Enjoying a good meal with friends and family is one of the greatest joys life has to offer. Not many better times can be had than eating a good hearty meal with loved ones and discussing the latest news or just having a good laugh. Eating with friends and family is a pastime that is enjoyed among all cultures and generations. With the rising costs of food and transportation, however, people should become more cost conscious about where and what they eat. Essentially, the choices boil down to dining out, carry out (or delivery) and cooking at home. And despite the general perception that dining out is more “convenient” or “easier”, that just doesn’t seem to be the case.
Dining out has become the norm nowadays in America. With the proliferation of long work hours, two income households and extra-curricular activities for the kids, it is becoming increasingly difficult for families to prepare a meal at home. This shift in dynamics has led to a sharp increase in the number of fast food joints and restaurants, here to satiate humans and make a good amount of money in the process. Dining out usually costs two to four times more than it would cost to make the same meal at home. Add on top of that tips and transportation, dining out regularly can definitely cost you. Not only does it cost you in money, it can also cost you two important things that you won’t see the effects of until it’s too late: your health and your family.
Fast food and restaurants are not exactly known for their healthy selections. Meat is usually highly processed, sodium levels can be through the roof and many places give portions that can be enough to feed a small army. Eating at home can greatly increase the healthiness of your meal, as you can decide how much salt and oil to add and what quantity of food you want to serve. Using fresh ingredients will increase the taste and nutrition of your food as well. It’s no coincidence that the obesity epidemic started just around the time that fast food became the norm.
When we do decide to occasionally dine out, there are ways we can minimize the hit to our health. Eating vegetarian once in a while is great for your health, as we don’t get many vegetables nowadays as it is. Your body will definitely thank you later for choosing the light veggie sub rather than the same overstuffed cheesesteak. Moderation is the key when it comes to meat consumption. (Here is a great post about the savings you can expect from going vegetarian) Another way to save your health AND some money is to ask to have half of your order to be put in a take-out box right away. This will save you from eating too much and will give you another meal to have at a later time. Also, forget the appetizer and dessert by eating a little bit at home before you leave and getting a delicious dessert from the grocery store for about half the price as a restaurant would charge. These are just a couple of common sense ways to stay healthy even when eating out.
As mentioned earlier, with most families having two full time incomes and not much time to enjoy their hard earned money, eating meals as a family affair has become a rare, if not, impossible activity for some. This is truly a loss for society because if the family unit is not cohesive, society will be negatively affected. According to the Archives of Pediatrics and Archives of Medicine, frequent family meals are associated with lower risks of smoking, drinking, drug use and depression. It is also associated with better grades in school. This is probably the single most important reason to try to stay home and eat as a family as much as possible. There was once a time when eating out was associated with very special occasions, and this would actually make those meals out more memorable and enjoyable. With eating out being the norm nowadays, families are being affected in a negative way. Even if you are able to eat as a family just once a week, it is much better than not being around the dinner table at all.
Eating out frequently as a result of our fast paced lives seems to be a convenient option, but it is only convenient to the executives of the fast food companies who are making billions of dollars at the expense of hard working people and their families. A community is simply made up of a group of families, and there is not better act to bring a family together than having a nice meal as a unit. It is in these family dinners that issues can be brought up, questions can be asked or a light hearted joke can be told. This is one step that we can do that will bring our families together, save some money and help our health in the long term. Eating together in the comfort of one’s home is sure to cultivate affection and concern for each other, much more than eating an unhealthy meal in a faceless fast food place.
I agree with you. I always feel much better when I take the time to cook a nice meal instead of going out–and it’s a wonderful treat to make a nice meal for friends.
I enjoyed your guest post on Frugaling, and now I’ve bookmarked your blog as well. 🙂
Definitely there are many benefits to cooking at home and eating with family and friends along with the financial ones. Thanks for the comments and glad to see you enjoy the posts!