IELTS Band 7 essay sample: Eating home-cooked food is better than eating out

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Task

Many people say that cooking and eating at home is better for the individual and the family than eating out in restaurants or canteens. Do you agree or disagree?

Sample response

Consuming home-cooked food is widely considered as superior to eating out. I completely agree with this notion on grounds of adopting a healthy lifestyle and for family bonding reasons.

Cooking at home is more effective for a healthy diet. A healthy lifestyle stipulates eating food with specific nutritional value. In other words, different people require different types of food that befit their bodies. This can only be achieved by cooking at home because restaurants produce food for mass consumption; and hence their meals cannot be tailored for individual needs. Moreover, outdoor food outlets tend to sacrifice quality in order to achieve quantity. Although some food outlets do cater for individual needs, it is very expensive to deal with them. Therefore, it is ideal to consume home-cooked meals to live a healthy life.

Dining at home is also beneficial for family bonding reasons. In today’s busy lifestyle and long working hours, family members barely spend time with each other. Therefore, dinner time should be reserved for filling this gap in out social lives. Moreover, by cooking at home family members can learn to appreciate one another as they all contribute towards preparing each meal. Furthermore, children are taught the sense of responsibility towards the family by having to do related chores such as cleaning after dining. Hence, eating at home enrich family lives.

In conclusion, I fully support the notion that food preparation and consumption at home is favoured over eating outside because it leads to a healthier lifestyle, and it strengthens the relationships within families.