MOM, WHAT'S FOR DINNER?!

How many times as a busy mom/spouse have you heard that one?

I know. This article is probably going to get me booed by all the busy moms out there (myself included) who are struggling to juggle all the things (kids, job, house, spouse, activities, etc.). I know I could write a book on all the things moms have to take care of on a daily basis. And popping off with “Hey! You should add more stress to your life by cooking more,” is probably the last thing you want to hear.

But!

If you are truly looking for a way to lose weight, improve your overall health, actually save time, save money, and help prevent chronic diseases, then cooking at home more often is a strategy you should be considering.

In fact, according to Harvard Health:

“We already know that the more people cook at home, the healthier their diet, the fewer calories they consume, and the less likely they are to be obese or develop type 2 diabetes. A growing body of scientific evidence supports teaching patients how to cook meals at home as an effective medical intervention for improving diet quality, weight loss, and diabetes prevention.”

So, I thought it would be fair to go over a list of Pros and Cons for cooking more at home in order to make a better judgment for whether you should give it a try. 

CONS:

● Time consuming. You have to plan. You have to shop. You have to prep. And you have to spend time actually cooking.

● Messy. There are more dishes to do. There are splatters and spills to clean up. The prep and cooking can create more trash to dispose of.

● Don’t know how to cook. If you've never been taught to cook beyond microwaving or frozen pizzas, it can seem daunting to jump into the complex world of cooking.

● Special ingredients can be expensive/fast food is cheaper. If you want to make a burger and fries at home, it can seem like you're spending WAY more money for all the ingredients than just running through the drive-thru. Or if you want anything like a seafood platter, the ingredients can be very expensive to buy.

● Seen more as a chore than fun/pleasurable activity. Once again, trying to figure out what to make, doing the shopping, doing the cooking can feel like MORE things to do on top of your already mile-long to-do list.

● My family are picky eaters. I feel this one, personally. Between my sons, my husband, and my daughter it seems like no one in our household can agree on what to eat, and it gets frustrating trying to please everybody. 

All of these are valid concerns. When you're already busy enough, why would you want to add anything else to the list?

But....

Now it's time to check out the Pros of cooking at home.

PROS: 

● Meals can be simple AND delicious. Meals don't have to be complicated to be healthy. Spaghetti with meat sauce or Meatballs and a side salad or veggies can be a healthy meal. 

● Cooking has plenty of short-cuts. Rotisserie Chicken. Frozen vegetables. Quick-cook rice packets. Pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Canned foods. There are lots of short-cuts to choose from. 

● Eating out gets expensive, cooking at home can be cheaper. Where I live a steak, baked potato and side of broccoli at a restaurant costs as low as $25, and goes up from there. I can make the same steak dinner at home for $10-$15 (or more if I get REALLY fancy with my steak cut). For all my family that price only goes up, whereas cooking at home I can buy family packs of meat and save even more money!

● More nutrients...

● Calorie control/Portion control...

● Boost your Immune system...

● More energy...

● Better sleep...

● Better managing food allergies...

● You tend to make healthier choices when cooking at home than when eating out (triple quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, large coke)...

I think you get the point. There are numerous benefits to cooking at home versus eating out. Neither choice is right or wrong. 

If you're trying to make healthier choices, maybe this is the most convenient way to start. Start small. Maybe one meal per week. Work your way up from there. Make it as easy on yourself as possible. Take short-cuts where you can that still fit within your budget (ex. buy a rotisserie chicken and use the meat to kick start a meal).

And as always, reach out if you need help getting started!

Later....