The Healthiest Food is Home-Cooked

A study by researchers at Emory University suggests that Americans eat fewer than 70 percent of their meals at home. Still, the outlook for the health of Americans may be even more bleak when we consider the incredibly low percentage of fresh, whole foods purchased, compared to the disproportionately high sales of frozen, already-cooked meals. To help boost your health this year, strive to cook at home more often. From choosing your ingredients, to preparing and cooking for nutrient preservation, home cooking allows you to have complete control over what goes into your body. Cooking at home also allows you the ability to manage food allergies and sensitivities, as well as portion sizes. Furthermore, regularly preparing and eating healthy home cooked meals will help train your palate to enjoy healthier fare, while improving your creative cooking skills.

Short on time? Try setting 1-2 days aside each week to do cooking for the week. Cook in large enough quantities that you can enjoy your home-cooked food as left-overs. On your cooking days, clean, prepare and package raw veggies like carrots, cucumbers, celery or chard for quick grab and go snacks. Remember to store food in glass whenever possible.

If you are at a loss on how to start cooking at home, check out classes offered locally or check out any one of hundreds of online cooking websites and videos. This video is a wonderful way to sum it all up: How Cooking can Change Your Life - Michael Pollan.

REFERENCES
The Advantages of a Home Cooked Meal. The San Francisco Gate.
How to store and cook foods to preserve the most nutrients at World's Healthiest Foods.

Image Attribution: Kasia Bialasiewicz/bigstock.com