The Joys of Cooking for Yourself #cookathome #savemoney #trynewfoods #healthiermeals

Today, The Weekend Gourmet correspondent is sharing the benefits of cooking at home instead of relying on restaurant takeout or delivery. I'm the first to admit it's often easier to pick up or order food. During the current pandemic social distancing, we do takeout or order restaurant meals a couple of times per week. Doing so every night isn't economical or healthy long-term. I'm taking advantage of our social distancing at home to cook my family healthy, comforting meals. This article may contain affiliate links.

It's a common misconception that cooking is boring. That's simply not true...cooking can be really fun! If you think about it, there are many benefits to cooking for yourself rather than relying on someone to do it for you...or relying on restaurant takeout and delivery. In this article, we're going to examine some of the benefits of cooking for yourself -- and why you should consider cooking at home the next time you reach for a restaurant takeout/delivery menu.

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You Know What’s In Your Food

The first benefit of cooking your own food is that you know exactly what’s going in it. There's no chance of any ingredient you don’t like, are allergic to, or is generally unsavory going into your food. Instead, your recipe will contain only those ingredients you hand picked yourself, combining to create a delicious meal. Knowing exactly what’s in your food is important for many people -- doing so ensures any ingredients that shouldn’t be in your food definitely aren't there! It also means you know that you’re getting everything you do need. You can also be certain you’re getting the right amount of protein, vitamins and minerals, etc. You never know every ingredient you’re getting with restaurant takeout/delivery dishes. For example: many times, restaurant food is fried in oil at some point. If you're seeking a healthier lifestyle, then cooking for yourself is definitely something you should consider!

You Can Find Inspiration Anywhere

Something else you should consider is that you can find cooking inspiration from literally anywhere. There are many different types of food for you to consider -- including food blogs, like Giadzi -- that can provide you thousands of recipes to try out. Cooking doesn’t have to be boring, and combining flavors you never would have thought to match can be very fun. This approach will provide you new tastes to enjoy, and the satisfaction of knowing you cooked the food yourself is an amazing feeling. This is especially true when your recipe is something unique or uncommon.

It Saves You Money!

The final benefit to cooking for yourself is that doing so will save you money. Buying ingredients -- especially healthy foods -- will save you a lot of money compared to the price of restaurant takeout and delivery. You might not think takeout and/or delivery is that expensive. However, when you add it all up, you'll see that ordering restaurant meals is leaving a pretty big dent in your wallet. Buying groceries might seem like a time-consuming task -- or even an unsafe idea during the current pandemic. This might make you not want to go food shopping. To save time, most grocery stores now offer online shopping and delivery services. Simply order at home via your computer, and the groceries come right to your front door! Bottom line: grocery shopping will save you money in the long term. That's something to think about -- especially if you're on a tight budget.

We hope you've found this article helpful, and now appreciate some of the joys of cooking for yourself. Get in the kitchen, jump right in...and have fun cooking yourself a delicious, healthy meal!