Everyday Meals, Intentional Choices: How to Cook at Home More Often
Lunch was baked fish, greens and tomatoes, potatoes, and a side of plantain. I made it at home because these are foods I enjoy. For me, cooking is one way to care for myself while keeping familiar flavors on my plate.
If you’d like to cook at home more often, think about a meal you already look forward to eating. What would make it easier to prepare on a busy day?
What research found about home cooking
Johns Hopkins researchers analyzed survey data from 9,569 U.S. adults. People in households where someone cooked dinner six or seven times a week consumed, on average, about 137 fewer calories and 16 fewer grams of total sugar per day than people in households that cooked dinner once a week or less. The study found an association between cooking frequency and what people ate across the day. It couldn’t establish that cooking caused those differences.
At home, you can choose what goes into a dish, how you season it, and how much you serve. You can also build a meal around foods you know and love.
Pick one meal you’d make again
Choose a meal you enjoy. Think of a dish you know how to make and would be happy to eat again.
Make one part easier. Keep frozen greens on hand, wash the tomatoes ahead of time, or cook enough potatoes for tomorrow’s lunch.
Choose when you’ll make it. Pick a day when you have time to cook. Afterward, ask yourself what helped and what you’d do differently next time.
In my culinary health coaching work at LEIBA Consulting, I help clients build confidence in the kitchen and develop routines that fit their schedules, preferences, and culture. As a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach with a Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) certificate, I bring that practical focus to conversations about food and everyday habits.
Want to try this with a habit of your own? The free LEIBA 7-Day Healthy Habits Reset is a self-guided workbook that helps you choose one small habit and reflect on what works throughout the week.
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