With inflation still up there and grocery prices higher than ever, many of us are wondering if cooking meals at home is still the cheaper option.

Breaking Down the Numbers

It might not be a surprise to hear that recent grocery prices have risen way above historical average rates. Between 2021 and 2022 they rose a total of 11 percent. Although they are predicted to grow a smaller 6.5 percent this year, that’s still not great news for consumers.

When I say consumers I mean people like you and me, but I am also referring to restaurant owners… to stay afloat businesses have to simultaneously increase their prices with the rate of product. The USDA Food Price Outlook for the year predicts that the cost of eating out will rise about 8.2 percent in 2023 – that’s more than the predicted rise for groceries prices.

Beyond Cost

While current prices and future predictions lead us to believe that cooking at home is indeed more cost-effective, there are other things to take into consideration.

Have you ever gotten home from work starving, devouring anything in sight – disregarding any healthy goals you had for the day. Or maybe you didn’t even make it home, your stomach took you on a detour through the nearest drive-thru.

Planning our meals ahead can allow us to make healthier decisions when it comes to food. You can think of meal prepping as a way to have more control over what goes into your body and avoid the starving mindset that can lead to unhealthy choices.

With that, planning meals ahead of time has proven to reduce the rate of overeating. A 2014 study that looked at pre-meal planning and meal size concluded that meal size is largely influenced by the amount of time one has ahead of time to plan the meal.

The Real Cost

Now I know in the back of your mind your thinking – ugh, but what about the dirty dishes? A healthy home-cooked meal is bound to leave you with a sink full of pots, pans, and silverware. If you have a dishwasher this might not be all that bad, but if you don’t… it is.

Passed along through generations of home cooks, the wash-as-you-go method is the only strategy proven to provide some relief. This way the dishes don’t build up and there is no haunting pile, just a few stragglers at the end of the night.

In all, meal prepping can be cheaper, healthier, and give us more control in our lives – that’s something I think all of us could use.