Concerned about the fat, sodium, or sugar in your food? Preparing food at home instead of eating out may just be your ticket to good health. Home-cooked food is usually lower in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar and higher in good nutrients like fiber, calcium, and iron. Why is this so? When you prepare food at home, you get to choose the ingredients. If the food you are preparing calls for tomato sauce, you can choose a low-sodium version or simply omit the salt from the ingredient list. And if you are worried about portion sizes as most Americans these days are, eating at home can help you control your portion sizes. Eating at home helps you make other healthy choices. You can include more fruits and vegetables in your main dish and side dishes and for dessert. Lastly, if you have children, home food preparation is a good opportunity to involve your children in choosing the meal, preparing it. and cleaning up. The skills children learn and the quality time spent with parents or caregivers preparing meals at home are invaluable.
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