Studies Support It: We Must Return To Home Cooking

For many people, homemade food is synonymous with health and well-being. For this reason, several research teams have investigated about it, in order to determine what are the benefits of a healthy diet, away from junk food and ultra-processed foods.

Eating at home not only helps to consume more balanced and healthy preparations, but it also helps to recover the ritual around the table that feels so good, in several ways.

Because when we sit at the table, together with our partner or family, we can eat more calmly, taste the food with greater pleasure and even sit for a few minutes, once we have finished.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of home cooking below and why prioritizing it is important.

Homemade food allows weight control

Unlike what happens in countries like Spain and Italy, in countries like the United States, the culture of good food is scarce and invaluable. Therefore, there is a greater tendency to develop bad eating habits.

However, not everything is positive in the Mediterranean countries, so famous for having the best diet in the world. In recent years, home cooking has also been neglected and bad habits have been adopted.

Fast food is a resource that saves time and satisfies the appetite in a given moment. However, it does not nourish or satisfy the true needs of the body.

When consumed regularly, we have:

• Poor nutrition
• Higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, etc.
• Greater tendency to suffer from obesity and overweight, according to an article published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene.

On the contrary, something as simple as eating a diet based on comfort food, in which priority is given to the consumption of organic and healthy foods rich in antioxidants, omega 3 and vitamins of group B, can help improve health and maintain a corresponding weight. 

Homemade food brings us back to good traditions

When we celebrate something, we immediately think of meeting in a restaurant with friends and family. Children are already asking to go to the famous fast food centers to celebrate their birthdays, and there are many events that we carry out ‘away from home’.

However, in times of crisis these practices have begun to be limited, and with this, we have also recovered that pleasant tradition to which our parents and grandparents ‘forced’ us: eating at home.

• Preparing a good homemade meal is an act of imagination and affection that invites us to ‘live in the present’. There is no rush, only the desire to offer the best to our people.

• Eating at home is comfortable. In addition, the environment is friendly and we closer ties with our own.
• Eating a good meal and knowing that you have liked it is a pleasure and a boost for self-esteem.

Homemade food: a value and a model for our children

According to the experts of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association , eating at home is a very healthy habit for the development of children and especially for adolescents. It is a fundamental part of food education that will help prevent obesity in the future.

The research was carried out over 10 years to find out if eating habits affected children’s development in any way. The results were the following:

• Always eating at the same time and with the family, favored communication and the relationship between parents and children.
• The children grew up healthier and less overweight thanks to the homemade food.

• Consistent routines and habits also benefited children as they grew older.
• Following a healthy model such as a diet rich in vegetables and fruit and eating at the table with the family makes children follow these same models in adulthood.

We have more control over food allergies

Surely it has also happened to you at some time: eating out and within a few hours experiencing a discomfort that leads, of course, into food poisoning.

• Homemade food avoids many of these problems: we control the quality of food, we preserve it better and we avoid those products that we know do not feel good to ours.
• Something as simple as eating at home makes us control more the amounts we eat, digestion is carried out in a more adequate way and, with this, nutrition in general is more optimal.

A good home cooked meal can be prepared in just half an hour

If the main problem we have is lack of time, that is no excuse. There are very healthy dishes that can be prepared in just half an hour. Therefore, it is worth considering the following:

• Always have the fridge ready with everything you need.
• Invest in good food: buy organic fruits and vegetables
• Have homemade broths prepared in your fridge, in this way we save a lot of time when preparing rice, sauces …
• Plan from one day to the next what you want to cook.
• If you preserve the food or leftovers from the previous day well, it can be used to make original and healthy dishes (the chicken from the day before can be used today to prepare a mixed salad)

Remember that the regular intake of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways we know to improve health, according to an article published in the journal Advances in Nutrition .

Eating healthy and at home is the best option

We know very well that work-home reconciliation is not always possible. However, it is possible to do so. Today there are many healthy and easy recipes to prepare in a few minutes, capable of satisfying the appetite, nourishing us and also taking care of our health.

Finally, it is good that we remember that organization is essential when reducing meal preparation times. Therefore, let’s try to develop a weekly meal plan and follow it in order to optimize the diet.