5 Reasons Why I Cook from Scratch | My Home Kitchen

If you’d told my younger self I’d one day get excited about fermenting vegetables or baking sourdough, I probably would’ve laughed. But somewhere along the way, I discovered that slowing down and cooking from scratch wasn’t just about home-cooked meals — it was about building a home, nourishing my family, and reconnecting with a way of life that deep down, just feels right.

I started The Art of Growing because I wanted to bring that sense of simplicity and connection back — to show that making food from scratch doesn’t have to be hard or fancy. It’s about choosing real ingredients, learning as you go, and finding joy in the process (even if that process involves a mountain of dirty dishes).

Let’s be honest — convenience foods are everywhere. Pre-packaged food, ready-made meals, microwavable “quick fixes” — they’re tempting, especially after a long day. I get it. But over the years, I’ve discovered that the benefits of cooking from scratch far outweigh the convenience of these foods. Using whole ingredients, seasonal produce, pantry staples, and a little patience creates meals that nourish in every sense of the word.

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My biggest reasons for making homemade meals over convenience foods? Health, taste, cost, and enjoyment!

Real Food = Satisfaction

When I cook from scratch, I know exactly what’s going into my meals. No preservatives, no additives, no weird numbers that make me squint and wonder if I should Google them. Just fresh ingredients, whole foods, and seasonal ingredients.

Using whole ingredients supports a healthy diet, reduces the risk of food allergies, and makes it easier to maintain nourishing, homemade meals. Even a slow cooker/instant pot recipe can be loaded with fresh ingredients and pantry staples, making a simple meal both convenient and wholesome.

The first time I made sourdough bread that rose perfectly, I remember cutting into it while it was still warm, spreading butter that melted instantly, and thinking, “THIS is what food should taste like.”

Cooking from scratch gives me control. I know exactly what’s going into my meals — no hidden sugars, additives, or unpronounceable “flavour enhancers.” I can choose organic produce, swap sugar for honey, or use the veggies growing just outside my kitchen door. It’s empowering to know I’m feeding my family food that’s both nutrient-dense and honest.

Cooking this way fills me with a sense of pride and peace. It’s slower, yes, but it feels more alive. Even simple meals can feel luxurious when they’re made with whole ingredients and a bit of attention.

Developing Homemaking Skills

When you start from scratch, you realise how many forgotten basic skills still matter. Kneading dough, making meat stock from bones and veggie scraps, fermenting a jar of sauerkraut — each one teaches patience, creativity, and a bit of humility.

Not every attempt is a success. My first sourdough loaf could’ve doubled as a paperweight. But I’ve learned to laugh about it, to keep experimenting, and to find beauty in imperfection.

Homemaking is an ongoing education — and I love that. Scratch meals are like little lessons in patience and creativity that pay off in so many ways. Over time, you develop basic cooking skills that make everything else easier — from simple meals to more complex homemade recipes like yoghurt or ferments.

Easier on the Budget

Believe it or not, scratch cooking has saved us a lot of money over the years. It’s amazing what you can make out of a few ingredients. A bag of flour becomes loaves, muffins, and pancakes. The last time I made roast chicken, I ended up with 3 more meals for my family: meat stock, soup, and sandwiches.

Sure, it takes a little more time — but it’s the kind of time that gives something back. And in the long run, it’s much better for our budget than relying on pre-packaged food.

Another way we save on weekly staples is by having our own chickens. While the initial outlay may be costly, the amount we save on eggs each week vs. what we consume in meals has certainly been an eye-opener. If you’re in a position to have chickens, I highly recommend doing it. They provide so much more than helping with your weekly finances.

Teaching My Children the Value of Home-Cooked Food

One of my favourite and most important things is having my kids (children, not goats!) in the kitchen with me. They stir, spill, lick the spoon, and ask endless questions. It’s messy, but it’s magic. If there is anything I can pass on to them, it would be my love of cooking.

I want them to understand the value of home-cooked food — not just that it tastes better, but that it connects us. It’s alarming how many people in my generation do not know how to cook. By involving them in making our own food, they learn skills they’ll carry for life: how to make something with their hands, and how to appreciate the effort behind every meal.

Even small tasks like washing vegetables, measuring ingredients, or kneading dough to make a loaf of bread teach patience, creativity, and confidence. These lessons go far beyond the kitchen — they’re lessons about living a healthy lifestyle, sustainability, and valuing what we make ourselves.

Reducing Food Waste

Another benefit of scratch meals is reducing food waste. Leftovers become new meals. Vegetable scraps turn into bone broth. Seasonal ingredients that might otherwise spoil become simple meals or are fermented to last longer. Cooking from scratch encourages creativity and makes you value your food more because you know where it’s come from and how far it’ll feed your family.

Meal planning is also key to reducing food waste. When I create my meal plan for the week, I will choose 3-4 main dishes and then create 2-3 smaller meals off the back of that. This helps stretch out our meals and snacks.

And the Dishes… So Many Dishes

Now, let’s talk about the real hero of scratch cooking: the dishwasher. Or in my case, my two hands and a very questionable dishcloth. Just kidding — my dishwasher definitely helps to lighten the load!

The dishes are endless. There’s always a pile in the sink, a spoon stuck to the counter, and a saucepan that looks like it’s been through battle. But I’ve learned to breathe and laugh about it — because those dishes are proof that something good happened here.

They mean we cooked, we ate, we shared. And honestly, I’ll take a sink full of dishes any day if it means a table full of real, homemade food.

eggs nesting inside a flour bowl on wooden board

Important Kitchen Equipment

These days, modern families are a lot busier than our great-grandparents, so I can understand that some people will balk at the idea of cooking from scratch. When you haven’t got enough time in the day already, how are you meant to cook wholesome, healthy food?! This is where electric kitchen equipment comes in handy! I am all for working smarter, not harder, so on those really busy days, I lean heavily on my go-to kitchen aids:

Food Processor
Blender
Standmixer
Slower cooker
Instant Pot

Cooking from scratch isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection — to our food, to our family, and to ourselves. It’s about slowing down long enough to enjoy the simple, beautiful process of creating something nourishing and knowing exactly what’s in it. Making good food on a regular basis doesn’t need to be hard or costly.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about the meal. It’s about the memories we’re making — one homemade dish (and one very full sink) at a time.