“Why do you always eat out? It’s unhealthy!” If you grew up in an Indian family, chances are you’ve heard your parents say this whenever you go out for food. Homemade food is actually considered healthy. You know it’s healthy; You are assured of the quality of the ingredients that go into it; You know it doesn’t contain any harmful preservatives. Not to forget, there’s a lot of love that goes into it.

Research also supports this. A 2019 study on the nutritional benefits of home-cooked meals stated, “Compared to pre-prepared meals, fully and partially home-cooked meals were more likely to be nutritious across a variety of families with young children.” More likely.”

Health experts also highly recommend eating home-cooked food instead of ordering from outside, especially now, with the plethora of restaurant options and the convenience of food delivery. Who would want to take out time from an already busy schedule to cook in the kitchen when food is just a few clicks away from your door? But health experts urge you to avoid the temptation to eat out — for all the right reasons.

“Home-cooked food is often healthier because you control the quality of ingredients, portion sizes and cooking methods. Restaurants and outside vendors use excessive amounts of oil, salt and preservatives to enhance flavor and extend shelf life. Apart from various health issues like obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, home-cooked food is usually fresher, and you can ensure better hygiene standards, thereby ensuring better hygiene. The risk of sexually transmitted diseases is reduced,” says Priya Paliwal, chief dietician, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi.

However, this does not mean that you can eat anything and everything just because it is cooked at home. Contrary to popular belief, home-cooked food is not always healthy.

What can go wrong with homemade food? Very.

To make food tasty, many of us use more oil, butter, sugar or spices. You know that extra spoon of ghee or butter is often the ultimate love language of an Indian mother.

Similarly, eating deep-fried dishes (even home-made) on a daily basis can lead to health problems. “Homemade food is unhealthy when it contains excessive use of oil, sugar and salt. Many people now also use a number of processed items like ginger-garlic paste or tomato puree to prepare food, which often contain harmful preservatives and food colours,” says dietician, founder of Fisico Diet & Aesthetic Clinic in Delhi. Vidhi Chawla says.

“Cooking with too much oil, sugar or salt can lead to cardiovascular problems, diabetes or high blood pressure. Over-frying or over-cooking vegetables destroys their nutrients,” says Parmeet Kaur, chief nutritionist and dietician, Marengo Asia Hospital, Gurugram.

Not just deep-frying but overcooking is also a problem. “Overcooking vegetables can destroy their essential nutrients. Also, avoid cooking on high flame,” says Vidhi.

Portion size is another big issue that can make home-cooked meals work against your health goals. Consuming excess calories, even from home-prepared meals, can lead to weight gain, metabolic changes, digestive problems, and an increased risk of chronic diseases.

“Just because food is prepared at home does not mean it should be consumed in large quantities,” says Paliwal, “be it kheer, aloo-puri, biryani, sambar rice, or regular meals with sabzi. Avoid overeating bread, regularly.

Now comes the most troublesome and common part: skipping food groups. The various food groups include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein sources (such as meat, beans and nuts), dairy, and fats and oils. These provide essential nutrients for a balanced diet.

If your lunch looks like a plate full of rice and rajma (or any dal/curry), you are doing it very wrong. Where’s the salad for fiber? Or raita as a probiotic? Or green chutney for micronutrients?

“A thali consisting mainly of one or two food groups, such as three rotis with dal or just rajma and rice, lacks variety and may lead to nutritional deficiencies. Dietitian Paliwal says that food should ideally have a balance between carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fibre.

Primary focus on rice/roti is another issue that promotes nutritional imbalance.

Even though Indian food culture is rich across all regions and promotes a balanced diet – like roti/rice, dal, sabzi, raita and pickle for lunch in the North, or boiled rice, sambar, rasam, avial (mixed vegetable curries), curd, and papad in the south – busy lifestyles have turned traditional everyday meals into quick lunches, often leaving many food groups missing.

According to ICMR dietary guidelines, a healthy diet includes abundant vegetables, adequate whole grains and pulses or beans, modest portions of nuts or seeds, fruits and plain fermented yogurt or curd. It should be free from or contain minimal amounts of added sugars and have minimal oil/fat and salt added for taste.

Your daily food intake should be roughly as follows:

A balanced diet provides essential calories, proteins, vitamins, minerals and adequate fiber.

“Eating heavy, calorie-dense dishes without balancing them with fiber-rich vegetables or protein leads to weight gain,” says dietitian Kaur.

Many food and nutrition influencers on social media are now addressing this common problem and showing simple ways to make food healthier and more nutritious at home.

How to make your home-cooked meals healthier

First, watch what you’re eating – make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need through a variety of foods. Focus on making your daily food consumption more balanced.

“Pay special attention to variety, as each food has its own benefits,” says Vidhi.

Here are some more quick tips:

• Use a variety of fresh, seasonal vegetables
• Include lean proteins like fish, chicken and legumes
• Choose whole grains like quinoa or brown rice
• Add healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and seeds
• Choose cooking methods that preserve nutrients, such as steaming, grilling or sautéing
• Control portions and aim for a balanced diet containing carbs, protein and fiber
• Limit salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats (like trans fats)
• Use herbs and spices to enhance flavor naturally
• Plan meals to include all essential food groups every day