admchin's Profile

I think doing things 100% homemade (at least attempting to) is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. It helps the environment for reasons already said and helps your health/wallet.

What did I do?

Learned recipes from friend's parents:

I have alot of international friends that I met in college. Many of their parents came to their country with very little money and had to use traditional dishes that were meant to get by on very little food or money. These recipes include Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Caribbean, Spaniard, Korean, and American.

Stocked up pantry and other non perishables:

What me and my gf realized a long time ago that when we had stuff in our pantry, we always had something to eat. Soon we found ourselves keeping stuff around like beans, rice, pasta, or anything that can keep for a while. We found ourselves making crazy concoctions that came out better than I thought they would.

Stocked up on spices and baking ingredients:

Having spices is key to eating well. Not only are many good for you (Capsicum is good for you metabolism) but they make your food taste amazing. I try to get whole spices as often as possible to keep them fresh.

Baking goods are awesome for the occasional loaf of bread or to satisfy those late night munchies with a batch of cookies. I'm sure this is better than the average sweets in the store.

Weekly to bi-weekly produce shopping:

I recently found this market that sells produce for very low prices. They're not exactly organic but they seem better than the average produce found at your local supermarket. I see it as if I can walk out of there for enough fruit and veggies to fit 8 bags for 30 bucks, then why not shop their often.

Shop for meat on a need only basis:

One of the biggest mistakes I see people do (including myself) is buying meat in bulk and letting it go bad. Bulk meat is fine if you have the freezer space and know how to freeze meat properly. However, by meat by the pound at your local butcher can save you alot of money. I am fortunate to live near a butcher that gets his meat locally, very tasty stuff.

Results

Lost weight:

I can say that I eat food from home at least 90% of the time. Since I started summer '08, I've lost 60 lbs. Eating food that I cooked helped me eat healthier and in moderation. I'm not a vegetarian or health enthusiast. I eat whatever I want. But I try to make as much of it myself. Sometimes, you need to learn what YOUR body needs.

Feel better in general - more energy:

Since I changed my diet, I feel much healthier. I get up and do something when I need to. I don't feel as tired when I wake up. I go on random walks for hours sometimes.

Food tastes better:

Since I moved to Ann Arbor, I've slowly grown tired of the food here. Growing up in the East Village, I realized that I was spoiled. 10 min walk in any direction from my place can get you jewish, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish or french food. Cooking everything myself and developing my palate
to replicate recipes has helped me eat food that I enjoy.

So much cheaper:

Being a New Yorker, you take for granted the resources available to you at a price that fits your budget. I found myself paying a lot for stuff like a loaf of bread(6-8 bucks a loaf at Zingerman's - No Knead Recipe produces a similar product for a fraction of the cost) For a long time, I was breaking even and it sucked. Since I started this new diet, I found myself able to purchase things for the house and save money for later.

Conclusion

I feel that my decision was worth it. As time went by, I started to cook faster and faster. My shopping lists would be max 10 items at a time, usually in and out of the market in 15 mins. My average bill is 10-20 bucks, 2-4 times a week. I lost a bunch of weight and still going.

I suggest giving it a try. You will suit it for your lifestyle and your life will be that much better for it.