It is so easy to get take away meals delivered to us or to pop out to a restaurant, especially when we are working all day or dealing with small children whose only mission, it seems, is to drive one insane. But we are doing ourselves no favours when we do this. The instant gratification may be great while it lasts but we are not investing in good health down the line.
5 reasons why we should be mostly cooking at home:
- Control We have control over the ingredients used. When we buy our own ingredients we can ensure that they are fresh. The fresher the ingredient the higher the nutritional value. Also, if we need to choose a sauce, for example, we can read the labels and make sure that we are taking the healthiest option. We can avoid excess sugar and hydrogenated fats which lead to health issues like obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Portion Size It is easier to control our portion sizes when we eat home-cooked meals. Restaurant portions are always way bigger than what is healthy and nine times out of ten we will finish that big portion!
- Customisation Cooking at home allows you to customise your meals. Add more veg or lean protein, for example, or use healthy carbs like jacket potatoes or some savoury rice instead of the take away chips which have likely been deep fried in an unhealthy oil.
- Choice of Cooking Methods When we cook at home we have the choice over what cooking methods are used. If we need to fry something we can make sure we are using a healthy fat - coconut oil and/or butter are best - and we can control the amount of fat that we use. Veggies can be cooked for minimal time and served straight away, preserving their nutritional properties.
- Cost Effective Cooking at home is cost effective. You can buy meat in bulk when prices are right and use your freezer. You can also go to farmers markets on the weekend for the freshest and cheapest veggies, dairy products and eggs in town.
Try Using Mealkits
Freshly prepared mealkits like those we provide at TasteBox will save you the time of shopping and chopping. Read about the benefits and give it a try.
Try the 90:10 Rule
There is, of course, a time and a place for take aways or a meal out. Try implementing a 90:10 rule - cook at home 90% of the time but allow yourself a 10% leeway for when life happens and you need to celebrate!