10 Obvious Reasons Why Cooking at Home Trumps Eating Out

One of the most significant obstacles to cooking at home is often the limitation of time. Add to this, the growing convenience of pre-cooked meals, takeout options, the growing number of cafes and restaurants, and the slew of online food delivery applications, and new-age cooking appliances – all points to driving people away from cooking at home.

It took a global pandemic to revive the lost joy of cooking meals at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic had greatly influenced the way we consumed food. Our traditional food routines, such as going to a trendy café for a leisurely Sunday brunch, were replaced by ordering food online for home delivery. The pandemic forced people to replace their post-work happy hours at local bars with virtual video calls for socializing. While bars and restaurants experienced a relatively successful year in 2022, our perception and approach towards food has notably changed because of the culinary experiences we gained through home cooking in the past few years.

As we step into 2023, the trend of home cooking continues to be an enduring theme. More than two-thirds of Americans cook on a regular basis in 2023. Many people have come to realize that cooking meals at home is much healthier than eating out at restaurants. This is because when you cook at home, you have greater control over the portion sizes and nutritional content of the food you prepare. By cooking at home, you can ensure that the meals you make are tailored to your dietary needs and preferences, and you can also avoid the excess salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats that are often found in restaurant food.

Additionally, pandemic-induced health, hygiene, and safety concerns have forced us all totake a hard look at how and what we eat. The ongoing discussion of whether to cook at home or dine out has intensified in today's world as we navigate through the aftermath of COVID-19.

Here are 10 Benefits of Cooking at Home Vs Eating Out:

1. Cooking at home does not have to be difficult

For the uninitiated, cooking is often seen as a humongous task. However, even with limited culinary know-how, one can get easily adjusted to an effortless cooking and meal rotation plan.

While it’s fair to say that cooking complex recipes daily is no easy task, you can still spruce up your daily meals by adding some effortless stir-fry recipes to your weekly meal plan. The stir-frying cooking technique is not only super easy (all you need is a wok, olive oil and your favorite veggies or meat slices) but it is also a super adaptable way of cooking, meaning you can keep swapping ingredients for one another and experiment along the way. Meal prepping prior cooking is also an important part of the pre-cooking process.

With the massive inundation of technology in home kitchens and the introduction of AI-driven cooking appliances, the effort of cooking at home has been further eased. Automation in the kitchen is no longer a futuristic idea. It has made its presence felt and required in restaurants, but now it has reinvented itself to simplify daily domestic cooking tasks. We at Posha have dreamt up an efficient home-cooking solution which can practically automate the entire process of cooking, while also letting you have full control over every single step (but more on this later..)

2. You are more in control of what goes in your food

Cooking your own meals at home allows you to have greater control over various aspects compared to dining out. From cooking ingredients to the portion size, you are actually part of the entire process, from start to finish. You become more aware of the meal you’re consuming. It helps you learn a lot about your body and also discover your likings and no-go zones.

On the contrary, when you are consuming takeout or restaurant food, you have a higher chance of consuming something you might be allergic to or is detrimental to your health. Additionally, taking charge of your food choices can also improve your cooking skills and deepen your relationship with food over time.

‍3. Cooking at home is so much healthier

Studies have confirmed that consuming home-cooked meals is synonymous with consuming healthy food. Meals cooked in restaurants are often heavy on sugar, butter, and salt, while packaged food is typically loaded with sodium and additives.

Cooking at home, on the other hand, helps you keep a check on the nutritional value of the food you eat. You tend to buy healthier, cleaner, and nutritious ingredients to meet the recipe requirements. When cooking at home, you have full control over the ingredients you use, especially their quality, freshness, and nutritional value. This means you can choose to use healthier ingredients such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. You can also control the portion sizes, which can help you avoid overeating.

Having a cooking companion like Posha proves to be very useful in this regard. You can access detailed nutrient info for every recipe you cook i.e. a percentage wise break-up of all key nutrients (carbs, fats and protein), number of calories and a consolidated health score.

4. Gives you a chance to put on many creative hats

Apart from being a universal necessity, cooking is also a form of art. Cooking at home gives you the rare chance to be experimental and creative in your daily life. When you start preparing meals for yourselves and you start getting the hang of it after some time, you will start customizing the recipes to make your own exclusive versions. Once you start cooking the way you want to eat, there is no going back. This whole process is quite rewarding and becomes an outlet for creative expression. It often acts as a stress reliever and leaves you in a better mood.

5. Save a lot of money by cooking at home vs eating out

Almost anything you cook at home will be significantly less expensive than anything you can get at a restaurant, even a fast-food stall. “The average American family dines out three times per week, spending between $225 and $400 per week on restaurant food.”

When cooking at home becomes a frequent activity, one will definitely see a decrease in their expenses. To add to these immediate benefits, eating healthy at home will lower medical bills in the long run.

6. Cooking at home does not have to be time-consuming

Cooking at home can be made less time-consuming by planning your meals ahead of time. This can be done by determining what you'll be cooking for the week, so that you can buy all the necessary ingredients at once and avoid multiple trips to the grocery store. Additionally, preparing ingredients in advance can make cooking faster and easier. For example, chopping vegetables and storing them in the fridge can save time when cooking. Cooking in batches may also be fruitful, although there are certain disadvantages of batch-cooking to be considered. And lastly, stick to simple recipes that don't require a lot of prep work or ingredients. You can always add more flavor with herbs, spices, and condiments.

Alternatively, a private cooking robot for your kitchen such as Posha also comes most handy. You can pre-plan all your meals for the day and track the recipes on your phone, so that you can save time and prioritize more important tasks for the day.

7. Brings people together

“Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people eat together.”

The joy of cooking is incomplete without eating with loved ones. Preparing meals at home often becomes a group activity, everyone feels part of the process and it deepens relationships. Eating together also incites deep, meaningful, and fun conversations at the dinner table.

Cooking for friends and families in many cultures is a way to socialize and bond. It can be a means to celebrate, entertain, nurture relationships and show you care in times of crisis.

8. Home-cooking is better for our planet

In 2020, between 720 and 811 million people face hunger (a staggering 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet). On the other hand, 1.3 billion tons of edible food gets wasted annually by the world, which is enough to feed 3 billion people. Clearly, there are huge flaws in our food system that need immediate attention.

Dining out and ordering food from outside always comes with many layers of sourcing, preparation, and packaging. Each step of this process involves food waste; something that we can actively choose to minimize by ordering less. When you cook food at home, there are plenty of ways to cook sustainably and decrease food waste.

9. The Kitchen Experience

It’s hard to imagine a home without a cooking space, but when you rely too much on the outside food, this can easily become a grimy and uninviting area of the house.

A modern, functional, and cared-for kitchen, can turn things around in the house. Modern kitchens, the way we see it, is a place where each and every member takes part in the process of cooking irrespective of gender and age.

If budget permits, it’s always worth investing in quality kitchen appliances to take your kitchen functionality to the next level.

10. It can be an enjoyable activity

Cooking is a very rewarding form of art, there’s an activity and there is result. You actually get to enjoy the tangible result as much as the process of preparation. It challenges you, gives you a creative outlet, relieves stress, and is an amazing group activity. All in all, cooking is more fun than we like to give it credit for.

These 10 reasons just about hints at how cooking and meal prep is a primal source of achievement for social tribes or individuals, alike. We recognize and relate with the same joy of cooking and eating at home. Yet, we know cooking is no simple task. Which is why our dream is to change how people cook and eat at home (without ever compromising on the joy of eating!)

What is Posha?

Posha is a fully-automated end-to-end cooking robot. And, it can transform your eating habits from the get-go. You can try over 500+ recipes, customize them according to your liking, schedule meals ahead of time and track them from your phone.

Posha cooks and works much like a chef:

What do you get out of a kitchen robot like Posha?

1. It wants to know everything about your food preferences

‍Just like a human private chef, Posha takes note of your preferences and favorites to create meals that cater to your tastes.

2. It cooks with the same dexterity as a human chef‍

Cooking is a process that involves adjusting and adapting to each step, and Posha does just that by checking the visual cues of the food and tweaking accordingly.

3. Always at your service

‍Whether you're craving a specific dish or want a meal at a particular time, Posha is there to whip up whatever you want, whenever you want.

4. It is skilled in different cuisines

As a private chef, Posha is well-versed in different types of cuisine and consistently delivers delicious food.

Everything said, this is only a brief preview of the capabilities of the kitchen robot. Explore more about Posha - here.