Weighing in on homemade vs. store bought food (2024)

FAQs

Weighing in on homemade vs. store bought food? ›

Homemade food is fresher, healthier, and tastier, making it a better option for those who care about the quality of their food. However, store-bought food has its advantages, including convenience and quick preparation, making it a good option for those who are short on time.

Homemade food typically contains fewer additives and preservatives than store bought products. This means that you can be sure your family is getting healthier, more nutritious meals when you cook them yourself. Store bought options may contain unhealthy ingredients or too much sodium or sugar for your liking.

A food's weight changes when cooked because water is either evaporated or absorbed. Common examples are meats, oats, rice, and frozen fruits. Because of this, it is the “most accurate” way to use the raw weight and the recipe function to do the conversions based on your cooking method and time.

Judy Morgan, a nutrition expert and one of our favorite podcast guests, recommends feeding a dog about 2-3% of their body weight when using homemade food, and I think that's an excellent place to start.

Summary. Tracked food should be weighed in its raw, unprepared state unless stated otherwise on the package. Food can be tracked cooked, but it reduces accuracy. The degree of inaccuracy with using cooked food varies.

It's proven to be healthier

Some studies suggest that people who cook more often, rather than get take-out, have an overall healthier diet. These studies also show that restaurant meals typically contain higher amounts of sodium, saturated fat, total fat, and overall calories than home-cooked meals.

You eat fewer calories without even realizing it.

Restaurant meals are often heavy on butter and salt, while packaged food is typically loaded with sodium and additives. Dishes made at home, however, tend to be more nutritious and contain fewer calories.

When you cook your meat, it will shrink by approximately 25%, due to the loss of water. So, for example, 4 oz of raw ground beef will end up being about 3 oz cooked. 8 oz of raw chicken will be about 6 oz cooked. Although the meat will weigh less, the nutritional value remains the same.

It is generally recommended to weigh pasta in its dry, uncooked form if you are tracking calories. The reason for this is that the weight of pasta increases significantly when it is cooked and absorbs water.

Good homemade food for healthy dogs includes all the vitamins, calcium, proteins and minerals your pet needs to stay healthy. You can add ground beef, chicken, lamb or venison, as well as vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, parsnips, beets, yams, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.

How many cups of homemade food should I feed my dog per day? ›

An 8-ounce measuring cup holds between 3 and 3.5 ounces of dry food and between 3.5 and 5 ounces of moist food. Since not every dog food contains the same number of calories per cup, this can be confusing for dog owners.

Digital food scales are often more accurate than mechanical scales because they can measure in smaller increments and don't require frequent calibration. Choose a food scale that has a tare feature and allows for small increments of measure for the most precision when weighing.

The most accurate and consistent measurements of these fresh, whole foods calories are when it is done BEFORE they are cooked. This is due to keeping consistent with other whole foods that are packaged, as these are often measured and recorded when they are uncooked.

Use your scale every morning after you empty your bladder (and before you eat or drink anything), wearing as little clothing as possible. Because you lose water weight overnight, you'll get a lower number, too.

For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out. The reason so many people can get stuck on the question is the human psychology variable. People don't always spend wisely, and it isn't as if prices are always the same at a supermarket or a fast food restaurant.

In general, minimally processed and unprocessed foods are much more nutrient-dense than ultra-processed foods. For example, a homemade soup made with chicken, vegetables, brown rice, and broth is likely much more nutritious than a highly processed canned or boxed soup mix.

We found no evidence to suggest that homemade purees and family brands are generally safer, with lower metal levels, than store-bought baby food. Our study includes a new parent's guide of popular baby foods to serve, limit, and avoid, based on our tests.

In conclusion, eating homemade meals has several advantages over restaurant-based food. It's healthier, cost-effective, customizable, promotes family bonding, and reduces food waste. So, next time you're deciding where to eat, consider ordering a homemade meal instead of heading out to a restaurant.