Obesity and diabetes are both worldwide health issues for a multitude of reasons. The “collapse of home cooking” is one of the primary reasons why.
Because life and schedules are crazy, hectic in most households these days, diet (our intake of important nutrients) is generally the first thing that suffers. This absence of proper nutrients eventually puts our body in a nutrient poor environment. If not addressed it will eventually lead to ill health.
According to a report by the USDA, the amount of money spent by those in the Western world eating out has now, for the first time ever, surpassed what consumers spend on food at home.
Sadly, with so many prepared foods and fancy packages strategically placed to tempt us when we grocery shop, eating has become “eye candy” and a convenience habit rather than a healthy lifestyle habit.
The sad truth is, home cooking has given way to convenience foods with devastating results – a spike in obesity, diabetes and other diet related diseases. It may be adding to our convenience meter timewise, but these “convenient foods” are subtracting from our health meter and playing havoc with our healthy lifestyles! Although we believe we are helping ourselves by adding to our available time, what’s the use of having more time on our hands if our health suffers and we’re miserable? It’s time to take a stand against this onslaught of health damage.
The best and easiest way to avoid falling prey to nutritionally dead fast-foods and other conveniently prepared foods that your local supermarket tempts you with is to learn to create your own delicious snacks and meals right in the comfort and cleanliness of your own kitchen.
When we eat outside of our own kitchen, we place our health at the mercy of others because we are not in control what has gone into the preparation of the foods we order.
Enjoying the company of others while eating out on occasion is perfectly fine and acceptable. What we’re talking about here is a diet primarily fixed on processed, unhealthy sugars and fats, and toxic laden foods – a diet offering relatively little, if any, nutrient dense, fresh, whole food choices.
It’s time to take a pro-active role in our own future health and well-being by returning to the kitchen and taking charge of what goes into our food. What additives go in our food before we eat it and the amount of nutrition it holds for us. Increasing our intake of whole fresh ingredients not only helps us to become healthier and leaner, but our energy levels get a real lift as well.
This is a family affair. If we want to experience a reborn culture of home cooking, its needs to be a lifestyle change, not an occasional occurrence and that requires everyone in the family (or household) to be knowledgeable and involved.
The primary benefits of homemade meals:
Healthier ingredients –
Eating homecooked meals allows us to pick the best, freshest, nutrient dense ingredients we can get our hands on. We’ll know exactly what went in and the amount that went in of anything added. No second guessing. Much easier to control our weight when we prepare our own meals at home as well.
Saves money –
When we eat at a restaurant, we pay for the food we are served. But the cost does not stop there. We also pay to keep the restaurant open, staffed and running. That total is more than purchasing our ingredients and putting them together in a new recipe. All from the comfort of our home kitchen! Eating fast-food consistently, robs our body of nutrients and empties our wallet with little to no return on investment.
Portion control –
Portion control is a lot more important to pay attention to than most people want to admit. For the most part, our modern portions well exceed what we need to be eating to be healthy. Portion control is harder to control when served outside our own kitchen. This excess temptation is a huge contributor to our health/weight crisis. Some even eat excessively to avoid any guilt about leaving it on the plate!
Focused family time –
Mealtime is a great time to share time with and enjoy our friends and family. Cooking at home takes that a step further by inviting all members of the family to participate in making it. Some even help with the shopping. All children beam with joy when served a snack or meal they helped prepare.
Like everything else, healthy eating begins with correct perceptions. Focusing on the ingredients we’re cooking with, blinds us to the ease and tease of fancy packaging. We now perceive food as the direct path towards building and maintaining our health.
Eating needs to be perceived as something we do to boost our health and vitality and add to our longevity. Not something we do to appease our senses, ease our emotions, or fill our lonely, soul-tank.
Snack, treats or full meals, when it comes to our health, home cooking always trumps convenience, prepared/packaged meals or ordered food. With the glut of healthy food recipes readily available on the Internet boredom doesn’t have a chance! Discovering and playing with new food choices and simple or exotic new recipes becomes an unending joy.
It Makes No Sense To Eat Healthy Meals And Then Ruin The Benefit With Nasty Desserts
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