Home Cooking and How You Can Fit It into Your Schedule

If you are like me and my husband, you probably have a hectic schedule that leaves you little time for cooking. We are both in the medical field, and we often work long hours and irregular shifts. Sometimes, we are too tired or busy to cook, and we end up ordering take-out, delivery, or grabbing some ready food from the supermarket. While this may seem convenient and time-saving, it is not the best option for our health, budget, or happiness.

Cooking homemade food has many benefits that can improve your life in various ways. The following are some of them.

Homemade Food is Healthier

When you cook your own food, you have more control over the ingredients, portions, and cooking methods. You can avoid additives, preservatives, excess salt, sugar, fat, and calories that are often found in restaurant or processed food. You can also choose fresh, organic, and seasonal ingredients that are rich in nutrients and flavor. Cooking homemade food can help you prevent or manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart disease.

Homemade Food is Cheaper

Eating out or buying ready food can be expensive in the long run. You are paying not only for the food, but also for the service, delivery, packaging, and taxes. Cooking your own food can help you save money by buying ingredients in bulk, planning your meals ahead, using leftovers creatively, and avoiding food waste. You can also use coupons, discounts, or sales to get the best deals on groceries.

Cooking at Home is Fun

Cooking can be a very enjoyable and relaxing activity that allows you to express your creativity and personality. You can experiment with different recipes, cuisines, spices, and techniques to create delicious dishes that suit your taste and preferences. You can also involve your family or friends in cooking and make it a bonding experience. Cooking homemade food can boost your mood, confidence, and self-esteem.

You may think that cooking homemade food is too time-consuming or difficult for your busy schedule. However, with some planning and organization, you can make it happen. It really comes down to one thing:

Planning Ahead

At the beginning of each week or month, decide what you want to cook and eat for each day. I recommend sticking to simple meals that are easy to prepare and store. Such meals are also easy to track if you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight, like me. Make a shopping list of the ingredients you need and buy them in advance. This way, you will avoid impulse buying or ordering out when you don't know what to cook. When you have some free time, chop, wash, peel, marinate, or cook some of the ingredients that you will use later. Store them in containers or freezer bags in the fridge or freezer. This will save you time and effort when you are ready to cook.

You don't have to make everything from scratch. You can use canned, frozen, or pre-cooked ingredients that are still healthy and tasty. For example, you can use canned beans, tomatoes, or tuna; frozen vegetables or fruits; pre-cooked rice or pasta; or rotisserie chicken or turkey. I personally try to avoid canned or processed food as much as possible, but it probably would still be healthier than fast food.

You can cook large quantities of food at once and store them in portions in the fridge or freezer for later use. You can also use a slow cooker to make soups, stews, casseroles, or roasts that require minimal preparation and supervision. I recommend against cooking complicated or elaborate dishes on a day-to-day basis, because it can be exhausting and inefficient use of your time.

At our home, we cook large quantities of beef, chicken, and seafood (shrimp is my personal favorite) every weekend, portion them out based on weight (4 oz for each portion), and store them in small bags in the freezer. At dinner time, we make rice, which only takes 15-20 minutes, and eat it alongside the frozen protein which can be quickly heated. We also make salads on the side. We have lots of fun cooking together and it makes us feel much better about what we are eating.

Cooking homemade food can improve your life in many ways. It is cheaper, more enjoyable, and healthier. Try it and see the difference!