The Benefits of Cooking Your Food Rather Than Ordering Out

October 17, 2025 •

4 min read

According to research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, people who cook at home consume fewer carbohydrates, sugar, and fat. Embracing the benefits of cooking your food rather than ordering out can transform your health, finances, and well-being.

Quick Summary

This article explores the numerous advantages of preparing meals at home, detailing how it promotes better nutrition, significant cost savings, and stronger family bonds. It also covers the mental health boosts and creative freedom that come with home cooking.

Key Points

Nutritional Control: Know and customize every ingredient, avoiding hidden fats, sugars, and additives found in many restaurant meals.
Financial Savings: Home cooking is significantly cheaper than eating out, with meals costing a fraction of the price per person.
Better Health Outcomes: Studies show frequent home cooks consume less fat, sugar, and carbs, leading to healthier overall diets.
Mental Well-being: The act of cooking can be a creative, meditative, and stress-relieving activity that boosts confidence and mood.
Stronger Connections: Cooking together and sharing homemade meals is a powerful way to bond with family and friends, creating lasting memories.
Reduced Environmental Impact: Decrease waste from packaging and support local agriculture by cooking at home.
Improved Culinary Skills: Practice and experimentation in the kitchen lead to enhanced cooking abilities and a more adventurous palate.

The Control Over Your Ingredients

When you prepare your meals at home, you become the master of your ingredients, a level of control that is almost impossible to achieve when ordering out. This control is crucial for managing your dietary intake, especially for those with allergies, dietary restrictions, or specific health goals. You can choose fresh, whole foods, avoid processed ingredients, and know exactly what you are consuming.

Customizing for Health and Taste

Home cooking gives you the flexibility to customize your dishes to suit your nutritional needs and flavor preferences perfectly.

Reduce Sodium and Sugar: Most restaurant and processed foods are loaded with high levels of sodium and sugar to enhance flavor and shelf life. At home, you can season your food with herbs and spices instead of relying on excessive salt, and control the amount of sugar in your dishes.
Choose Healthy Fats: You can swap unhealthy saturated fats for healthier alternatives like olive or canola oil.
Prioritize Fiber and Nutrients: Adding extra vegetables or legumes to any savory dish boosts its fiber and nutrient content. This is especially important as many restaurant meals often lack sufficient amounts of these essential food groups.
Tailor to Allergies: For individuals with food allergies or sensitivities, cooking at home removes the risk of cross-contamination and hidden ingredients, offering peace of mind.

Significant Financial Savings

One of the most immediate and tangible benefits of cooking at home is the financial saving. Numerous studies have shown that cooking at home is significantly cheaper than eating out. A single restaurant meal can cost five times more than a comparable dish made from scratch.

How You Save Money

Bulk Buying and Sales: Shopping for groceries allows you to take advantage of bulk discounts and weekly sales, which adds up to substantial savings over time.
Reduced Hidden Costs: When you order out, you pay not only for the food but also for labor, rent, and overhead, not to mention extra charges for delivery fees and tips.
Embracing Leftovers: Home cooking often results in leftovers, which can be packed for lunch the next day, further stretching your budget and reducing food waste.

Mental and Emotional Well-being

Cooking is not just a physical act; it is a therapeutic and creative process that can profoundly benefit your mental health. Engaging in meal preparation can serve as a form of mindfulness, helping you relax and focus, and offering a break from daily stresses.

Beyond the Kitchen

Confidence Boost: Successfully creating a delicious meal provides a great sense of accomplishment and pride, which can boost your confidence and spill over into other areas of life.
Social Connection: Cooking and eating meals with family or friends strengthens bonds and creates lasting memories. Sharing a meal you've prepared can boost self-esteem and foster a deeper connection with loved ones.
Creative Outlet: From experimenting with different spices to trying new recipes, cooking is a creative outlet that keeps your mind engaged and sharp.

Environmental and Educational Advantages

Home cooking has a smaller environmental footprint compared to the restaurant and food delivery industries, which often generate significant packaging waste. By choosing locally sourced ingredients and reducing food waste, you can make a positive impact. It is also an excellent educational opportunity, especially for children, to learn about nutrition, math (through measurements), and life skills.

Comparison: Cooking at Home vs. Ordering Out


Feature	Cooking at Home	Ordering Out
Cost	Significantly lower; leverage bulk buys and leftovers	Higher; includes labor, overhead, delivery fees, and tips
Nutrition Control	Complete control over ingredients, sodium, and fat content	Often high in hidden salts, fats, and additives for flavor
Portion Size	Managed and tailored to your needs	Often oversized, leading to overeating
Ingredient Quality	You choose fresh, whole, and seasonal ingredients	Varies by restaurant; may include processed ingredients
Mental Benefits	Therapeutic, creative, and stress-relieving process	Convenient, but can lack the same sense of accomplishment
Social Aspect	Strengthens family and social bonds by cooking together	Social, but can be a more passive experience
Environmental Impact	Generally lower; less packaging, local sourcing possible	Higher due to single-use containers and transportation

Conclusion

While ordering out offers unparalleled convenience, the long-term benefits of cooking your own food are clear and multi-faceted. From gaining complete control over the nutritional content of your meals to achieving significant financial savings, the advantages are substantial. The process of cooking itself offers therapeutic benefits, enhances creativity, and provides a powerful way to bond with family and friends. For anyone looking to improve their overall well-being, both physically and mentally, making home-cooked meals a priority is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. Start small with a simple, favorite dish, and gradually build up your skills—the results will be delicious and deeply satisfying.

For more great tips on healthy cooking and lifestyle, check out resources like HelpGuide.org which offers detailed information on mindful eating and home-cooked meals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, yes. Cooking at home gives you complete control over ingredients, allowing you to use less salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats than are typically found in restaurant meals. This control is crucial for managing your dietary intake and overall health.

The savings are significant. A home-cooked meal can cost around $4–$6 per person, while a restaurant meal is often $15–$20 or more. Regularly cooking at home could save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars per year.

Cooking can reduce stress and anxiety by providing a creative and mindful activity. It also boosts confidence and self-esteem as you successfully create something yourself, and fosters social connection when done with others.

Yes, cooking at home is strongly linked to healthier weight management. You can control portion sizes and avoid the excess calories, hidden sugars, and fats common in large restaurant servings.

Yes, it generally has a lower environmental impact. You reduce packaging waste from takeout containers and can choose locally sourced ingredients, which cuts down on transportation-related emissions.

Even with a busy schedule, you can make home cooking work. Strategies like meal planning, batch cooking on weekends, and prepping ingredients in advance can make weekday cooking quick and stress-free. There are many fast, simple recipes available that take less time than ordering and waiting for takeout.

Absolutely. Preparing meals together is a fantastic way to spend quality time, foster teamwork, and create shared experiences. It provides a screen-free environment for conversation and connection, strengthening family bonds.