Despite the rise of cooking shows, blogs and vlogs which promote home-cooking and dining in, many people choose to buy prepared meals or to eat out, especially during a busy work week. Driven by their desire to save time, these people tend to overlook the many benefits of eating meals at home and preparing their own food.
Keen to know how you can benefit more from dining in than from eating out? Here are some quick insights.
Dining in helps you save money. Cooking with raw ingredients at home costs less than buying prepared meals, which usually include packaging costs, taxes and other charges. Home-cooking also allows you to buy ingredients in bulk and easily prepare food in large quantities. So you can take your home-cooked leftovers to work the following day instead of buying lunch.
Dining in helps you save time. It might take you 2 to 3 hours to drive to a restaurant, to wait for your order and to return home. That’s enough time to cook a three-course meal while doing other chores. If you have a busy schedule, you can prepare your meals for the whole week on a Saturday or Sunday and store them in the fridge.
Home-cooked meals have less salt and trans-fats. Dishes served at restaurants are tastier because restaurant chefs use a lot of salt and trans-fats in preparing them. By making your own meal, you can control the amount of salt and oil used in your dishes. This will help you manage your weight and protect yourself from diabetes and heart disease.
Eating meals at home protects you from food poisoning. Eating at restaurants exposes you to the possibility of eating food made from cheap ingredients and prepared by inexperienced handlers. You’re therefore more prone to ingesting harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses from contaminated food. Dining in allows you to consume food that is safe to eat and lets you enjoy your meal in a healthy environment.
Dining in and home-cooking brings family together. Cooking and eating meals as a family is a great way to bond with your children. You can share stories and plan family activities while cooking or having dinner. Preparing meals right in your own kitchen for your loved ones is an opportunity to express your love and to impart the importance of healthy eating habits to them. These are wonderful values which your children can pass on to their future children.
If dining in has never been a part of your lifestyle, it’s not too late to include it in your daily routine. You can start by dedicating two or three days a week to eat meals with your family at home until you’re able to do it daily. Instead of having dinner with friends and relatives at restaurants, invite them to enjoy home-cooked meals at your place. You will be surprised at the amount of money you can save and the strong bonds you’ll form with family and friends.
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