Home-cooked meals vs. takeaways: what you need to know

Eating out at restaurants is an excellent way to socialize and relax. However, restaurant meals, fast food or ready meals should be occasional treats rather than part of your daily diet.

Cooking at home brings many rewards in terms of taste, health, budget or your own well-being. Don't have time, are you too tired or simply don't know how to cook? We offer solutions to all these problems and help you make better choices for yourself and your family.

The downsides of takeaways or ready meals

Who can resist a box of fresh pizza delivered to their door, or some puff pastry ready to pop in the oven? They are delicious, ready in no time at all and they satisfy our hunger, at least for the moment. However, here are a few downsides to these eating habits:

Servings at restaurants are generally larger than they should be.

When we order food to be delivered, we often end up eating more than we need. These generous servings usually exceed the recommendations of nutrition and health experts. Many of the meals delivered to our homes are not as tasty the next day, so we prefer to eat everything in one sitting. This habit increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and, moreover, has a detrimental effect on our figure.

Ready-made foods are often high in calories, salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.

Many ready-made foods are nutritionally poor and contain large amounts of oil, hydrogenated fats, sugar, chemical additives and preservatives, which contribute to longer shelf lives. It is easy to understand that these ingredients – consumed frequently – affect our bodies, the way we look and feel.

Of course, there are also healthy options on the market, so it's a good idea to check the label of a product before buying it. Pay attention to the ingredients (they are listed in order of quantity existing in that product), the nutritional table (you can see, for example, the concentration of salt or sugar per 100 grams) and the use-by date.

Going to a restaurant or waiting for a food delivery person can take longer than cooking at home.

Cooking at home: benefits and useful tips

Shocking, right? But it's true. First, there are many tasty and nutritious recipes that require very little cooking time. Second, you can use a lot of utensils and home appliances that shorten the time and your effort even further (we'll talk about them a little below). Third, with a little organization and planning, you can cook meals for several days in advance. You can store them in vacuum bags and food containers to keep them fresh, just like the first day.

What benefits does cooking at home bring you?

Homemade food is not only an expression of the passion for cooking, but it brings numerous advantages for everyone.

Healthy dishes can prevent multiple diseases and conditions.
You can control the ingredients, calories, and serving sizes.
It's cheaper to cook at home than to order food.
You have control over the quality and origin of ingredients.
You have control over hygiene and can reduce the risk of food poisoning.
Cooking helps increase confidence and self-esteem.
Cooking can be a creatively satisfying activity.
Cooking for your loved ones is a symbol of love and appreciation.
Cooking at home makes you more open to trying new ingredients and dishes.
Home-made food is simply delicious.

What is stopping you from cooking at home and how to overcome these obstacles

Everyone talks about how satisfying, healthy and delicious cooking at home is. But many of us just don't have the time or motivation to make the effort. Here are the most common reasons why we don't cook at home. Follow the tips and recommendations below and it will be much easier for you to change your eating routine.

Reason: "I don't have time to cook"

We know. Neither do we. The day is far too short to have time to peel carrots, chop parsley and to stir into stews. But that's what KitchenShop and all the famous brands of home appliances and kitchen utensils are for. Many of these products do the work themselves, with a simple push of a button. Here are some tips to prepare food faster:

• Buy an electric chopper – you can use it to chop fruit, prepare batters for pancakes, waffles, puddings (such as oatmeal pudding), chop small amounts of meat, mix composition for meatballs, make mayonnaise, pesto, smoothies and fruit and vegetable purees. A compact chopper always at hand, on the kitchen counter, really helps you save time.

• Make a list of some quick and tasty recipes that you can prepare quickly.

• Order ingredients online, with delivery to your door.

• When you have leisure time, stock up on foods that are ready to serve or cook: frozen vegetables (you can also use shop-bought frozen vegetables), sliced/minced and seasoned meat (you can freeze meatballs, burgers and patties that are already shaped and ready to cook), sauces and lettuce that has already been washed, dried and chopped.

• Invest in a good knife. It's amazing how much time a knife that cuts accurately and easily and has a well-thought-out shape can save. Start with a chef's knife, which is suitable for most foods and then move on to specialized knives, such as slicing knives or fruit and vegetable knives.

Reason: "I'm too tired to cook"

Especially if you're not passionate about it, cooking is just another task you have to complete at the end of the day. But there are ways you can turn this seemingly tedious task into a simple and – yes, we said it! – enjoyable activity.

• Cook while listening to music, podcasts, or a reality show you love. Try to make your time in the kitchen a relaxing experience. Even if your hands are chopping, kneading, or mixing, your brain relaxes when you listen to something you enjoy.

• Use an electric pressure cooker: put all ingredients in it, turn it on and you can do anything else in the meantime. Use it to cook soups and broth, stews, rice pilaf, porridge, steaks, vegetables or bean, lentil, chickpea dishes. A great helper in the kitchen!

• Cook a large piece of meat that will last you several days and prepare a different quick side dish every day. A few ideas for quick side dishes: Mexican vegetables, instant cornmeal polenta, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli or cauliflower, pan-fried asparagus or mushrooms, salads (lettuce, tomatoes, mixed, etc.), sweetcorn. Another idea is to use the meat in pasta dishes, homemade shawarma, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches or hearty salads.

Reason: "I don't know how to cook"

You don't need to know how to cook. Start by pretending you do. Cooking is not maths, so don't worry if you don't have all the ingredients in a recipe, if the sauce has lumps, or if you overcooked the rice. Keep practicing, take our tips on board and you'll get better and better!

• Start with simple recipes, such as pasta, roasts and stews. Especially with stews and one-pot dishes, you don't need to be exact about quantities or ingredients to get delicious results.

• Buy cookware that will help you, like this stainless steel stockpot set. These lidded cookware, ideal for beginners, has a drain hole (for example, you can easily drain the pasta water, thanks to the lid with a built-in sieve) and a graded interior for measuring volume. This set of three stockpots and a saucepan is enough for a beginner in the kitchen.

• Test culinary recipes on gătesc.ro – here you can search for recipes based on difficulty or the ingredients you have or want to use (see the Filters button).

Create an arsenal of spices and seasonings. They add flavor to dishes and can transform even the simplest recipes into dishes that the whole family will appreciate.
Here's what you shouldn't miss from your set of spices and aromatic herbs:
- Sweet, hot and smoky paprika
- Garlic powder
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon (even for savory dishes, like chili con carne)
- Caraway (goes well with sauerkraut, goulash, hummus or on crackers)
- Cumin (not the same as caraway; goes great in shakshuka recipes)
- Pepper
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Curry

Reason: "I want to cook, but my family refuses cooked food"

Arm yourself with ambition and patience, and you'll be able to create healthier habits for your loved ones. Try these tricks:

Serve them their favourite dishes in a homemade version. They don't have to eat vegetable soup from day one. Homemade pizza, burgers you've made yourself or fries cooked in an air fryer are already healthier than fast-food versions - so you can count these as small victories.
Encourage children to participate in kitchen activities. This will spark their curiosity about new ingredients and they will be more tempted to eat a dish they actually contributed to.
Be a role model. Eat healthy foods in front of your children, day after day. It may take a little while, but eventually your children will follow your lead and develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.