Whole Body Wellness

Good Home Cooking
As a Nutrition & Lifestyle coach, one of my goals is to inspire people to eat more home-cooked food. Over time, I have gradually increased the percent of food that I cook at home, and I have experienced the benefits. Here are a few of the often overlooked benefits of eating at home.

1. Know what you’re eating
The most obvious benefit to preparing your own food is that you know what’s in it. Did you know that people consume 50% more calories, fat, and sodium when they eat out? I also find that restaurant meals are heavy on things like rice and noodles, and lighter on vegetables. It’s tough to get your days’ worth of vegetables when you eat out.

I find that when I eat out, I gravitate towards less healthy foods. Restaurants tempt us with French fries, pizza, bread, and desserts. It is also a lot easier to overeat at restaurants because the portion sizes are typically a lot bigger than what we’d serve ourselves at home. (If you do eat out, you might want to order a salad and split the main course with the person you’re with — or ask for a doggy bag and put half of the food away BEFORE you start eating.)

2. Save money
I’ve realized that I can save a lot of money by eating more home-cooked food. This is true even when I’m buying high-quality organic fruits, vegetables, and meats. In our house we typically spend $100 per week for food for 2 people. This is usually enough food for all of our meals for the week. We’d likely spend more than twice that amount if we ate all of our meals out, and that’s figuring we’d be eating at relatively inexpensive restaurants. I figured $2 for breakfast, $6 for lunch, and $8 for dinner. Multiply that times 2 (for 2 people) and times 7, and the total is $224. Now I know most people don’t eat EVERY meal out, but this demonstrates how much you can save by cooking your own food.

3. Get your dose of Vitamin "L"
The benefits of eating home-cooked food go beyond nutrition, calories, and saving money. I know you’ve all heard the saying "you are what you eat" and I think there’s some truth in this. Have you ever cooked a meal with friends and been amazed at how good the food tastes? I had this experience last week when I cooked a basic stir fry with my friend Lisa. We had fun cooking, were able to choose the ingredients we love, and then sat down and savored a delicious meal. I believe that part of the reason the food tasted so good, is that it was made with love. Before you laugh, think back to eating your grandmother’s famous chicken soup (or other traditional food). The soup was the best you’d ever had, and even though you have the recipe, it’s never tasted as good as when your grandmother made it. Again, she put a lot of love in her cooking.

Do you think the same is true of restaurant food? Have you ever looked in the kitchen of a busy restaurant? What you’ll probably find is a group of tired, stressed-out cooks, running around busily preparing your food. If you believe in the idea "you are what you eat," do you want to eat the food made with love or the food made under stressful conditions?

Get Inspired!
Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for eating out. Going out to eat can be a wonderful, relaxing experience. I would, however, like to inspire you to prepare more of your food at home. If you love pizza, make a pizza. If you’re craving steak, make a good quality steak with some beautiful vegetables and a salad.