Eating at home versus eating out could help you lose weight if you have a proper balance of healthy nutrition. If your idea of a home-cooked meal is country-fried steak with biscuits and gravy and a stash of fried potatoes, along with chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert, you probably won't lose weight. There are healthy food choices for both eating at home and eating away from home.
Healthy Weight Loss
Healthy weight loss usually involves a lifestyle change and a commitment to follow a lower-calorie diet. Most experts recommend losing weight slowly, 1 to 2 lb. per week. By subtracting 500 calories per day for seven days, you will lose 3,500 calories or 1 lb. You could subtract 250 calories from your food intake and use up another 250 by exercising. The fiber in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains help you feel full. Lean protein found in quality cuts of meat or beans and nuts gives you sustained energy. Drinking water can help you feel less hungry and break down your food more easily.
Eating at Home
In general, by cooking your own meals at home you can control the size of your portions as well as the additives in your food. Both restaurant food and packaged foods usually contain more sodium, fat and calories than home-cooked food. Portion sizes tend to be larger in restaurants. Make sure that you shop for food when you are not hungry, and place foods that tempt you out of your sight. A healthy breakfast will jumpstart your metabolism and give you fuel to begin your day. Eat six small meals per day rather than three large ones. Make your snacks healthy -- fruits, vegetables and almonds are good choices.
Substituting Choices
Consider the following calorie savings when choosing whether to eat something from a restaurant or at home. A 16 oz. grande cafe latte has 190 calories while a 16 oz. cup of plain coffee or tea prepared at home has 5 calories. A 12 oz. can of regular soda contains 137 calories, while club soda with a squeeze of lemon has 2 calories. One medium glazed doughnut comes in at 239 calories and an apple from your refrigerator has 72. A 4 inch cinnamon-raisin bagel has 243 calories, but two slices of whole grain toast from your toaster have 138 calories. A 3 oz. bag of plain salted potato chips earns 465 calories, versus 62 calories in two cups of air-popped popcorn.
Healthy Home-Cooked Meals
Here are some suggestions for some healthy, low-calorie meals you can prepare at home that are lower in fat than you would find in many restaurants. For breakfast, try one cup of an oat cereal for roughly 120 calories, 3/4 cup of 2 percent milk for 90 calories and a 7 oz. glass of cranberry juice for 92 -- totaling 322 calories for the meal. Lunch could be a salad with two cups of lettuce, a tomato, 3.5 oz. baby carrots, 4 oz. white meat turkey, 2 tbsp. light balsamic vinegar dressing, and a 3.5 oz. apple for 286 calories. A mid-afternoon snack of 1 oz. almonds delivers quality protein and 165 calories. For dinner, a 7 oz. serving of swordfish has 310 calories, a 3.5 oz. baked potato has 198 calories, 7 oz. of steamed broccoli has 68 calories and 2 tsp. butter is 68 calories -- for a total of 644 calories. The total for the day is 1,437 calories.
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