Fast Food Options and Obesity
With options such as microwaveable, order-out, dine-in, drive-thru, take-home, free delivery, ready to serve, heat-and-eat, eat in your car, and boil-in-the-bag readily available, you sometimes have to ask yourself if home-cooked meals are worth the effort. According to The Survey of Consumer Expenditures for 2006 (released in late 2007 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics), in 2006 the average U.S. household spent nearly half of its food budget on meals eaten away from home. It’s no wonder that obesity continues to be one of the leading public health concerns for Americans (and a growing problem around the world).
To keep your weight under control, your cholesterol levels healthy, and your wallet fuller, try eating more home-cooked meals made with fresh, natural ingredients. Here are 15 other good reasons for eating more meals at home.
Home-Cooked Meals Put You in Control
- You control the portion size at home rather than having a corporation (or independent chef) tell you how much food you need. At home, opt for small (three ounce) portions of meat and large quantities of fruits and vegetables.
- You control the quality of ingredients at home. You can check expiration dates, cut extra fat off meat, toss out stale chips and bread, and throw away anything that doesn’t smell fresh (even if it’s not expired). At restaurants, you are at the mercy of managers who need to cut production costs.
- You wash your hands and counters before cooking. Cooking in your own clean kitchen means you are far less likely to get food poisoning.
- You control the salt and trans fat content, unlike at restaurants where the way food tastes is far more important to the owner than its health benefits.
- You spend less money buying ingredients at the grocery store than you do buying prepared food at restaurants.
- You can cook large recipes and freeze extra portions for another meal. This is a great time-saver for later when you’re too busy to cook or don’t have the right ingredients handy.
- You can refrigerate or throw away leftovers from a meal without feeling guilty. Often at restaurants, people feel obligated to eat what they paid for because they spent so much money.
- You can avoid the mysterious (and potentially dangerous) ingredients in processed foods by cooking fresh at home.
- You can enjoy private conversation without being interrupted by servers or other diners.
- You don't have to tip anyone or endure surly counter help at home.
- You are not limited to regular menu items as in a restaurant. You can cook using only the ingredients that you like or can try new grocery items for variety.
- You can season and cook food exactly the way you like rather than how the restaurant chef dictates.
- You can establish (or carry on) a family tradition of home-cooked food. Create a special Sunday brunch, Monday morning breakfast, Friday night dinner, or holiday meal that your family and friends look forward to sharing with you.
- You can go for a 20-30 minute walk after you eat at home instead of sitting around the restaurant for that amount of time.
- You can try a new recipe at home when you want something new or exciting (or invite a new guest with a favorite recipe), instead of trying a new restaurant when you crave something different.
For more information about food and beverages, read 12 Surprising Facts About Coffee and Aphrodisiacs to Spice Up Your Life.
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