You could find it easier and faster to get fast food on your way home from work because of your hectic schedule. However, this convenience comes at a cost. Homemade dinners are healthier than takeout, according to research. By cooking your own meals with fresh, healthful ingredients, you may save yourself undesired calories, carbs, saturated fat, and sodium, thus lowering your risk of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

In this era, where everyone is busy and focusing on themselves, we don’t have time to cook or bond and have dinner with our family which is a very disturbing and leading cause of problems. Although outside food may seem cheaper but it will affect you and your health in long run. Statistics prove that Over the past 50 years, the health of Americans has gotten worse, and now 71% of Americans are overweight or obese—not 66%, which was reported 5 years ago. That means a staggering 100 million people in America are obese. Today, eating processed foods and fast foods may kill more people prematurely than cigarette smoking.

It is time we realise the importance of home cooked meal and it’s health benefits. We need to start applying it and take out some time of our day to cook for ourselves. Cooking is also one of the biggest and warmest form of love language. Cooking for yourself means that you are taking care of yourself and your body. It is high time we understand that treating ourselves does not mean buying ourselves junk food just because our taste buds like it.

Nutritional value of home cooked meal and outside meal:

When comparing the nutritional content of fast food vs. home-cooked meals, home-cooked meals are almost always healthier. Fast food and restaurant meals may be heavy in sodium, cholesterol, and calories, which can clog arteries. You may control the ingredients by making your own food, using sugar-free sweeteners or low-sodium alternatives, and include more vegetables and nutritious grains. Choosing healthy fats for your dishes will help your heart stay healthy.

Another distinction between fast food and homemade food involves the amount and quality of oil used. When we cook dishes at home, you're more likely to use less oil, whereas restaurants and fast-food joints use a lot to increase flavour. The quality of oil used at home is also way better keeping in mind our health. Oils used outside contains so many impurities and mixtures that can potentially cause harm. When we make our own food we know the amount and type of oil we are adding in our food.

Moreover when we cook meals at home we can re-filter the used oil and use it again. it’s way more feasible and ensures maximum safety and purity by removal of all the mixtures and impurities. This can be achieved by oildok cooking oil purifier which filters the oil to 99% and removes all the impurities. It is very easy to use and completely manual. Oildok is very easy on the pockets too and thus every household can think of healthier meals without going off their budget.

Obesity as an issue with outside meal:

Whether you eat out or bring fast food home to eat, those time-saving meals could be harming your children's health. Obesity in youngsters is becoming more of a public health issue, as it increases the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Children who never ate takeaway meals were compared to those who ate one or more takeaway meals per week in a study of 85 schools. The findings, which were published in Archives of Disease in Childhood in 2018, showed that those who ate takeout had greater calorie and saturated fat intake, as well as lower protein and micronutrient intake. Furthermore, the takeaway group had higher total and LDL cholesterol readings, as well as a greater fat mass index.

The study concluded that children's takeaway meal eating could lead to obesity and an elevated risk of coronary heart disease in the long run due to increasing body fat and lower-quality diets.

The benefits of cooking at home:

Finding the time and energy to prepare home-cooked meals, whether you live alone or are a busy parent, may be a difficult undertaking. After a long day, eating out or ordering in may seem like the quickest and most convenient alternative. Convenience and processed foods, on the other hand, might have a negative impact on your mood and health.

  • Chemical additives, hormones, sugar, salt, bad fat, and calories are all common in convenience food, all of which can have a negative impact on your brain and perspective. It can make you feel exhausted, bloated, and irritable, as well as increase depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms.
  • Restaurants frequently serve far more food than you need. Many restaurants provide quantities that are two to three times the recommended daily allowance. This encourages you to eat more than you would at home, which has negative consequences for your waistline, blood pressure, and diabetes risk.
  • You have more control over the ingredients when you create your own meals. You can ensure that you and your family get fresh, healthful meals by cooking for yourself. This can help you look and feel better, increase your energy, maintain a healthy weight and attitude, and improve your sleep and stress resistance.
  • Cooking at home does not need to be difficult. Eating food that is as close to its natural state as possible is the cornerstone of a healthy diet. That involves eating enough of veggies and healthy protein sources and replacing processed foods with real food wherever possible. It doesn't mean you have to slave away in the kitchen for hours blending hundreds of different ingredients or following complicated instructions to the letter. In truth, simple meals are frequently the most delicious.
  • Cooking at home can save you time compared to eating out. There are many quick, simple, and healthy meals that you can prepare at home in less time than it takes to go to a restaurant or wait for delivery.

More than the benefits of home cook meal, the emotional bonding over it is very important and should be taken into account. Food unites people, and cooking at home is a terrific way to bring your family together around the table. Even cranky teenagers and fussy eaters like a home-cooked meal. And just because you live alone doesn't mean you have to prepare or dine by yourself. Sharing meals with others is a fantastic way to meet new people and increase your social circle. Receiving positive feedback on a meal you've made for someone can also enhance your self-esteem significantly.

Make mealtimes a gathering place for friends and family. The simple act of conversing with a friend or loved one at the dinner table might help to relieve stress and improve mood. Bring the family together and keep each other informed about their daily lives.

Food is a very essential part of our lives, it’s the bane of our existence and thus it is something that we should not compromise on. Knowing what goes inside our stomach is an important aspect of our healthy lifestyle. Home-cooked meals have a lot of emotional value apart from health benefits and that overpowers the statistics and logistics of benefits of home-cooked meals over outside meals.

Takeout meals may appear to be more appealing. However, you can prepare wonderful food at home as well. Keep a hot case in the kitchen to store food so you may eat hot meals at any time of day. Regular takeout dinners might be unhealthy, and your general health will suffer as a result. Instead of continuing this bad habit, you may prepare some simple yet great meals at home and indulge in takeout on weekends.

Read More: