Dining in or out: Preparation or reservation

Eating is by nature a daily necessity. For breakfast and lunch there are easy no-brainer solutions such as cereal and healthy sandwiches, but for dinner usually more challenging decisions have to be taken, the most obvious one being: dining in or out? Lets fins out the pros and cons of both of them below.

Dining in- Preparation

The majority often dine at home because a major advantage to preparing your meals at home is the ability to control ingredients and the calories. Knowing exactly what ingredient and how much you are putting into your food can help you make healthy choices. Cooking at home can often lead to better portion control as well. What can be a disadvantage to cooking at home is eating the same healthy foods repeatedly and this is not necessarily healthier than eating out. Eating a varied diet is the best way to provide your body with essential vitamins and nutrients. Cooking in will, on the long term also is healthier not only for your health but also you budget.

Dining out- Reservation

Not that into the preparatory steps to create a homemade meal? Dining out offers the ease of not having to do groceries, prepare food and also dishwashing afterwards, no hours of sweating in kitchen or even kitchenette. Although dining out can be fun and may introduce you to foods you might not otherwise eat, it can have some negative nutritional drawbacks as well. Eating meals out limits your ability to know the ingredients in your food and the calories you are taking into your body. Restaurant meals are also typically higher in calories than are home-cooked meals, and are often much higher in sodium owing to additives and large amounts of salt in recipes. Not to forget about the portion size, there is a bigger chance to overeat comparing to preparing your own diner.

What to Avoid

Avoid meals high in fat, such as sugary, cream based pastas and fried foods but look for healthy alternatives with lean meat, light sauces, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

When dining at home which should ideally be the majority of the times stay away as much as you can from unhealthy, pre-packaged meals. They may not be as healthy and nutritious as the meal you prepare with cautiously selected ingredients from the local super market, and above all are probably less rewarding when it comes to taste and achievements as a self taught cook.

Some suggestions for you....

Get a cook book and spend some hours creating new dishes like the ones you order when you go out for dinner, this will help you to dine in more and also have a variety of food. Try to include a new ingredient in your cooking each week to prevent boredom and increase your nutritional exposure. With a cookbook you can explore new recipes, ingredients and regional cuisine to help you consume a wider variety of foods. When you prepare meals, ensure they contain fresh products. There is a chef hiding in all of us, we just need to give him/her a chance to shine. Enjoy your meal!