During the holiday season, I spent a lot of time with family in different locations and at different houses, but one thing was the same at each place – cooking. I learned to make Santa Cruz enchiladas, breaded cube steaks with cream of mushroom gravy, sourdough cinnamon rolls, and how to assemble a charcuterie board for 25 people. Cooking together is one of my favorite parts of spending time with family because we all do things a little differently and I learn so much.
This year, I’m encouraging you to cook more homemade meals and eat out less because I believe homecooked wins every time! Aside from saving money with home-cooked meals, home cooking can also help you spend more quality time with your family.
How Eating at Home Fosters Connection
Eating at home is about so much more than the food – it’s about the connections and memories we create along the way. Cooking can be a shared activity with family (or friends) that creates lasting memories and skills. I have talked to dozens of recipe authors, professional chefs, and executives in the food industry who credit cooking with their parents or grandparents as the reason they followed a culinary passion.
Cooking with kids, in particular, offers countless benefits. It’s an opportunity to teach valuable life skills like following directions, measuring ingredients (reinforcing math concepts), and learning to read recipes. According to picky eating expert Katie Kimball, involving kids in the cooking process can also encourage them to try new foods, helping to reduce picky eating habits. When children have a hand in preparing the meal, they feel proud of their contributions and are often excited to eat the food they helped create.
Home cooking also fosters a sense of teamwork and responsibility. While restaurant meals don’t involve cooking or cleanup, preparing food at home includes chores like washing dishes, setting the table, and tidying up after the meal. These shared tasks are excellent opportunities for kids to learn responsibility and contribute to the household while spending quality time together. Even these seemingly ordinary tasks can be opportunities for conversations or create one-on-one bonding time.
Sitting down at the dinner table as a family is another chance for connection fostered by eating at home. It’s a time to pause, reflect on the day, and engage in meaningful conversations without the distractions of being on the go or grabbing fast food. Eating at home makes meal times a shared experience that strengthens relationships, builds life skills, and nurtures a sense of togetherness – something a restaurant or takeout container can’t replicate.
As I wrap up, it’s worth noting that connecting over food requires intentionality. Whether eating at home or in a restaurant, meal times can pass in silence if we’re not mindful of our distractions or what we hope to take away from eating together. Spending quality time with the people we care about takes effort and a conscious decision to make it a priority.
Cheers to you and more home-cooked meals in 2025!
