Whether you’re looking for a quick meal, trying to get more work done, or just want to save some money, ordering takeout can be a tempting option. But is it really better than cooking at home? There are two main factors to consider when deciding between the two:
Ease
Ordering takeaway food can make life easier. After having a long day, not everyone has the energy to shop for groceries and cook a whole meal. In such cases, ordering takeout can be beneficial. If you are cooking at home, depending on the meal, you might have to spend anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours on the meal.
Cooking at home requires more time than ordering takeout. When you order takeout, you don’t have to spend any time shopping for ingredients or preparing them before cooking. You can also skip the cleanup step by having your food delivered right to your doorstep!
That said, cooking at home allows you more freedom with what you eat and how it’s prepared. If there’s something special in mind that your local restaurant doesn’t offer—or if a particular dish isn’t available on their menu—you can cook it yourself.
Cost
While it might seem like cooking at home is the more cost-effective option, it’s important to consider the costs involved with both options.
- If you cook at home, you have to factor in the cost of all your ingredients. While this can be done on a budget, if you want to make an expensive meal—and especially if it’s something that doesn’t use up a lot of ingredients—you may end up paying more than ordering takeout would cost.
- If you order takeout or delivery, there’s also the delivery fee. As per the experts at Chef Online, “Those fees can add up if they apply each time someone orders food from their favourite restaurant.”
- The cost of cooking equipment should also be taken into account. While some people enjoy cooking and don’t mind shelling out money for new kitchen appliances (or even renting them), others don’t feel comfortable spending any more money than necessary on these items. For example: buying an electric mixer isn’t cheap! But baking bread does require one.
The cost of home-cooked meals is often cheaper than ordering takeout. But you can actually make more food for the same price as takeout if you shop smartly and use up what’s in your fridge before it goes bad. The key is to shop at places that sell ingredients in bulk, like Costco or Sam’s Club, so that you’re not paying for packaging and marketing costs that drive up prices at regular grocery stores.
Once you have the ingredients, there are plenty of ways to stretch them out over several meals:
- Put some of your cooked meat aside for later use (freeze it with a bit of broth if possible)
- Use up extra vegetables by adding them into soups or stews later in the week; they’ll add colour and texture without taking up much room on the plate
Whether you’re looking for a quick meal, trying to get more work done, or just want to save some money, ordering takeout can be a tempting option. But is it really better than cooking at home? There are two main factors to consider when deciding between the two:
Ease
Ordering takeaway food can make life easier. After having a long day, not everyone has the energy to shop for groceries and cook a whole meal. In such cases, ordering takeout can be beneficial. If you are cooking at home, depending on the meal, you might have to spend anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours on the meal.
Cooking at home requires more time than ordering takeout. When you order takeout, you don’t have to spend any time shopping for ingredients or preparing them before cooking. You can also skip the cleanup step by having your food delivered right to your doorstep!
That said, cooking at home allows you more freedom with what you eat and how it’s prepared. If there’s something special in mind that your local restaurant doesn’t offer—or if a particular dish isn’t available on their menu—you can cook it yourself.
Cost
While it might seem like cooking at home is the more cost-effective option, it’s important to consider the costs involved with both options.
- If you cook at home, you have to factor in the cost of all your ingredients. While this can be done on a budget, if you want to make an expensive meal—and especially if it’s something that doesn’t use up a lot of ingredients—you may end up paying more than ordering takeout would cost.
- If you order takeout or delivery, there’s also the delivery fee. As per the experts at Chef Online, “Those fees can add up if they apply each time someone orders food from their favourite restaurant.”
- The cost of cooking equipment should also be taken into account. While some people enjoy cooking and don’t mind shelling out money for new kitchen appliances (or even renting them), others don’t feel comfortable spending any more money than necessary on these items. For example: buying an electric mixer isn’t cheap! But baking bread does require one.
The cost of home-cooked meals is often cheaper than ordering takeout. But you can actually make more food for the same price as takeout if you shop smartly and use up what’s in your fridge before it goes bad. The key is to shop at places that sell ingredients in bulk, like Costco or Sam’s Club, so that you’re not paying for packaging and marketing costs that drive up prices at regular grocery stores.
Once you have the ingredients, there are plenty of ways to stretch them out over several meals:
- Put some of your cooked meat aside for later use (freeze it with a bit of broth if possible)
- Use up extra vegetables by adding them into soups or stews later in the week; they’ll add colour and texture without taking up much room on the plate
So, what’s the takeaway? It depends on your situation. If you’re short on time and money but want to eat healthy food, ordering takeout might be a good option. But if you want to save money and have more control over what goes into your meals, cooking at home is probably better for you.
So, what’s the takeaway? It depends on your situation. If you’re short on time and money but want to eat healthy food, ordering takeout might be a good option. But if you want to save money and have more control over what goes into your meals, cooking at home is probably better for you.
