How To Lose Weight By Cooking At Home (Fast!)

Is it possible to cook your way to your weight loss goal? Yes. And it’s even easier to lose weight by cooking at home when you’re using a meal delivery service. Cooking at home is healthier because you’re able to control the ingredients, portion size, and the amount of salt, sugar, and oil added to your meals. It also gives you a better connection to your food and an understanding of the benefits of healthy, fresh ingredients when you’re preparing them yourself.

Some studies have shown that the less you cook at home the more weight you gain. Studies from John Hopkins University found that people who cooked at home more often had slimmer waistlines. At home, chefs were found to eat about 140 calories less per day than people who ate out. That might not sound like a significant amount of calories, but in just one year 140 calories a day can add up to several pounds.

Most restaurants use more sugar and saturated fat than is needed. A lot more than most of us would use when cooking at home. Cutting back on sugar and cutting out unhealthy saturated fats is the key to losing weight and keeping it off.

In the Kitchen, You’re in Control

Nearly all entrees (even at the healthiest) restaurants are higher in calories than most of us want to believe. Some even contain more calories in one single meal than you should have in an entire day! Even when you avoid fast food you’re not entirely safe. A study from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that fast-casual restaurant entrees are often higher in calories than even fast food.

Another study from Tufts University broke down the calorie count in both independent and chain restaurants in America and found that 92% of entrees from both independent and chain restaurants had more calories per meal than was healthy for the average adult. They discovered that the entrees from independent restaurants had an average of 1,205 calories per meal!

What’s a healthy amount of calories to eat per meal? Around 500-700 calories for lunch and dinner is healthy and 300-400 calories for breakfast. If you’re trying to lose weight it’s recommended you keep your entire calorie count for the day around 2,000 or less. If you’re eating 1,205 calories in one sitting at a restaurant, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for the rest of the day. The bigger issue though, is that most of us don’t even realize how many calories we’re taking in when we eat out.

Even those healthy-looking salads aren’t always safe. Yes, a salad can be extremely healthy and low cal. But some salads at independent and chain restaurants pack up to 1,000 calories per serving. And the dressings are dripping in saturated fat. You might as well have ordered the big mac and fries.

Thankfully, weight loss with a meal delivery service is easy. You can pick your recipes ahead of time. Control the portion size. Choose from a variety of diets and cuisines. Vegan? Vegetarian? Or hoping to try whole food cleanse? There’s a meal delivery service for all your weight loss and diet goals. Meal delivery services are also super convenient, reduce food waste, and can save you money.

Save Calories and Money

If you have a busy work schedule and not a lot of time to plan out your meals or hit the grocery store, a meal delivery service will save you time, money, and calories. A nurse working 12-hour shifts doesn’t always have the time to find healthy recipes, make a grocery shopping list, and then shop for ingredients.

When you lose weight cooking at home with a meal delivery service you also save money. Meals at restaurants are more expensive and you also have to include a tip! Indeed, you can often spend less grocery shopping than you would using a meal delivery service, but when you also factor in the cost of how much you spend eating out it’s a different story.

According to Forbes, the average millennial spends over $3,000 a year eating out. That’s 44% of your food dollars! Combine that with the amount you spend on groceries and you can afford even the most expensive meal delivery services.

Using a meal delivery service when you’re on a mission to lose weight, try a cleanse, or just revamp your diet is ideal. You’ll feel more inspired to stick to your health goals when you know you have fresh, healthy, easy-to-make meals waiting at home for you. You’ll also love losing weight without sacrificing flavor. Healthy meal delivery options are tasty!

The Healthiest Meal Delivery Services

One of the healthiest and most sustainable meal delivery services is Daily Harvest. They deliver super foods, super fast, straight to your door. The best part is all of their recipes are a one-step process to make. Smoothies come with pre-chopped ingredients in a convenient (compostable) to-go cup. Just pour the contents into a blender. Pour it back into the to-go cup when it’s smooth, and you’re ready to walk out the door. They also offer delicious harvest bowls, soups, lattes, and parfaits.

Blue Apron also offers wholesome and nutritious meal plans. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Ingredients include farm-fresh fruits and vegetables (non-GMO), leafy greens, beef with no added hormones, and sustainably caught fish. If you try this meal delivery service out today you can receive $60 off your first order!

Splendid Spoon is another great option when you’re trying to lose weight cooking at home. The best part about this weight loss meal delivery service is that there’s little to no actual cooking involved. They offer 100% plant-based and gluten-free meals and special weight loss programs to help you revamp your diet and lifestyle.

Tips for Losing Weight When Eating Out

When you do eat out at a restaurant or pick up delivery, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re trying to lose weight. Not all “healthy” looking meals at your favorite restaurant are healthy or low in calories. Keep these guidelines in line.

Breakfast: always go with eggs. They’re protein-rich and almost always available on the menu at diners, independent restaurants, and chains. Ask to substitute oil for a little bit of butter (less trans fats!), get some veggies in the mix, and swap any sides for fruit or salad.

Lunch: look for a deli and order a sandwich. Don’t go with anything on the menu though stick with classics. Order a turkey avocado sandwich on either gluten-free (if it’s available) or whole wheat bread (if you’re not gluten intolerant). Swap the mayo for whole, grainy mustard, and add as many fresh vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes) as you want.

If you can’t eat bread you can also turn this into a salad- just go light on the dressing. With dressing, it’s best to stick to a drizzle of high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of creamy choices like ranch or thousand islands.

Dinner: If you find yourself at a pizza place with friends or family and you’re not sure what to order, just make sure it’s a thin crust. This will save you a lot of calories! Pile it up with veggies and go light on the cheese. At other restaurants, try to order a lean cut of steak or chicken (grilled if possible) with a house salad, dressing on the side. You can also opt for steamed veggies on the side, just ask for them to leave any oil off.

Now that you’ve got all the tips, you’re ready for the world of losing weight! Stick with it!