After a year of eating dining hall food, it’s nice to go back home and eat something homemade for a change. Despite all of the various dining hall hacks to improve school food, there are a lot of great things about eating at home. Here are a few pros and cons of eating at home this summer.
Endless Variety
Pro: You do not have to go grocery shopping anymore. Plus, you have unlimited access to the fully stocked pantry and fridge of delicious, top notch food.
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Con: With all this food around, you are surrounded by temptation. You know you shouldn’t open those Chips Ahoy, but they’re so close and no one’s home.
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Everything’s Good for You
Pro: Home cooked food is healthier (and better) than school cooked food.
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Con: Sometimes you just want junk food. But if your parents are health nuts, you have no way to get the goods.
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Bonding Time
Pro: Dinnertime allows you to spend time with your family and eat. Because after all, family is the most important thing.
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Con: You can’t eat meals with friends or random people in the dining halls anymore. Or even alone.
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The Kitchen Is Always There
Pro: So. Much. Food. And it’s available at all hours of the night and day, not only during the short three-hour spans when the dining hall is open.
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Con: Even though your kitchen is open at all times, 3 am snacks and midnight Chinese food deliveries are over.
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Portion Control
Pro: You eat human-sized portions instead of piling up food onto your plate from the unlimited buffet.
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Con: At first, the meals will be smaller portions than you’re used to, and you’ll have to fight yourself to not eat a third serving.
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Saving Money
Pro: Home cooked meals are free of charge. Except you might have to chip in and do the dishes afterwards.
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Con: When your friends want to go out for lunch (or even coffee), you won’t want to spend your money. Why spend money on food when there is so much food at home?
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So, as you can probably tell, there’s good and bad to eating at home. If you are on an upswing of delicious home cooked meals or if you are so done with eating three straight nights of barbecue, don’t take it for granted.