5 Effective Strategies to Break the Take-Away Habit and Start Enjoying Home-Cooked Meals

Take-away has become a staple for many of us, whether it’s for convenience, comfort, or just a break from cooking. But if you’ve found yourself ordering take-away more than you’d like, it can feel frustrating, especially if it's starting to affect your budget, health, or general well-being. So, why do we turn to take-away so often, even when we know it might not be the best choice? In this post, I’ll break down some common reasons behind this habit and share tips on how to reduce your reliance on ordering food.

Take-Away Is Not “Bad”

Before diving into the reasons and solutions, let’s remember that there’s nothing wrong with eating take-away. It’s not inherently good or bad, and it can be part of a balanced approach to eating. Take-away can serve as a helpful tool to nourish our bodies, especially when we’re busy, need something quick, or just want to treat ourselves. This post is not about shaming any type of take-away, but about exploring how to prevent it from becoming a default choice when it doesn’t serve your overall well-being.

That said, many clients share common struggles with relying on take-away. These include:

• Spending too much money on it, which can be frustrating and out of budget
• Ordering in a way that feels out of control, not eating what they really want, or eating impulsively
• Feeling physically unwell after eating take-away (e.g., bloating, low energy)
• Wasting food by buying ingredients but ordering take-away instead

5 Reasons You Might Be Relying on Take-Away (And How to Address Them)

1. Hunger or Not Eating Enough During the Day

If you find yourself impulse ordering take-away in the evening, especially foods that are high in energy or calories, it could be a sign that you're not eating enough earlier in the day. If you’re on a restrictive diet or trying to eat “healthy,” you might be cutting back on calories or certain foods, leaving yourself hungry and craving quick, satisfying meals in the evening. Similarly, if you're busy during the day, you might simply forget to eat, leading to a hunger-driven craving for take-away.

What you can do:

• Plan your meals ahead: Try to create a basic structure for your meals, like setting alarms to remind you to eat breakfast, snacks, and lunch. If you’re unsure what to prepare, having a simple plan (even if it’s just a sandwich or smoothie) can help keep you eat enough during the day.
• Prioritize eating enough: Instead of focusing on eating “healthy” or low-calorie, aim to eat enough to fuel your body. When you’re well-fed during the day, you’re less likely to crave energy dense fast food in the evening.

2. Stress and Fatigue

When you’re stressed or tired, the thought of cooking dinner can feel overwhelming. Executive functioning—the mental effort needed to plan and execute tasks—can be drained by stress, leaving you with little energy to prepare meals. Take-away might feel like the easiest and quickest option, even if it’s not the most cost-effective or nourishing choice.

What you can do:

• Make cooking easier: You don't have to cook a fresh meal every night. Consider buying pre-prepared meals or ingredients that require minimal effort, like microwaveable meals, frozen vegetables and ready-to-heat proteins can help with home-cooked meals with less executive functioning required.
• Make use of higher energy times: If it works for you, pre-cooking meals when you have the energy (e.g., on weekends) and storing them for the week can also save time and reduce the impulse to order take-away.

3. Lack of Planning or Food Prep

Sometimes, the reason we turn to take-away is simply that we don’t have the ingredients at home to make a meal. If you find yourself constantly running out of essential items or struggling to make meals on the fly, it can make ordering take-away feel like the only solution.

What you can do:

• Plan ahead: Are there one or two cooked meals you can plan each week? Or any go-to simple options for busier weeks to take away the decision making?
• Stock up on pantry staples: Keep a selection of non-perishable items in the house. This can include carbohydrate foods such as such as rice and pasta. Longer lasting vegetables such as frozen vegetables and canned tomatoes. As well as easy to prepare protein foods (e.g., eggs, tofu, or chicken) that you can easily toss together with fresh or frozen ingredients for quick meals.

4. Buying Ingredients You “Should” Eat, Not What You Actually Want

If you find yourself buying foods that you “should” eat (according to a diet or health plan) but don’t actually enjoy, it’s no wonder you might turn to take-away. If your kitchen is stocked with bland or unsatisfying foods, you might be more tempted to order something indulgent and comforting.

What you can do:

• Buy ingredients you actually want to eat: Think about what you crave from foods when you order take-away, and buy foods that can provide that satisfaction. Once you get a routine with food prep at home, you might like to expand on this by adding in more variety, always making sure the satisfying foods are there too.

5. Feeling Overwhelmed by Nutrition Information

With so much conflicting advice about what’s “healthy” and what’s not, deciding what to eat can feel overwhelming. This confusion might lead to stress and decision fatigue, making it easier to order take-away than try to navigate what to cook.

What you can do:

• Simplify your approach: Start by focusing on what will make you feel satisfied. You don’t have to follow a specific diet or adhere to strict rules—just make meals that you’ll enjoy eating. Over time, you can gradually include foods that feel more supportive to your body, but don’t get bogged down by perfection.

Final Thoughts

If you find yourself relying on take-away more than you'd like, it’s important to first understand why this is happening. Whether it's due to hunger, stress, lack of planning, or simply feeling overwhelmed, there are simple steps you can take to make home-cooked meals more accessible and satisfying.

If you’d like personalized support in reducing your reliance on take-away, get in touch. As a Specialist Eating Disorder Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, I can help you create a sustainable and enjoyable approach to food that fits your needs.