Why homemade meals?

CEBU, Philippines - Most of today’s parents find it quite a challenge to ensure proper nutrition in their growing children. The little ones’ taste buds are no longer attuned to healthy food. They prefer the highly processed and chemical-treated stuff.

‘Empty’ food seems to be the favorite of the young palate. Fast-food and junk food are formulated mainly on taste and too little – if at all – on nutrition. It’s an industry that cares only about sales.

Parents are a lot worried. They are realizing that they, too, contribute to the problem. Many of them are busy with all the other things in life and don’t have time for preparing healthy homemade meals. Even the traditional home celebrations – like birthdays and anniversaries – no longer take place at home; families would rather go out and celebrate by dining at fast-food restaurants.

There is need to go back to healthy eating. And there’s no better place to start than in the home. The family should re-learn the preference for homemade meals. Why homemade meals?

The family gets various benefits with homemade meals, particularly in the areas of nutrition, health and economics. The website www.livestrong.com enumerates the benefits:

Natural Ingredients

Eating at home allows family members to control the ingredients in their food; they can choose to use natural ingredients instead of unhealthy processed foods. Processed foods, frequently served in restaurants or available in ready-made meals from the grocery store, tend to be high in sodium, fat and added sugars. The World Health Organization recommends greatly reducing the intake of processed foods. Homemade foods can be made more of fresh fruits and vegetables, in ways that appeal even to the tastes of young people.

Substitutions and Healthy Eating

Also possible with homemade meals are healthier cooking methods and substitutions for unhealthy ingredients. For example, when most restaurants would use butter or oils with trans-fats, home-cooking may use nonfat cooking spray or healthy vegetable oils such as olive oil. In addition, at home unhealthy ingredients may be substituted with healthy alternatives. For instance, one cup of fat-free milk may be substituted with one cup of whole milk.

Economic Value

With the economy in dire straits, many families are eating more homemade food because it is cheaper than going to a restaurant or buying pre-cooked meals. Few restaurant dishes are cheaper to buy rather than to make at home, and even so-called value meals at fast-food restaurants are still more expensive than when these are made at home. One study says a homemade burger definitely costs less than the same burger bought from a fast-food burger joint. Preparing food in large quantities, which can be done at home, is more economical on the family budget.

Other Benefits

Eating homemade food also provides even more benefits, including helping family members live a healthier lifestyle. Eating at home allows one to customize the portion size as necessary, reducing the urge to indulge on oversized restaurant portions, regardless of the dish’s nutritional value. One report states that families who eat more fast-food meals are less likely to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and had an overall increase in consumption of salty snacks and soda.

Eating homemade food is a big step towards good nutrition. Family members get to train their taste buds of food that they need, not simply food that they like. And the preparation of a meal can itself be an endearing bonding time involving all members of the family. (FREEMAN)