Cooking, a way to eat better

According to a recent Statista survey, 46% of German people cook everyday for their family¹. On the other hand, the annual food report “Deutschland, wie es isst?” find that 89% of them are preoccupied by the healthy aspect of food and 71% of them enjoy spending time in their kitchen. For many, cooking could be a way to eat healthier and carefully choose their food. But is cooking really at the heart of better eating habits?

Does cooking make for a healthier diet?

In 2017, scientists at the Newcastle Institute of Health and Society supported the fact that people who cook at least five times a week are 28% less likely to be overweight and 24% less likely to have excess body fat³. Two years earlier, Dr. Julia A. Wolfson, a nutritionist, reported complementary results in a study at the Johns Hopkins University of Public Health:

- people who cooked more than five times a week consumed about 2,164 calories per day, which included 81 g of fat and 119 g of sugar

- people who cooked once a week or less would consume 2,301 calories per day, or 84g of fat and 135g of sugar 

In the long term, the difference would obviously have significant consequences⁴. In 2020, the specialist also conducted a study on the impact of cooking on the American Health Eating Index (HEI). According to this research, people who cook six to seven times a week have an average HEI of 55 points, compared to 50 points for those who cook only once or twice a week⁵. Therefore, the health benefits of cooking have been advocated for a long time and have been proven by numerous studies.  

Do we eat more varied food when we cook?

Cooking gives more control over what we eat

In an article for BODi in 2022, dietician Meg Hagar confirmed that "cooking at home is better for your health because it gives you more control over what's in your plate. You know exactly how much salt or sugar is in the dish, you also have the power to swap ingredients to meet calorie or nutrient targets"⁶. In 2020, nutrition coach Katie Boyd made a similar point in an article for Well + Good, highlighting the benefits of cooking for the body: "when you cook for yourself, you can diversify the foods you eat, diversifying your microbiome and healing your digestion"⁷.

When you cook for yourself, you can diversify the foods you eat, diversifying your microbiome and healing your digestion

Cooking leads to healthier food

In terms of food variety on the plate, the Newcastle Institute of Health and Society study found that people who cooked more than five times a week consumed on average 62.3g more fruit and 97.8g more vegetables than those who cooked only two or three times a week³. In 2019, a study published in the Academic Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics reported the same finding: "Meals prepared entirely or partially at home contain more fruit and vegetables than prepared meals. Plus partially home-cooked meals contain more cereals than the others"⁸. Finally, people who cook more than five times a week are less likely to eat ready meals and fast food when eating out⁴.

Je mehr man kocht, desto besser

Lack of cooking skills can be a barrier to cooking at home. In fact, “one pot dishes” are really popular among Germans, because they usually don’t require much skill nor cooking time. Plus, 18% of them admit they avoid cooking a meal if it needs too many pots and pans⁹. However, regular practice of any activity is essential for improving skills. A 2022 study published in Frontiers shows that a seven-week daily cooking programme results in "changes in [participants'] confidence in preparing a meal from basic ingredients, with or without a recipe, and in their willingness to try new foods. This suggests that regular cooking and the ability to cook a dish with basic ingredients has a positive influence on eating habits"¹⁰. Similarly, a study in the journal Psychological Science found that training and repetition influenced improved performance in a several activities such as games (26%), music (21%) and sport (18%). And with almost half of Germans baking everyday¹, one can imagine that their cooking skills will continue to improve.  

Über Mealz

Bei Mealz, bieten wir jede Woche 10 neue Rezepte für den Alltag an, die sich an der Saisonalität der Produkte und an Ereignissen oder Feiertagen orientieren. Außerdem umfasst unser Katalog bereits über 400 abwechslungsreiche Rezepte, die für verschiedene Ernährungsoptionen (vegetarisch, vegan, glutenfrei, laktosefrei usw.) geeignet sind. Mit 5 Zutaten, 5 Schritten und einer Zubereitungszeit von 25 Minuten sind unsere Mahlzeiten schnell und einfach zuzubereiten und eignen sich für alle Arten von Köchen!

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