Cooking at home is one of the most helpful health essentials to practice on the wellness journey. Before pursuing better health, I used to enjoy eating out as much as possible. In fact, although I was a diet soda addict, I could easily be found frequenting fast food restaurants with my kids. Sometimes, I would ask my children if they wanted to go out to lunch just so I could suck some of the salt off of their French fries – I wish this was an exaggeration. One of my favorite foods to eat out were chicken tenders with a large serving of fries dipped in ranch dressing. I didn’t pack up half of my meal either, because I ate it all – quickly.
I’m not quite sure when I decided that it would be best for me to start cooking at home. Perhaps it was common sense. I just knew in my inner self, that if I would cook at home, I would have better control over ingredients and portion sizes, as long as I didn’t go back for second helpings. In the beginning of my journey, I cooked all of the same foods and recipes I loved, even if they were still considered “unhealthy”. This was a good place to start.
Over time, I began to take steps to make those same meals a bit healthier. For instance, one of the first changes I made was to purchase higher quality ingredients. In order to do that, I would often have to make sauces and packaged products myself. This would include items like taco seasoning mix, enchilada sauce, chili sauce, and the like. After a while, I started to purchase organic vegetables and fruits from the produce section rather than buying canned vegetables or sweetened cans of fruit. As more time passed, I greatly limited buying processed foods, since they were typically full of unwanted ingredients. Of course, sometimes, I would need a dessert for a birthday party or a get-together, so if I had to have a dessert, I made it from scratch. That way, I could cut back on the sugar or make something else entirely.
All of these changes provided me leeway to better control what was going into my meals and snacks. Also, my portion sizes drastically reduced, as I used a smaller plate. Likewise, my meals were no longer filled with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. Remember, the foods from restaurants are usually high in fat, sugar, and salt. Plus, the portions are well over what an adult actually needs.
Although the process was long, eventually I found that I enjoyed eating at home over going out. In fact, the food cooked at home even tasted better. Also, it was far cheaper to make a meal at home instead of going out to a restaurant with my family. Fast-food restaurants have become more and more expensive too. As a result, cooking at home not only increased my health, but it saved the budget too.
Currently, there are several meal programs available, like Hello Fresh or Sun Basket, offering delivery of ingredients and recipes right to your door. If you decide to do this, try finding a program that uses higher quality, organic ingredients, and be sure to read the labels. It may be worth trying. Although I have used a few of these programs, I find that I like cooking my personal recipes better. For me, it is easier to alter my own family recipes to make them healthier. However, one of the best advantages of using the delivery programs is that it saves the consumer the added time it takes to plan and shop for meals each week.
Although I still go out to eat occasionally, it is not something I do on a regular basis anymore. Keep in mind that this lifestyle change was a process. It was not something that happened overnight. Instead, it was a practice that occurred gradually. Now, when I do go out to dinner, I try to pick a place that serves higher quality food. Preferably, I like to find places that actually cook the food from scratch. As I go out less frequently, I also try to slow down and really enjoy the restaurant experience. This makes all the difference.
Instead of eating out, try cooking at home. Include your family in the process., as this can be time well spent together. Remember, cooking will give you better control over ingredients and portions, which will contribute to your overall health. Start out small. Go out one less time this week, and keep going from there. Start cooking. You might just enjoy it!