If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I love to cook (see my earlier Cooking as a Spiritual Experience post). I would not consider myself a foodie (though I do like good food) and I am not a health nut. What I do like is that I can save myself a lot of money and eat meals that typically have a lot fewer calories and less salt than a typical meal at a restaurant. Cooking also allows me to be a little creative and use ingredients and flavors that I like.
I likely developed my “cooking at home” diet when money became tight. I realized that for the price of a “value meal” at a typical fast food burger joint, I could buy a pound of beef and make enough burgers for four meals. It’s also worth noting that when I was a caregiver for my mother I needed to cook with healthier ingredients, and most importantly, a lot less salt. During this time, I grew to like my food with less salt. Thankfully, cooking for myself is probably one of my best habits right now. Sure I still eat out once in a while, but eating in is in with me.
With this in mind, I really enjoyed stumbling upon the above video by Michael Pollan. It sums up my eating philosophy at this point in my life. I have also made a conscious decision to eat less, which seems to be giving me more energy.
If you’re tired of trying every diet in order to lose weight and feel better, consider simplifying your life and starting the “cook at home” diet. I did and it has been one of my best decisions.
How about you…have you made the conscious decision to cook for yourself and your family most of the time in favor of eating out? Or is your refrigerator mostly empty because you’d prefer to just eat out? I’d love to hear your feedback and if you’re happy with your decision.
