Cooking at home vs eating out.

Discussion in Food & Drink started by jilliansorenson • May 20, 2013.

  1. jilliansorenson

    jilliansorensonNew Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    1
    As a general rule, I feel cooking at home usually tastes better and costs less than going out to a restaurant. However, that breaks down if you go to fast food restaurants which are often cheaper if you order off a dollar menu than even cooking at home. I am single, so it's sometimes not practical for me to cook at home because I'm just feeding myself, and if there are leftovers I'll be eating them for a long time. Fast food of course is not healthy for the most part, but it sure is easy and cheap. It's also just nice to go to restaurants and have someone do all the work for you. What do you think, cooking at home, restaurant, or fast food for everyday eating? Side note: here's my delicious recipe for chicken divan: 1 family size can of Cream of Chicken soup, 4 cooked chicken breasts, bag of broccoli florets, shredded cheddar cheese (I like Tillamook). Place broccoli florets on bottom of glass baking dish (9X12), cover with cream of chicken soup, shred chicken breasts into strips and place on top, cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until soup starts bubbling.
     
  2. BlackSolaris

    BlackSolarisActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2013
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    579
    Likes Received:
    1
    I would say that cooking at home is the best solution, but after some years of only doing that, it's starts to wear you out. You need a balance, maybe trying out new foods when going out, during weekends or when you have free time. Making meals at home is tiresome, specially when you are all alone.
     
  3. ReishiSpore

    ReishiSporeMember

    Joined:
    May 2, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    1
    I prefer to cook at home, because I know what is going in to the food I make, and I know how I like it also. Eating out is a good idea though now and then, but I don't do this often due to the cost. There are some great places to eat out, and it makes for a nice change to cooking for myself all the time.
     
  4. vpresson

    vpressonWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2012
    Threads:
    38
    Messages:
    1,153
    Likes Received:
    13


    I rather cook at home than to go out to eat because to me home cooked meals taste a lot better than fast food
     
  5. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    Cooking at home would be the most cheapest option among the 3, and it's very practical too and it can save you alot of money. Eating in fast foods or restaurants may be more convenient, but they cost a lot more as compared to cooking your own food. I don't know how to cook, but I'm lucky that I don't have to learn, since when I'm at home, there's always food that was cooked or bought.
     
  6. JosieP

    JosiePWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2013
    Threads:
    34
    Messages:
    2,487
    Likes Received:
    436
    For me it's definitely cooking at home. In general though, who knows. Most people don't eat healthy at home either.. even when they think they are, so there isn't much difference, so in those cases, do what's cheapest and gives you less work I suppose.
     
  7. maddie

    maddieActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Threads:
    79
    Messages:
    658
    Likes Received:
    3
    I cook every meal we eat. I am more concerned about the kind of stuff that we stuff into our mouth. What I cook at home is healthy fresh and contains nothing that is bad for health. It might be labor intensive and takes too much time, but worth the effort. Yes, they do cost much less than what you would pay for it.. may not always taste so great.. but they are good for you.
     
  8. iRichard

    iRichardMember

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2012
    Threads:
    2
    Messages:
    89
    Likes Received:
    0
    I will eat out sometimes but I prefer cooking at home. I think it's cheaper and it's healthier for you than eating out at fast food restaurants all the time.
     
  9. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2012
    Threads:
    11
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    36
    You have to ask yourself if it's cheaper to eat fast food now and pay for it later in weight gain and health issues or to buy food and cook at home. No one says you have to cook large amounts of food and get stuck with leftovers. It's a simple thing to reduce what you prepare or to freeze leftovers to save you from having to cook later on. Preparing your own food is the only way to really know what you're eating and how healthy it is for you. Eating out is nice when you want a treat or a night off from cooking, but it's better to eat at home.
     
  10. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2012
    Threads:
    154
    Messages:
    2,561
    Likes Received:
    233
    I love to cook at home, but it does get rather expensive - especially when you are just cooking for yourself. There are certainly times where I will go to the grocery store to pick up a few things to make a recipe for dinner, then walk out having spent like $20-$25. I could have easily just spent like $6 and got a combo meal somewhere and saved the rest. I usually have to be careful and try to seek out some budget friendly recipes so I don't get carried away with too many exotic ingredients or stuff that I won't end up using the rest of before it goes bad.
     
  11. Clightted

    ClighttedNew Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    when i have time i prefer cooking at home
    it more healthy :)
     
  12. MrsR

    MrsRMember

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2013
    Threads:
    9
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    3
    I love cooking at home but once in awhile I like going out. My husband and I cook a lot at one time because we like to eat leftovers and it is cheaper that way. We can make a big pot of something that we can eat on for several days. We like the dollar menu too and we eat that mostly if we eat at fast food. Once in awhile for a special occasion we will splurge and eat at a nice sit down restaurant, but that's not very often.
     
  13. JessiFox

    JessiFoxActive Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2012
    Threads:
    26
    Messages:
    939
    Likes Received:
    24
    I definitely prefer cooking at home...my husband and I both love cooking together/for each other and generally enjoy our own cooking more than eating out, anyway. Occasionally we'll go out, though, just for something a little different and social.
     
  14. deansaliba

    deansalibaActive Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2012
    Threads:
    5
    Messages:
    816
    Likes Received:
    29
    I hate cooking so I take any opportunity to eat out. My new favourite place is a Maltese restaurant that has opened a couple of miles from me, it is very pricey ($32 for a burger) but it is authentic.
     
  15. classicnyer

    classicnyerActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2012
    Threads:
    19
    Messages:
    918
    Likes Received:
    2
    I prefer cooking at home because I usually prefer the taste of my own cooking to any fast food restaurant, and I don't go out to expensive restaurants often because I can't generally afford it. However, sometimes I just really want to have some food and just can't bring myself to cook.
     
  16. daniel.d

    daniel.dBanned

    Joined:
    May 7, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Cooking at home is better.. because it is something that is prepared at home and secondly you save yourself from getting ill :)
     
  17. ozadin

    ozadinActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2013
    Threads:
    11
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    1
    Cooking at home. You can actually see what's going into your food when you're cooking at home compared to eating out. You don't know what fast-food restaurants put in their food nowadays. Rarely I will go out and eat with my family though, only on that occasion.
     
  18. mansawalta

    mansawaltaMember

    Joined:
    May 6, 2013
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    1
    Cooking at home is definitely the way to go. The thing is you are the only one who really knows how to get your taste buds tingling and so if you cook for yourself, you are gonna get the best meal ever, unless you are a terrible cook.
     
  19. Bolt

    BoltWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2012
    Threads:
    179
    Messages:
    1,009
    Likes Received:
    6
    I prefer cooking at home because I can cook to my taste and I know exactly what is going into my food. I am very particular about what I eat as I follow a paleo diet and there are no paleo restaurants in my area. Cooking at home also saves a lot of money, I can cook a meal for 4 for the price of 1 meal at a restaurant.