Should I get takeout or eat at home? A nutritional, financial, and practical guide

October 10, 2025 •

3 min read

According to research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, people who cook at home more often consume fewer calories, less sugar, and less fat than those who rely heavily on restaurants and takeout. This highlights the significant health implications when asking, 'Should I get takeout or eat at home?'

Quick Summary

This article explores the nutritional, financial, and lifestyle trade-offs of eating at home versus getting takeout. It provides practical tips for making healthier and more economical choices, whether you are cooking or ordering food, and helps determine the right balance for your needs.

Key Points

Nutritional Control: Cooking at home gives you complete control over ingredients, fat, sugar, and sodium, leading to healthier meals overall compared to takeout.
Cost Savings: Eating at home is significantly more economical than ordering takeout, especially when considering hidden costs like delivery fees and tips.
Strategic Convenience: While takeout is quicker for immediate meals, effective meal planning and prep can make home cooking just as convenient on busy weeknights.
Environmental Impact: Choosing home-cooked meals reduces the environmental footprint associated with single-use plastics and packaging from takeout orders.
Improved Lifestyle: Regular home cooking promotes family bonding, teaches life skills, and helps in better portion control, leading to improved overall health and well-being.
Balanced Approach: It's possible to strike a balance by making mindful, healthier choices when ordering takeout and embracing simple, efficient strategies for home cooking.

The Nutritional Difference: What's Really on Your Plate?

Home cooking offers significant control over ingredients, allowing you to manage the types and amounts of fats, sugars, and salt in your meals. Restaurant and takeout food often contains higher levels of these ingredients, along with preservatives and additives, which can impact health. Additionally, controlling portion sizes is easier when cooking at home, which helps manage calorie intake compared to the often oversized portions found in restaurants.

The Financial Factor: Cost-Effectiveness

Financially, cooking at home is consistently more affordable than ordering takeout. The cost of ingredients for a home-cooked meal is typically less than a single takeout dish. Takeout also includes extra costs like delivery fees, service charges, and tips. One comparison found that cooking at home was significantly cheaper than ordering takeout or using delivery services.

How to Maximize Savings at Home

Plan your meals: This helps create a focused grocery list, reducing impulse buys and food waste.
Shop smart: Buying staples in bulk and taking advantage of sales can lower costs.
Embrace leftovers: Leftovers provide additional meals at no extra cost.

The Convenience Equation: Time vs. Effort

Takeout is undeniably convenient for busy schedules. However, home cooking can be made more convenient with planning. Meal prepping, using simple recipes, and utilizing kitchen appliances can significantly reduce cooking time. Smart use of leftovers also saves time by repurposing pre-cooked food.

Environmental and Lifestyle Considerations

The environmental impact of takeout, particularly from single-use packaging, is a concern. Cooking at home using reusable containers reduces waste. Home cooking also offers lifestyle benefits, such as opportunities for family bonding and teaching children about nutrition.

Comparison: Home Cooking vs. Takeout


Feature	Home Cooking	Takeout
Nutritional Control	High control over ingredients, cooking methods, and portion sizes.	Low control; often higher in hidden fats, sugars, and sodium.
Cost	More economical; significant long-term savings.	More expensive due to menu prices, fees, and tips.
Convenience	Requires planning, but can be managed with meal prep and simple cooking.	Very convenient and fast for immediate meals.
Food Quality	You select fresh ingredients.	Quality can be inconsistent.
Portion Size	Easily controlled.	Often oversized.
Environmental Impact	Lower waste from packaging.	High waste from disposable packaging.
Lifestyle Benefits	Promotes family bonding, teaches skills, healthier habits.	Offers variety, good for social outings, a break from cooking.

How to Strike a Balance

Finding a balance between home cooking and takeout is achievable. Making informed choices for both can align with health and financial goals.

Tips for Smarter Takeout

When ordering takeout, you can make healthier choices:

Choose wisely: Select grilled, baked, or steamed options over fried.
Control sauces: Ask for dressings and sauces on the side.
Go for veggies: Request extra vegetables and choose whole grains when possible.
Share or save: Manage portion sizes by sharing or saving half for later.

Embracing Effortless Home Cooking

For busy nights, quick and healthy home-cooked meals are possible:

Stock a healthy pantry: Keep staples like canned beans, grains, and frozen vegetables on hand.
Use leftovers creatively: Repurpose leftovers into new dishes.
Batch cook basics: Prepare larger portions of basics like rice or quinoa for the week.

Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for You

Ultimately, the choice between takeout and home cooking depends on individual priorities. Home cooking offers advantages in nutrition, health, and cost savings. Takeout provides convenience and variety but often at a higher price and potential health trade-offs. By using smart planning and adopting healthy habits for both options, you can find a sustainable balance that supports your health, budget, and lifestyle. Making mindful food choices, whether cooking or ordering, is key.

For more ideas on making quick and healthy home-cooked meals, check out Harvard's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine tips for time-saving meal preparation strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, yes. Home-cooked meals tend to be lower in sodium, unhealthy fats, and added sugars because you have control over all the ingredients. While you can find healthy takeout options, it's easier to control the nutritional content of a meal prepared at home.

Yes. Studies show that preparing meals at home is consistently cheaper than buying takeout. By planning meals, buying ingredients in bulk, and minimizing waste, you can save significant amounts of money over time, especially if you rely heavily on delivery services.

You can make home cooking faster by meal prepping ingredients ahead of time, using efficient cooking appliances like an Instant Pot, and planning for leftovers. Cooking simple, less complicated recipes also saves time.

When ordering takeout, opt for grilled, baked, or steamed dishes instead of fried ones. Ask for sauces and dressings on the side to control portions and choose options with extra vegetables and lean proteins.

Cooking at home offers many benefits for the family, including stronger bonding and communication. It's also an opportunity to teach children healthy eating habits and valuable life skills, which can positively impact their long-term health.

Takeout food often comes with single-use plastic and other non-recyclable packaging. This contributes to a significant amount of waste that ends up in landfills and oceans. Cooking at home in reusable containers helps reduce this environmental footprint.

No, it's perfectly fine to enjoy takeout occasionally. The key is moderation and balance. Making home-cooked meals your regular routine and treating restaurant meals as a planned indulgence can help you maintain your health and budget.