Creating a meal from start to finish is a great way to feel accomplished, eat healthy, and stimulate different parts of your brain. For some of us, takeout often trumps the time and effort it takes to make a meal from scratch. Even though ordering in, or dining out, quicker (and there’s far less clean up), there are so many benefits to cooking something at home, from weight loss to mental wellness.

Eat Healthy

Studies suggest that people who make meals at home tend to consume less calories and carbohydrates. From the grocery store to the plate, cooking is a thorough, thoughtful process.

When you’re the chef, you get to decide what goes into your dish and what stays out, from seasoning to sides and more. This helps you manage the nutrition and size of your meals, so your body gets exactly what it needs. Plus, it’s almost always cheaper to grab ingredients at the grocery store (or have them delivered with Alfred) than it is to order takeout or dine at a restaurant.

Boost Mental Wellness

Feeling stressed or ragged out? Crack open a cookbook. Studies suggest that cooking can increase self-esteem, decrease anxiety, and improve psychological well-being overall. This is because cooking requires stimulating multiple senses, it’s an immersive experience, therefore we have to focus and be in the moment to cook (successfully). Cooking is a therapeutic activity with a tasty, tangible reward for your efforts. 

Improve Quality of Life

Cooking a meal isn’t like throwing cereal and milk in a bowl—it requires attention to detail and mindfulness. Plus, it’s a very creative process! Some people even consider it a form of meditation. Cooking is nourishing and methodical, people often describe themselves as “being in the zone,” while cooking, which is a great way to get lost in the moment and let those negative thoughts melt away for a little while.