15 Very Good Reasons To Cook At Home More

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I used to only cook at home if it was very convenient. Like, when I had nothing but time on my hands and all the ingredients already in my kitchen. That barely happened so I barely cooked at home. Now, I live by the opposite rule—I go out of my way to make meals at home, even if other areas of my life have to wait. It took some getting used to but, now it’s practically second nature and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I saved money, lost weight, gained an appreciation for every dollar I earn, and even gained a better appreciation for my mom (she used to make us all our meals at home). If you’re in a trap of saying, “I’ll just get takeout tonight because I’m busy” but finding you’re busy every day, it’s time to remember these good reasons to make most meals at home.

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You can make leftovers

Once you’re already boiling water or sautéing vegetables, it takes almost no effort to just make a little more, so you have enough food for a couple more meals. When you dine out, you usually just get enough food for that meal and maybe a snack.

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And you want to save leftovers

Because you worked so hard to make that food and would like to save time later that week, you portion out your meals appropriately. You want to make sure you do have leftovers, which prevents you from overeating.

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You can prevent contamination

There have been quite a few incidents of contamination at restaurants this year and people getting very sick. When you cook, you control whether or not you wash your hands, check expiration dates, and clean your tools properly.

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You can select your produce

When you cook, you get to hand-select your produce. Have you noticed many restaurants give you under-ripe avocados or mushy tomatoes? You don’t put up with that when you cook at home.

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You save a lot of money

You really do save so much money. At the moment, I spend about $15 a day to feed myself. That’s all three meals and a snack. If I ate all of those meals out, that would easily go up to $50 a day—and that’s even if I ate at super affordable places.

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You wind up on fewer newsletters

Every time you eat at another restaurant or pick up food from another deli, you somehow wind up on another mailing list. Whether it’s physical coupons at your door or deals in your inbox, you’re on another list.

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Nobody pressures you to eat more

There is no server at your home pressuring you to add the dessert or get the Caesar salad for three extra dollars. You don’t even have friends pressuring you, which even healthy women struggle to not give into. You do things on your terms.

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You can watch TV

You can enjoy your favorite TV show. You can’t do that at a restaurant. If you’re super busy, then meal time may be the only time you have to catch up on your shows.

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Or have a conversation

When you eat at home, you can also have quality time with your loved ones. While you cook and eat, you can talk, without the noise of a restaurant interrupting you.

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You can ask friends for recipes

Swapping recipes with friends is a lot of fun. You’ll love chatting with each other about how the recipe turned out and sharing tips.

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You can use your mama’s tips

Your mom probably passed down lots of little tips to you throughout the years. She wants you to use them, but you don’t if you always dine out.

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You can afford several courses

When you dine out, you likely have to choose between eating this or that, for budget reasons. When you cook, you can make yourself an appetizer, a cheese plate, some soup, an entrée, and a dessert.

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When you go out, you can splurge

Since you’re saving so much by eating at home, on the rare occasion you do dine out, you can afford to splurge. You don’t need to be so restrictive.

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You can reduce allergen issues

If you have any food allergies, eating out is always risky. You can’t guarantee someone didn’t use the same knife they put in the butter, on your vegetables. If you’re lactose-intolerant, that’s an issue.