How important is making home cooked meals for your family?

I would like to say that I really enjoy making home cooked meals for my family. I know my other half really likes the food I cook. He has enjoyed pretty much everything I've put in front of him and he's never complained about any of the meals. I really enjoy it more when both of us are involved in preparing the meals we make. I think it ends up being a more rewarding meal when both of us have a hand in putting it together. I know that I always love having a hand in the kitchen though. And sometimes preparing dinner with my other half gives me a break because.. Instead of having to prepare dinner for us on my own.. I have someone else helping me prepare it.. I also love how my other half & me will work as a team to get dinner prepared for the two of us. I know that I would much rather prepare a home cooked meal than just give up and order out all the time. Sometimes that's okay to do but too much and it gets really old very fast. I know we will usually go ahead and plan out our meals for the following two weeks after a payday by going through cookbooks and internet sites. We'll put together a list of what we need to get to make the meals and every night will be a different dish. I know we absolutely love making sauerkraut perogies and have a blast putting them together and going through the entire process of making dinner when we have those for supper. I know when I was a kid when I lived in Saskatchewan I really loved it when I was playing on the beach. The next thing I knew there was someone with lunch that my Mom had put together for me and my sister. I thought my Mom was the best cook and I can still taste how good all those lunches tasted over the years now when I think of them. It brings back so many memories of good times spent in that province. So, I did receive pre-made food most of the time when I was growing up because I wasn't the person putting the lunches and dinners together. My mom was the one who had cooked for us. And when she couldn't cook for us since she owned her own restaurant.. She would get a co-worker to bring some of the food she had cooked for us.. Since she was unable to be at home & prepare a home cooked meal for us. I do think that those meals that I had as a kid were a real big reason why a big part of that certain point in my childhood was so happy. I loved sitting on the beach and eating my lunch and watching the waves roll in off the lake. The memories are always running through my head every time I start to think about my childhood. I know I did eat some what some take out when I was a kid when my mom had to work at the restaurant.. But she always made time to make home cooked meals as well though at the same time. And those we're the best.. Better than take out I do believe. In conclusion, I believe that making home cooked meals are essential to the well being of my household. They offer a good variety of choices for us. I know we would get bored for quite some time when we used to live somewhere else and had limited access ot cookbooks and online resources. At least now we have the advantage of variety on our side. I know when my other half & me have children in the future.. That I plan on preparing home cooked meals on a regular basis for me & my other family. As I do believe they are so much healthier compared to just ordering out all of the time. I know as of right now my other half & me would much rather have a home cooked meal compared to take out.. It's so much more important to me to prepare home cooked meals for us.. And I think it always will be important to me years from now as well! . . Thanks for allowing me to share! xx

Homecooked meals should always be a priority in family life, its where everyone can get together and socialise and it teaches youngsters the importance of cooking and food actually comes from the land rather than a shop.

The moon is always rounder in other countries. When we have home-cooked meals, we will miss the food outside. I believed this is human nature who yearned for things that we do not have. I grew up in a family who always have home-made meals. My mum will always prepare the food as she believes that it is healthier and more hygiene. The family will also have a more private space to interact or "lecture" if need arises. Since young, my mum encourage the boys to learn cooking because she believes that our wives will also go on 'leave'. If we do not know how to cook, we will be starved. I must say I can cook pretty well among my peers. During my mum younger days, there are not much food outlets available and almost everybody cook at home. With our current society, there are more choices of food available. Yet, I believes it is important to have more home-make meals to strengthen the bond of the family. The family can be involved from the planning, marketing(purchasing), preparation, dining to the washing of dishes. There will be a lot of quality time for family members to interact and develop better relationships. Now, my wife and I also believe in home-cooked food for our children.

That was very interesting juliemarie84. I must say im kind of on the same boat here.. growing up we NEVER had anything else other than home-cooked meals, every single day.. And i guess i took it for granted. Why eat out when you can eat at home.. but then of course you hit that teenage wall and all ur friends are always going out to mcdonalds or something while im having my home-cooked meals. But that never really effected me. I was ok with that.. The thing with me was i always saw my mom cooking the kitchen but i never really picked up on anything. Just one of those things i took for granted (sorry mom!). But about 4 years ago or something, i started getting really interested in the whole concept of cooking and preparing a meal. So ever since then, i've been enjoying it. But now that i'm married, i find myself in your position. I do like home-cooked but i'm kinda craving the fast-food i never got in my "youth". Husband has been living on fast-food on an almost daily basis for the last couple of years and of course would much rather have a home-cooked meal than a burger. So we try to do both. Of course the fast food is NOT happening too often as we already know how unhealthy it is... Anyway, home-cooked meals are extremely important. Not only healthwise but also socially. There's nothing like gathering around the table for lunch or dinner.