Feeling stressed? Here's how home-cooking could help

Home-cooking helps with weight loss and research now reveals it is great for reducing stress

Woman smiles as she chops up vegetables in a kitchen
(Image credit: Getty)

The lead up to Christmas always ends up being busy and can often result in burn out for some. The good news is cooking has been found to be an effective stress-reliever and what better time to cook up a heart-warming dishe or two than over the festive period?

A first step in the right direction of any weight loss diet is to minimise eating takeaways and convenience foods as they are often very high in calories which your body will store away as fat. But healthy cooking at home can be tasty especially when using something like a best health grill to recreate healthier versions of your favorite foods.

Not only is home-cooking a great way to get more up to scratch with how to eat healthily but a recent study conducted by vegan recipe kit brand Grubby found that cooking can have a great impact on your mental wellbeing.

The research assessed the effect of cooking on participants heart rate, productivity, creativity and relationships. The results revealed that 93% agreed that focussing on a cooking task helped them to relax and detach themselves from work.

As well as this,  73% were in agreement that cooking had an overall calming impact on their mood. While 100% agreed that cooking had an overall positive effect on their wellbeing and mental health.

Woman looks happy as she holds up a big bowl of food

(Image credit: Getty)

Cooking therapy expert Charlotte hastings said, "Often when we have cooked a meal and are relaxed into our natural capabilities and sense of achievement with a full belly, we can feel more able to take on life's more complex challenges with a refreshed mindset."

This positive study supports other research carried out on the topic of home-cooking. A 2017 study conducted by the University of Washington School of Public Health previously discovered that those who regularly cook at home are more likely to consume a healthier diet and it is more cost-effective.

The researchers found home-cooking to be a helpful way for individuals to comply with U.S. Dietary Guidelines without increasing food expenditures. They believe that it could contribute to what they call 'nutrition resilience'.

If you are looking for a good way to wind down after a busy day of work and don't want to spend lots of money pre-Christmas then cooking your own meals could be a simple yet satisfying fix. Plus it is can be a transformative activity for both your mental and physical health.

If you need any guidance in its area then some of the best vegan cookbooks included in our guide will help you to find various healthy and yummy plant-based recipe inspiration for when you enter the kitchen.

Jessica Downey

Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her career in journalism began in local news and she holds a Masters in journalism. Jessica has previously written for Runners World, penning news and features on fitness, sportswear and nutrition. 


When she isn't writing up news and features for Fit&Well covering topics ranging from muscle building, to yoga, to female health and so on, she will be outdoors somewhere, testing out the latest fitness equipment and accessories to help others find top products for their own fitness journeys. Her testing pairs up nicely with her love for running. She recently branched out to running 10Ks and is trying to improve her time before moving on to larger races. Jessica also enjoys building on her strength in the gym and is a believer in health and wellness beginning in the kitchen. She shares all of this on her running Instagram account @jessrunshere which she uses for accountability and for connecting with like-minded fitness lovers.