When it comes to eating three meals a day, it’s so much easier to go out every once in a while for fast food or a sit-down meal rather than cook all the time. Even though I personally love to cook, I understand how stressful it can be to ensure I have all the ingredients for the recipes I’ve planned and to do all the dishes associated with cooking.

So what’s the better option, to cook or to go out? Let’s compare and choose the verdict.

Cooking your own food gives you a sense of accomplishment

After I cook a meal that comes out better than I expected, I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I would otherwise not get from ordering at a restaurant. Even if I’ve accidentally overcooked pasta or forgotten a couple ingredients, I’ve still put time and effort into the dish and created something by myself.

Going out to a restaurant means you don’t know what goes into the food

Unless you’re eating at a hibachi restaurant where they cook at your table, you can never be entirely sure what condition the food is being cooked in or the quality of the food going into your dish. These days, with organic foods all the craze, I know that most people like to know that their foods are free of GMOs, gluten, and the like. Shopping for your own ingredients allows you to know these kinds of things about your food. However…

Food preparation can be rather stressful, leading to cooking-related mistakes

When I wanted to make chili-rubbed salmon with avocado salsa a few weeks ago, I forgot to buy the cilantro and cherry tomatoes meant to contribute to the salsa. I ended up cooking the salmon and simply adding avocado and lime on top; while the result was still delicious, I felt I had done the recipe an injustice when I forgot some of its ingredients. I practically committed a cooking felony. Even though restaurants get orders wrong sometimes, they still wouldn’t forget something so crucial like I had.

Eating out makes your life simpler

Not having to wait for water to boil or an oven to preheat means mealtimes can be easier. Grabbing fast food or sitting down at a restaurant generally takes less time than the process of cooking, even though it can often be the less cost-effective option.