Unfortunately, the onslaught of healthy foods makes it really difficult to eat healthy nowadays. It’s so much cheaper to buy packaged foods than it is to buy fresh foods. However, it’s time to stand up to prepackaged, mindless meals and start making them ourselves. You’ll be surprised what a little innovation, much like wireless internet, can do to a person. You may find yourself begging to stay in and cook instead of go out. Here’s a list of reasons why you should give the fresh food life a try.
- You know exactly what’s going into your food.
When we go out to eat a restaurant, we look at the menu and pick a plate. The meal comes out piping hot and it looks absolutely delicious, right? Well, as aesthetically pleasing as the plate may be, you have no idea what went into that meal. Frozen vegetables or fresh? Margarine or butter? Is that sauce made in the kitchen or is it made from a mix packet? At home, you know exactly what you’re putting into your food. You control the salt, you control the fat. Do you love mayonnaise on your sandwiches? Try making your own. You’ll be alarmed to learn just how much oil is in mayonnaise. You’ll be a lot prouder of your dinner when you made it all from scratch, too. Let’s say you’re a working professional without a lot of time and you have to “cheat” on certain ingredients like sauces. That’s okay too, but throw out the frozen pre-made meals or boxed meals. You don’t need them– and your body certainly doesn’t need them. - You’ll gain more confidence in the kitchen.
Stretch a little! Reach outside your comfort zone. You’ll stop your reliance on packaged food or restaurant-prepared meals. Guests coming over? No problem. You can serve them a fresh made meal and proclaim proudly that you made it yourself. - You can support local farmers.
Find a local farmer’s market for the freshest and cheapest ingredients around. Grocery store produce often must travel across the country before it ends up on your table. Skip this step– buy local instead.