Why YOU really should cook at home

  • Washington University researchers assessed the dietary habits of 437 adults 
  • They found that those who regularly eat at home had ‘significantly’ better diets 
  • This is because they avoid possibly unhealthy meals offered elsewhere, they say 

By

Stephen Matthews For Mailonline


Published:
08:07 EDT, 15 March 2017

|
Updated:
08:08 EDT, 15 March 2017

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Cancel your table at the restaurant for tonight.

People who eat at home really are healthier, research confirms.

Adults who avoid going out to fancy places in favour of their own dishes tend to have better diets, scientists found.

Cooking at home allows people to consume more fruit and vegetables, avoiding unhealthy meals offered elsewhere, experts claim.

Adults who avoid going out to fancy restaurants in favour of their own dishes tend to have better diets, scientists found
Adults who avoid going out to fancy restaurants in favour of their own dishes tend to have better diets, scientists found

Adults who avoid going out to fancy restaurants in favour of their own dishes tend to have better diets, scientists found

Study author Professor Adam Drewnowski, of the University of Washington, said: ‘By cooking more often at home, you have a better diet at no significant cost increase.

‘While if you go out more, you have a less healthy diet at a higher cost. The differences were significant, even with a relatively small study sample.’

Researchers used the healthy eating index (HEI), a US measure of diet quality, to assess 437 adults.

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It gauged whether their diet was giving them the right combination of fruits, vegetables and other elements. 

The participants were asked to remember their dietary habits in the previous week, including what they ate and where.  

Home-cooked dinners were associated with a ‘greater dietary compliance’, the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found.

Cooking at home allows people to consume more fruit and vegetables, avoiding unhealthy meals offered elsewhere, experts claim
Cooking at home allows people to consume more fruit and vegetables, avoiding unhealthy meals offered elsewhere, experts claim

Cooking at home allows people to consume more fruit and vegetables, avoiding unhealthy meals offered elsewhere, experts claim

This meant that their overall weekly diet met the recommended intakes for various nutrients.

Participants who only consumed food at home three times a week scored 67 on the HEI, they noted.

But those who had their dinner in the comfort of their own living room six times weekly had an average score of 74.  

In a separate finding, the researchers found no link between income and decisions to eat in our out.

Professor Drewnowski added: ‘People have the preconception that a lower income leads to eating more fast foods, but that was not true in our study.’  

This comes after a Harvard University study in June found that eating in could keep you slim and cut your risk of diabetes.

Research showed that people who normally have their dinner at home are thinner – cutting the risk of diabetes by 15 per cent.  

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