A consumer report called a trusted piece of financial advice into question last year, leaving many budget-conscious people confused.
Financial advisors have long promoted home-cooked meals as a cost-saving alternative to restaurant food. A 2018 study found that, on average, you’d spend almost five times as much money ordering a delivery meal compared to cooking that same meal at home.
But rapid inflation and price hikes at the grocery store led people to wonder whether this was still true, especially after the 2022 Consumer Price Index (CPI) revealed an 11.4% increase in “food-at-home” prices compared to a smaller 7.7% increase in “food-away-from-home” prices.
News outlets joined in the speculation, with one Yahoo! Finance article declaring, “Depending on where you live and what kind of food you’re partial to, it might be cheaper to dine out right now than to buy groceries and cook at home.”
While that statement could always be true in certain situations, 2023 offered a significant reversal of trends. According to recently released CPI data, “food-away-from-home” prices increased at nearly 4.5 times the rate of “food-at-home” prices (5.2% vs 1.3%).
These numbers help to reconfirm the financial prudence of eating more home-cooked meals, but they leave behind a lingering question: How can we actually implement this practice in our lives? The internet is full of simple recipes, just like grocery stores are full of pre-prepped ingredients. Yet for many people, consistently preparing food at home is a challenge. Clearly other obstacles are holding us back. Let’s explore some strategies for overcoming them so that we can tap into the cost-savings of home-cooked meals.
Work your way up gradually.
When we commit to a new routine, it’s tempting to change too much too fast. Just yesterday we were citizens of the drive-through, but moving forward, we’ve resolved to only eat grilled vegetables at the kitchen table. Such drastic overhauls are hard to maintain, especially when your old way of doing things is so ingrained, convenient and well-advertised. Instead, try starting slowly.
Research shows the simple act of cooking at home is already a significant investment in your health and wellbeing. A new study from the Ajinomoto Group and Gallup found that, for most people, both the act of cooking and frequently eating with people you know are linked to greater happiness and wellbeing. And according to Harvard Health, “the more people cook at home, the healthier their diet, the fewer calories they consume, and the less likely they are to be obese or develop type 2 diabetes.”
“You shouldn’t expect to immediately transition from takeout and delivery to exclusively home-cooked meals,” said Ann Silver, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who has practiced in the Hamptons for over twenty-five years.
“Start by eating one more meal at home than you’re used to. And when you’re preparing that meal, choose recipes you’re excited to eat—even if you’re hoping to transition to healthier options in the future.”
Use this trick to outsmart picky eaters.
Another common obstacle to home-cooking is the threat posed by picky eaters. It’s hard to find the motivation to prepare food that might be greeted with sighs or even complaints.
As the oldest of six children, I learned a valuable lesson from my mother. When you’re cooking for a table-full of opinionated people, serve meals where some assembly is required. Dishes that empower diners to make modifications or at least choose their own toppings are less likely to cause a fuss.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to battle-test this approach as a curriculum developer for Full Plate Living—a non-profit that helps people improve health through better nutrition. Through focus groups, we’ve learned that serving meals “in parts” is an effective strategy for families with different tastes, dietary restrictions and health goals. It’s not quite as flexible as ordering from an entire menu of delivery options, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Round up some free, part-time help.
On particularly busy days, preparing a meal might be out of the question. But it’s possible to eat home-cooked food without personally spending time in the kitchen.
Research points to a tremendous gender gap in cooking. In the Gallup study, 40% of male respondents reported not having cooked at all in the previous seven days. Only 9% of female respondents said the same.
If you have a spouse, partner or roommate who thinks of you as their personal chef, you probably won’t be able to swap roles overnight. But you could challenge them to take a small step forward, like learning how to make three good meals. Even with this limited repertoire, your new backup chef can prepare dinner one night every week, with twenty-one days between repeat dishes.
Or, if the thought of asking your partner to cook an entire meal is too anxiety-inducing, here’s another approach you could try—prepare dinner together. That’s the arrangement Kate Crawford, a Licensed Professional Counselor in western Alabama, has with her husband. She cooks the sides, and he cooks the meat.
“The setup we have allows both of us to operate in our areas of strength—and gives us a chance to spend time together,” Kate said. “Based on what we’ve experienced, I often encourage my clients to try out similar scenarios.”
Cook when it’s convenient (instead of right before dinnertime).
Outside of taste and flexibility, which we’ve addressed, one of the most appealing perks of drive-through and delivery food is immediacy. On nights when you aren’t sure what time you’ll be able to sit down for dinner, it’s tempting to lean on these simple, convenient options. But there is a home-cooked alternative.
You don’t have to prepare your food right before you eat it. Some meals can be assembled on a Sunday afternoon and merely heated on a Tuesday night. The internet is full of delicious ideas and straightforward instructions, if you know what to look for. Trying searching for “make-ahead recipes,” “freezer meals” or “batch cooking recipes.”
And don’t forget about the power of leftovers. Preparing more food than you can eat in one sitting isn’t wasteful. It’s a proactive way to set yourself up for easy home-cooked meals later in the week.
Drive-throughs and delivery are popular for a reason. It’s hard to consistently find time for cooking amidst the challenges of modern life. But if we’re willing to experiment with new strategies, like the ones we’ve explored, we can find ways to outsmart our obstacles and experience the cost savings, health benefits and increased wellbeing research attributes to home-cooked meals.