Home-cooked isn't automatically better

25 February 2025
Adarsh Gopal

I do not buy the binary argument that home-cooked beats eating out every single time.

At the right price, you can get a more nutritious meal that is more carefully and hygienically prepared in a kitchen that is not in your home.

Primarily because not everyone knows how to cook healthy food nor does everyone enjoy cooking. And most kitchens at home or elsewhere are not as hygienic as people imagine them to be.

The odds of the right price being something an average citizen can afford everyday is incredibly low.

There are two simple reasons why restaurants don't make healthy foods with macros that make a bodybuilder smile:

Ingredients with more protein and healthier or less fat or less carb content are more expensive than ingredients that are laden with fat and carbohydrate.

Low fat cheeses are more expensive than cheeses that contain more fat. Same goes for poultry, dairy, meat, soy, whey etc. It costs more per gram or per calorie than rice, wheat, butter, cream, oil or full cream milk.

Fat, salt, spice and sugar taste better. We are just wired to enjoy this stuff. Explanations exist based on genetics, evolution, sociology and culture. Maps of biriyani, potato chips, pizza consumption and packed bars are all I need to know that we like this stuff to a fault and to our detriment.

There is going to be some institution in the future that will deliver 25 grams of protein packed with 15 grams of fibre and 1 gram of EPA/DHA in a delicious, hygienic 150-300 calorie serving of food. Some fat and carbs will be in there too since we need energy (DUH). This will hopefully clock in at Rs 50-150 (adjust for money printing).

The odds of a company making this happen every single day are higher than a busy household making this happen everyday.

We are not there yet. So we have to settle for making it at home.

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