“There are precious few good things that are happening as a result of this coronavirus pandemic, but one of them - small as it may be - is that a lot of us are really experiencing the joys of eating together with family regularly.”
-Sam Sifton, veteran food writer and currently assistant managing edit of the New York Times and author of "See You On Sunday: A Cookbook For Family And Friends."
Five benefits of eating home cooked meals, especially when you're trying to heal chronic illness.
1. By eating at home you are generally eating healthier without trying. At home you’re less likely to prepare your food using unhealthy methods of food preparation. A lot of people turn to baking or grilling food at home which means we are reducing the intake of unhealthy fats used in restaurants, and overall calories from eating fried foods. At home, you decide what fats you use and you likely won’t be adding the unhealthy additives, and artificial flavoring that is often in takeout orders. Your food will be fresher as the food you order from restaurants or other takeout services will mostly use canned or processed ingredients. Additionally, it’s easier to avoid allergic reactions when cooking at home. Early in my autoimmune healing journey I had eaten at a restaurant and asked if there was gluten in the meat and was told, “no.” When I had digestive distress immediately after eating the meal I got suspicious because my digestion had been so much better. I called to be sure of the ingredients in the meal. The manager told me there was gluten in the turkey burger that I ate. Ugh, I got glutened!
2. You’re eating smaller portions. If you’re looking to lose weight is easier to achieve when you're cooking your meals at home. A very important contributor to weight loss is portion control, and this is where restaurants are really doing our health a disservice—we usually end up eating way more than we need, just because there's a huge portion of food on our plate. When eating home cooked food, we have the option to not overload our plates. When making a plate I generally recommend a quarter of the plate have a clean protein, and three quarters plant based.
3. Cooking at home allows for greater creativity and is a good creative outlet, which can reduce stress. You can discover new methods of cooking and try out different flavors. My son is a chef in NYC and I can attest to his use of creativity in his meal preparation. Food is his canvas by which he can create to engage the senses and create his meal as a delicious masterpiece. Cooking can be a good de-stressor, if you like cooking of course. Stress and certain coping mechanisms can numb out the senses, while cooking enliven the senses via aroma, taste, touch, and visual pleasantries and even the sound of sizzling. Experiment with your food color palate. Eat the rainbow!
4. Eating at home brings people together. It’s a way to stay connected, learn about a family member when cooking together, celebrate, learn about cultures and provide comfort. One of the great joys in my life is that my husband and I often cook meals together. We have a running joke when we are cooking ethnic meals to add variety to our meal repertoire. We joke to each other and say, “Just like our Indian, Asian Mexican, Italian grandmother used to make,” or fill in the blank to whatever ethnic dish we are creating. Bonding with family members improves your mental health. Home cooking takes planning and effort, but it can also be an effective way to bring the family together around a relaxing shared activity to bring happiness, comfort and joy. I know for people living alone this is not the case, but it’s a good excuse to invite people over, enjoy their company and have them share a meal with you that you made as an offering. This act of generosity may increase purpose and meaning in your life by connecting over a meal.
5. You’re saving money when you cook at home. Food prices are definitely on the rise. Dining out frequently can really eat up a huge chunk of your monthly food budget. There are so many ways to save on your grocery bill, like finding deals, meal planning, buying in bulk, batch cooking and cooking foods like soups and casseroles that can be eaten for several days in a row. Although leftovers may be a problem for people with histamine intolerance. In my household leftovers are frequently the next day’s breakfast or lunch, which saves money when you’re at work and don’t want to eat out. This is why home cooked food is more economical. I often provide information to my clients on how to save money eating healthily.
