It’s an age-old conundrum – in-home dining or eating out? Many families and professionals turn to restaurants as a way to carve out some extra time in their busy day. Not only is meal planning, shopping, and cooking a time-consuming process, it can be challenging to come up with healthful, varied recipes that accommodate each family member’s preferences as well as food sensitivities and allergies.
So, what is the problem with dining out? Well, first and foremost, we need to stay safe! We’re in the midst of the pandemic right now, so we can’t ignore the social distancing challenges that restaurants present. But avoiding Covid-19 isn’t the only way that dining at home can be the safest, healthiest option. In fact, studies indicate that restaurant food can be notorious for being laden with sugar, salt, fat, and calories. Not good!
What the Research Shows
A study by Public Health Nutrition reported that test subjects who chose to eat home-cooked meals are healthier and consumed fewer calories than those who ate in restaurants. And get this – a second study, published in the British Medical Journal reported that sit-down restaurant meals contain 33% more calories than fast food meals! Yikes!
The good news is that Americans seem to be catching on. For decades, consumer preferences leaned toward dining out, but a 2018 survey revealed that preferences are now shifting towards in-home dining. Some of the reasons that participants cited were their dedication to health and better-quality family time. That brings us back to the busy factor – what if there’s simply no time in your schedule for cooking and all the prep involved? Well, this is where we come in!
Relationship-Based Services
Honest to Goodness personal chefs provide the time-saving benefits of dining out paired with the health benefits of in-home dining. Not only that, our services are based on creating relationships with our clients. You know how and where your food is being prepared, and exactly what safety and sanitation steps your chef is taking. Finally, you know exactly what ingredients are going into your food. The bonus? Our chefs happen to be quite charming and fun to be around!
As you work together, you and your personal chef will build a relationship that you would never have with a restaurant chef. Our chefs listen – what are your dietary goals? How spicy do you like your foods? Which meals from last week were your favorites? Understanding your unique needs allows your chef to tweak recipes until they are perfect for your family. Personalization at its finest!
A Customized Plan
Whether you cook for yourself or hire a chef, in-home cooking offers so many benefits. If you’re concerned that a personal chef is outside your budget, don’t hesitate to contact us anyway. We can customize a plan that works for you. Maybe you need prepared meals for the entire week or only on certain days. Or perhaps you’d benefit instead from weekly meal planning, kitchen organization, or cooking classes. Honest to Goodness is dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whether they are reducing stress, carving out family time, or staying healthy!
