6 Reasons to Eat Homemade Food More Often

Read on to find out why you should eat comfort food.

Thanks to our increasingly hectic lifestyles, eating has become one of life’s lower priorities. For example, we eat only when we meet someone at a fancy restaurant or mindlessly grab a snack while watching a movie. When was the last time you took out a couple of hours just to prepare food and savor it quietly? When was the last time you put “LUNCH” on your daily to-do list? However, eating home cooked food is one of the healthiest habits one can cultivate. It has multiple positive effects on both the body and the mind.

Nutritious: – Restaurant and other commercially prepared foods are notoriously high in fat, salt, and sugar. Home cooked meals, on the other hand, are free of these and also have the option of replacing certain items with their healthier alternatives. Eating home-cooked meals on a regular basis sets our palate up for simpler, healthier foods in the long run, which eventually begins to reflect in our trimmed-down waistlines and overall health.

Hygienic: – A recent video allegedly showing a worker at one of our favorite dhabas kneading atta with his feet had us squirming in our seats. While not all restaurants follow standards like these, it is extremely difficult to maintain desired levels of cleanliness and hygiene while preparing food on an industrial scale. However, careful food handling and cooking techniques typically found in homes tend to keep meals healthier and our tummies happier.

Adequate portions:- Since childhood, we have always been taught never to waste food. I followed this rule since childhood and still do, even when I go out to eat with my friends. However, restaurants are notorious for their large portions, which ultimately became one of the main reasons for my overeating and subsequent health problems. While the entire earth is moving towards the Japanese “Hara Hachi Bu” (eat until you are 8/10 full), it’s about time we too make a paradigm shift and change our eating habits. Eating at home gives us the luxury of customizing the size of our portions according to our needs, exclusively.

Increased food knowledge: – Do you know what foods to eat when you feel down after those boring day meetings? A large plate of French fries and a medium portion of rice and dal will have different effects on your body, mind, and soul. Since food is our main source of energy, it can have a satiating, healing or even negative effect on our body. Since home cooking is generally nutritious and made with far fewer ingredients, the flavor and effects of each ingredient can be thoroughly savored.

Build Healthy Habits: Eating home cooked meals encourages many good habits that prove beneficial throughout life.

Easy on the pocket: read any book or article on “money saving tricks” and this one is right at the top. Eating comfort food more often is one of the biggest and easiest ways to save money. Even eating out of your neighborhood thela is a more expensive affair in the long run.

Of course, cooking is not everyone’s cup of tea. Many factors like being pressed for time, being lazy after a long day, and inability to cook well often come between us and a delicious and nutritious meal. For my brothers who still crave some simple, home cooked meals but can’t find them, let me show you the light on the dark path.