When it comes to losing weight, one of our biggest obstacles is finding time to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal.
Now research from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine says that not making home-cooked meals could be disastrous for our waistline.
The findings, now published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that those who spent less than one hour a day preparing food at home were more likely to eat more fast food or dine out more often–something that, not surprisingly, equals more weight gain.
Those who spent more time preparing meals at home were more likely to be thinner, however.
“Besides time and cost, people often don’t feel confident about their ability to prepare healthy meals,” says Lauri Wright, Ph.D., R.D.N., a registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “This study reinforces what previous studies and nutrition practice tells us: that time is commonly reported as a barrier to healthy eating.”
The findings, which were first reported earlier this week, were initially taken from participants who originally participated in the Seattle Obesity Study between 2008 and 2009. Communicating by phone, researchers asked them how many hours a day they spent preparing and cooking food. 43 percent of them admitted to spent between 1 to 2 hours preparing food everyday, whereas 41 percent said they spent more than two hours per day on average. Researchers also asked them about the foods they consumed and how often they ate out–including if they dined at fast food or fine dining establishments.
After compiling the results, researchers found two distinct trends: Those who worked outside of the home spent less time preparing meals, and those who spent less time preparing meals were more likely to eat out for convenience’s sake.
Unfortunately, this meant they were more likely to have a larger waistline–and have trouble losing or maintaining weight as a result.
“Individuals who spent the least amount of time on food preparation tended to be working adults who placed a high priority on convenience,” say researchers. “The findings indicate that time might be an essential ingredient in the production of healthier eating habits among adults. Further research should investigate the determinants of spending time on food preparation.”
What You Should Do
Finding time to make meals at home is easier said than done–but if you’re serious about losing weight, it’s time to make this a priority, say experts. Wright recommends finding ways to optimize your time so you can prepare meals at home–such as preparing meals in advance, shopping ahead of schedule, or findings ways to prepare quick meals at home.
“Registered dietician/nutritionists give close consideration to the issue of time when making their recommendations,” says Wright. “They can give tips on ways to optimize time and money, such as planning meals, shopping ahead and preparing some foods in advance that can allow families to have quick-to-prepare healthy meals and snacks.”
Readers: Do you prepare meals at home? If so, how do you find time to prepare them?
Sources:
Time Spent Preparing Meals at Home Linked to Healthier Diet – ScienceDaily.com
Time Spent on Home Food Preparation and Indicators of Healthy Eating – AJPMOnline.org
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