Cooking at Home: A Non-negotiable Tool to Optimize Health

“Any valuable tool should be simple. That does not mean it will be easy, but if it does need to be simple.”

One of the most powerful tools for optimizing your health is a balanced diet.

The only way to truly control your diet is to cook at home. When you cook your food, you know where the ingredients came from and what you put into the recipes. That is why we are so passionate about sharing kitchen ideas and recipes. Even before opening our doors at Thrive, we provided cooking classes at Whole Foods. We know that to aid our patients on their health journey, motivating them to cook is key.

Cooking does not have to be intimidating or complicated.

The more you make cooking at home a part of your life, the easier it will become, and the more you will appreciate how it feels. A May 2023 study found that in 2022, Americans spent 20% of their budget on eating out, estimated to be $70.1 billion per month. In fact, they spend more on eating out than on eating at home. Why? Time? Fifty percent of Americans say they dislike cooking.

If you do not make most of your food, you cannot control what it does to your body. Eating out is associated with an additional 239 calories daily. Even if you only do this once a day, assuming no increase in your physical activity, this could add up to an extra 15 lbs. a year.

If you do not cook your own food most of the time, you will not be able to control your weight. When we avoid cooking meals at home, we eat food that someone else has prepared. These meals contain processed foods, increased sugar and salt levels, and vegetable seed oils.

When we consume processed foods like this, we take in more calories.

In fact, a study conducted by the NIH showed that consuming processed foods was associated with consuming 500 extra calories to feel satiated (which is why bread is often served at the table).

When individuals consume whole foods prepared at home, they eat 400 fewer calories.

While it may seem easier to pick up takeout or grab a quick meal at your neighborhood restaurant, cooking from home doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. A few foundational changes in your kitchen and planning methods can make it an easy habit to adopt. While it may take a little time on the front end, once you put the changes into place, it will be easier to continue this healthy habit.

Spending a few hours cleaning out your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, and removing dated items, unfamiliar foods, and unhealthy foods, is the starting point. Then, replace these items with some staples to make meal planning easier. One of the things we provided in our cookbook is a list of staples. Once you have these stocked, cooking at home is easy because you don’t have to run to the store whenever you want to plan a meal. Make sure you keep a record of the staples on your grocery list. Check to ensure you don’t need to replace items each week during your weekly grocery run.

Spending time over the weekend planning the meals for the week can help you succeed.

A little planning time will make a big difference. Select the recipes you want to make, check your staple list to ensure you have the essential ingredients, and add any fresh ingredients to your grocery list. Once you grocery shop, try to do any prep work ahead.

This might include washing and chopping vegetables to prepare them for the week. Also, think about breakfast and lunch options. Dinner leftovers make great lunch options, so plan to have a little extra to take with you to work. While this may seem like a lot of time and effort, as you make it a regular activity, you will find that it requires a minimal time commitment.

No matter your cooking background, it is always best to start and commit to what you can initially achieve. If you have not been cooking at all, start with 2 meals a week, then increase as you become more proficient and comfortable. Our goal is to help you on this quest.

Check out our cooking classes or our cookbook, which provides strategies to help you get your kitchen ready for success and simple recipes to make your weekly staples. No matter where you get your information, cooking at home is non-negotiable if you want to optimize your health. If you choose not to prioritize this, you will struggle with extra weight and inflammation, despite your efforts to make healthy choices at restaurants or with ready-made meals. Cooking is a key to taking control of your diet.

Join us for our September 30th cooking class, where we will break down the steps to stocking your kitchen for success, including tools to invest in, meal planning, and more, using recipes from the new Thrive cookbook. Presentation, handouts, and tastings included!!