● one of the best ways to keep healthy

When people cook by themselves, they tend to choose higher-quality and more fresh food materials, and the cooking environment is always clean. Meanwhile, most foods which are served in restaurants contain high amounts of fat and calories, and they can be detrimental to（对...有害的）people’s health if they are consumed on a regular basis（定期地；经常地）. The amount of salt, butter, oil, and sugar a restaurant puts in its food is exponentially（急剧地）higher than what a sane person would put into his or her home cooking. If we eat at home, we can choose our own low-fat and low-calorie ingredients to prepare our meals. 

● save money

Meat, vegetables, and other ingredients from supermarkets or grocery stores are very affordable, so the total cost of a homemade meal is much less than that of a meal at a restaurant. What’s more, eating out means people have to pay for the service, for the locations, or even for the parking. 

●provide a chance to strengthen family relationship

Cooking with children will be an enjoyable experience. Besides, at home, people can enjoy having some of their own music on, eat in front of the TV, and chat around the dinner table with family. Eating in such a cozy environment offers an excellent opportunity for family bonding（增进感情，形成亲密关系）, which may not be achieved in a noisy atmosphere of a restaurant.   

discover one’s interest

Cooking at home may be an interesting in itself. Someone may like to experiment with new recipes（食谱，烹饪法）and techniques, which will bring a person the sense of self-satisfaction, and gradually he or she may treat cooking as a hobby.