling, sautéing, serving and cleaning up a meal. You probably just want to slump on the couch, and order some delicious takeaway and spend the money you’ve been earning on something that gives you some joy.

There are so many advantages to cooking at home, though. Some of those advantages are more obvious than others.

So, with that in mind, here are some benefits of cooking at home.

• It’s so much better for the environment. From the plastic and the containers you would use with carryout food, to the fact that a large kitchen is mass producing your food, you’re going to do more for the environment if you cook at home. Eating at a restaurant isn’t even much better because restaurants use plastic straws and other non sustainable materials. If you’re cooking your own meal, you can choose organic or sustainably grown produce and meat.

Restaurants also tend to over serve, which means you’re going to have at least two meals worth of food. If you’re not a person who enjoys leftovers, you may as well cook the portion you know you’re going to eat.

• It’s so much better for your health. When you eat at home at least three days a week, you’re going to have an overall healthier diet. You’re more likely to make better and healthier food choices than those who don’t eat at home. This could reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. When you eat out, you can’t control the ingredients in the food in the same way you can when you eat at home. So this is one of the best reasons to keep cooking at home!

• It’s better for your budget. No matter how time consuming and exhausting cooking can be, cooking a chicken fricassee is going to be far easier for you than trying to manage your budget when you’re overspending on food, especially if you have a family to feed. And, it’s not just full meals that this applies to. It’s coffee or a bottle of water at the store. Those little purchases here and there can add up to hundreds of dollars, if you’re not careful.

What are some benefits you’ve discovered of cooking at home?

Linking to:

Thursday Favorite Things, Esme Salon