A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Health found that eating home-cooked meals helps people stick to the DASH and Mediterranean diets. These diets focus on high quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables with fish a few times a week and are known to be packed with brain boosting nutrients that reduce your risk for dementia.
It’s not surprising then, that people who ate meals cooked at home were also found to have a normal BMI and less body fat. And here’s where it gets really good — eating at home 5 times a week compared to 3 times a week was associated with eating over 60 more grams of fruit and almost 100 grams more vegetables each week. That’s like eating a whole extra kale salad and extra banana each week just to boost your brain health.
If you love to eat out, eating in 5 times a week can sound like a lofty goal. And that’s ok. This week, eat at home one more day than you usually do. Next week, do the same. Add a day each week until you’re only eating out twice a week.