When it comes to feeding my family, I’m all about convenience—until I’m not.
Processed - and even ultra-processed - foods and shortcuts do have their place (trust me, I rely on them too). But there are a handful of foods I choose to make from scratch.
Yes it’s true, I like having control over the ingredients, but mostly ... homemade just tastes better.
And the payoff goes beyond flavor.
I do like knowing exactly what’s going into the foods that I’m making and without all of the additional sugar or random ingredients that I can’t pronounce, but homemade versions often cost less than what you buy in the store.
So, here are 5 foods I most often choose to make at home. Not because I’m trying to be perfect — far from it— but because the homemade versions really are worth the little extra effort.
Why homemade? Store-bought granola is often loaded with sugar and oils that don’t do it any favors.
Homemade is (1) super simple - a little measuring, a little mixing, and into the oven it goes! - (2) it’s super customizable, and (3) it makes your whole kitchen smell AH-mazing.
Plus, I often find myself needing to make decisions I don't want to have to, like "well I want cinnamon flavor, but I don’t want walnuts. This one doesn't have walnuts, but it is blueberry vanilla."
And when I make my own, I can fully customize it to my flavor preferences: maple, cinnamon, coconut with or without nuts and dried fruit ... the combinations are endless.
I’m not even talking about making a lower sugar option. If you like a little sweeter granola, so be it.
Still, homemade really does taste better.
(And if you want a place to start, might I suggest this one. It's one of my favorites.)
I can’t be the first to tell you this: store bought dressings are often filled with all kinds of preservatives that don’t add flavor or value (except helping them sit longer on the shelf).
Plus, they can have added sugars and other mystery ingredients that don’t necessarily make them taste any better (only sweeter).
But homemade dressings?
Two minutes, four ingredients, and none of the preservatives you’ll find in a bottle. And again, they are endlessly customizable: garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon, herbs, cumin, balsamic, tahini ... on and on and on.
The simplist: Olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt. Done.
And I swear, your salads will taste better - which means maybe you'll actually enjoy your salads more? (for what it's worth, I do.)
Plus, you can batch make a jar to keep in the fridge all week.
Some of you will swear that movie butter microwave popcorn is delicious and 100% worth it.
And you would be wrong.
Homemade, air popped (or stove-popped) popcorn is undeniably better. And I'm not even talking "better for you". I don't even want you to not use butter. Butter is the best part!
When I make popcorn at home, there are always little pockets that have had too much butter added - I'd rather too much over too little!
Air popped popcorn is simply far superior to the microwaved version and is free of all the crap that gets added to microwave bags.
And you don’t even need to invest in an air popper. You can put kernels directly into a lunch-size paper bag, fold down the top a few times, and pop it into the microwave. Works like a charm.
Just a taste (pun intended) of the ingredient lists of common microwave popcorn brands.
Like all of the other foods on this list chips ahoy style cookies, although easy to grab out of the package, simply don’t taste as good as homemade.
They also don’t make your house smell as good and are loaded with industrialized ingredients that make them shelf stable, but don’t necessarily add to their flavor profile. In my opinion, homemade is better.
And they don’t have to take hours.
Michelle Lopez‘s weeknight baking cookbook has a version of chocolate chip cookies that literally come together in 20 minutes.
Michelle Lopez, of Hummingbird High, has a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that comes together in 20 minutes, and bakes in just 10. She also gives you all the tips you need to freeze and bake later.
You can also mix and freeze the dough so you only bake what you want to eat when you want to eat it. Warm, gooey, freshly baked cookies whenever you want. What could be better?!
Plus, if you ever want to entice your kids to spend some screen-free time with you, tell them you’re going to bake chocolate chip cookies and invite them to participate. See how quickly they come running.
Why do I make these homemade? Bakery muffins might as well be called cupcakes (honestly ... they are sugar bombs) and personally I find that packaged ones often taste stale.
And again, they may seem difficult, but muffins can come together in less than 20 minutes. Especially if you keep the base mix in your pantry.
Bravetart's Stella Parks has a basic muffin mix that will last in your cupboard for up to 6 months. (In other words: you have no excuse! Mix up several batches some weekend and keep them stocked.)
And with the muffin base made, all you have to do is add the mix-ins, which like with granola, you can make them your own. Pack them with your favorite flavors — blueberries, bananas, grated carrots, dried cherries, pumpkin, or whole grains, not whole grains, cinnamon, lemon, sesame seeds ... again, the combinations are endless.
And they freeze well, so all you have to do on busy mornings is warm them up in the oven and breakfast (not cupcakes) are ready.
OK, I know I said five but here’s a sixth, just in case you wanted another one.
Specifically, here is a homemade version similar to Quaker Oats Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bars.
Again this is another item that is loaded with ingredients that you can’t pronounce and wouldn’t normally have at home, and which is super easy to make yourself (and tastes so much better when you do).
And as a bonus, I have also included a link to that recipe free for you to download below.
So, there's my list.
Homemade isn’t always the answer, but for these five? I maintain my stance that they are worth it. They're tastier, cheaper, and without all the weird stuff.
And if you *do* reach for store-bought now and then—no guilt. It’s about balance, not perfection.
