Cooking at home can be fun and rewarding, plus there are a lot of other health benefits. Don’t miss out on these four everyday benefits to cooking at home.

Some people say that cooking takes too much time in their day, that it feels like it’s a chore, that they are not good at cooking or it’s just something that doesn’t appeal to them. 

There are a lot of health benefits to cooking at home. For starters, it can support your immune system, reduce your risk to illnesses and even help with high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes. By applying some simple tips when it comes to cooking from home, you can positively impact your health long-term. 

Nutritional counselor Sarah Jacobs, co-founder of the Wellness Project NYC says, 

“when cooking, your part of the meal process from start to finish – the grocery store to the plate. It makes you far more in tune with the food you’re putting into your system.”

Home Cooking Benefits

 Here are some key benefits to hopefully inspire you to use your kitchen and make some home-cooked meals:

• 1. You eat fewer calories without even realizing it
• Restaurant and fast foods are heavily loaded with sodium and additives, making them high in calories. Dishes made at home tend to be more nutritious and contain fewer calories. 

• 2. You’re more mindful of what you’re putting into your body
• Most people are rushing or multitasking during meals, meaning they’re not fully present when eating food that they bought. Whereas, when you’re sitting down and eating a plate you prepared, chances is that you’re more mindful of that food. 

• 3. You can socialize with loved ones
• Cooking is a great time to spend with family and friends. It creates an activity you all do together, bonding and even pick up some culinary skills. 

• 4. You stimulate your brain
• By having to prepare things together, you are using your mind in a more cognitive fashion, building independence and self-confidence in the kitchen. You learn to follow directions and how to also be creative. 

Even though cooking may seem like a job sometimes, especially with those dirty dishes at the end of the night, there are still many great benefits to cooking more often. If you feel like you’d like to explore more of your cooking skills, find an upcoming cooking class you can attend and cook together some delicious and nutritious foods from the comfort of your kitchen!