With lockdown keeping us all indoors, home cooking has made a real comeback.
Everyone is sharing pictures of their creations in the kitchen, with many finding out they have a hidden talent as cooks.
There are others though, like our food editor, who are tired of cooking everyday and have come to dread going into the kitchen.
But there are benefits to cooking at home and we can now enjoy home cooking health benefits all the time.
Experts reveal that people who cook at home tend to consume fewer carbohydrates, fewer calories, less fat and less sugar than those who cook less or do not cook at all.
According to a culinary nutritionist, Jennifer Cohen Katz, below are some of the benefits that come with cooking at home.
With lockdown keeping us all indoors, home cooking has made a real comeback. Picture: Supplied
- Cooking for yourself allows you to take control of the amount of salt and fat that your meals will contain. Salty and fatty ingredients help to make the food that we eat taste great! However, we want to train ourselves to be satisfied with less of them - and we can do it. Unless you have a health condition that requires a specific restriction, you can add some salt and fat. Try to add salt to recipes by the ¼ teaspoon and oil by the teaspoon.
- We all need to try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Restaurants usually do not offer sizable portions of healthy, flavourful veggies. We can do this much better at home with crispy salads and bright-coloured stir fry.
- Also, you have control over how much food is placed on your plate at a meal. Eating out usually means eating too much. It's difficult not to eat all that you are served when it is already on your plate or packed in the take-out bag.
- Try to keep only healthy, good-quality foods in your refrigerator and pantry. Make a plan for the recipes and meals you will prepare with these foods. You will enjoy meals that will be the right amount of calories, the right portion size, and the right balance of foods just for you.