More People are Cooking Homemade Meals

One of the reasons sales at fast food joints are dipping is that people are eating more at home. This is the best news we’ve read in a while, even if the reason is related to cost more than it is to health. The prices of food commodities like eggs and produce have come down in the last few years, while eating out costs more each year.

The USDA says that in 2014, after years of climbing, the percentage of meals people ate outside the home reached a peak, and was finally greater than the percentage of meals eaten at home. Eating out makes so much practical sense: it’s fast, clean, convenient, and saves time and worry for many families with 2 breadwinners working longer hours than ever.

But as we all know, the price we pay 10, 20, or 30 years down the road is too expensive.

The health benefits of eating homemade meals are numerous:

• less fats
• less sodium
• less sugars
• less processed ingredients

The disadvantage is, of course, prep time and cleanup. That’s why becoming an efficient home cook is something everyone should work on. Whether it’s taking cooking classes, being more organized, cooking multiple meals at once for the whole week, or other tricks, find what works for you.