Less People Cooking at Home Than Ever Before

Did you know that for the first time in our nation’s history, more families eat out during the week than eat at home? In addition, people are cooking far less than they used to. Less than 60% of dinners last year (2016) were cooked at home. Thirty years ago, about 75% of dinners were cooked at home. A 2013 study found that despite our love of Food Network and other cooking shows, Americans are cooking less and less. 

So why should you cook more and how can you find the time since most of us have super busy schedules? Probably the number one reason you should cook at home more is for your health. You weren’t expecting me to say that, were you? After all, when you eat out you make healthy choices and usually opt for salads or wraps. The short answer is restaurants, whether fast food or an expensive establishment, are in business to make money. That means, the less they spend on their ingredients, the more their profit. Sadly, for most places (unless you are eating at true Farm to Table places), they are buying meat from industrialized farms and are buying vegetables from industrialized farms that use plenty of pesticides. There is no doubt about it, if you are trying to eat clean, eating out is difficult. In addition, most restaurants use ingredients that are chock full of preservatives and additives. Our goal should be trying to eat as few chemicals as possible—who even wants to eat any, much less feed that to your family. 

Another reason to cook and eat at home more is to save money. Even if you buy mostly organic food, eating at home is almost always less expensive than eating out—unless you are ordering off the dollar menu at fast food places, and everybody knows that is not good for you. Seeking out local farms and farmer’s markets is a good way to find organic vegetables for less than you might at specialty stores. Another solution to finding quality meat for less is to buy in bulk with another family or a few friends—local farmers sell in bulk and will often allow you to customize your order. Do some research and you can begin by looking here to find farms in your area that are raising animals humanely and naturally. 

Lastly, eating at home, gathered around the table, is the best way to reconnect as a family. Numerous studies over the years suggest that children who eat dinner with their families three or more times a week are more likely to do well in school and experience fewer behavior problems. Did you know we spend less time cooking each day than any other developed nation? We also spend less time eating than people in other countries. We all need to slow down a bit—at least for dinner with our families. 

So how to achieve cooking more at home? For starters, dust off that slow cooker! Take a few extra minutes in the morning to get everything into the slow cooker and when you walk in after work, dinner is ready! Also begin collecting quick and easy dinner recipes and keep them in a file or notebook. When you go to do your menu planning (another critical thing to do), check out your recipe collection for ideas. 

Hot Tip: If you struggle with coming up with dinner ideas, get the whole family into the act. Brainstorm with your children and spouse about what their favorite foods are and what they might be willing to try. Getting their feedback and even assistance in the kitchen, always makes it more likely they will try new foods.