When it comes to food, we have so many options. We can choose to prepare meals at home or opt for the convenience of store-bought foods when we run out of time during the day.
If both options have advantages and disadvantages, which is better and healthier?
Homemade. As often as possible.
I’ll explain more so you can make informed decisions about your food.
Homemade Foods
Preparing food at home can be too time-consuming for busy people, considering the effort of running to the shops for ingredients to prep and cook. The upside of preparing food at home is that it can be cost-effective. Buying in bulk is one way to save money and avoid the markup associated with pre-packed food.
My favorite reason why homemade trumps store-bought is that you have total control over the ingredients you use. This means you can choose high-quality whole foods. What’s more, your meals can be tailored to meet individual taste preferences and dietary needs. And cooking at home can be very therapeutic!
Store-Bought Foods
Store-bought foods offer a wide range of options compared to a few years ago, from frozen dinners to prepackaged snacks. You get variety along with convenience and time-savings for those with busy schedules.
Grabbing these on the go is easy, so you don’t have to meal prep and cook. However, they’re not without their costs. Compared to preparing meals at home, store-bought foods can be more expensive and often come with excess packaging, contributing to waste and a negative environmental impact (think tons of plastic). They also tend to contain preservatives, additives, and artificial flavors that may not be healthy.
Both homemade and store-bought foods have their advantages and disadvantages. While store-bought foods offer convenience and a wide variety of options, you have greater control over ingredients when you cook at home. You may need to upskill yourself with the basic kitchen utensils if cooking is not your strong suit, but if you can read a recipe, you’re already doing a good job! P.S. there are thousands of easy, 3 ingredient recipes on the internet AND many how-to videos as well.
[RECIPE] STUFFED PITA
Serves: 2
Ingredients (use organic where possible):
- 1 cup organic cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 2 large gluten-free pita pockets, sliced into 4 halves
- 2 cups sprouts
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup organic pickle slices
- 2 cups chickpea chips
For an omnivore option, add warm or chilled garlic chicken inside the pitas.
Directions:
- Spread cream cheese inside pita pocket halves.
- Stuff pitas with sprouts, tomato, avocado, spinach, and pickles.
- Enjoy with chips on the side.
To Your Health,
Patti
