Eat Out or Cook at Home: The age-long debate for Nigerian professionals

Between Lagos traffic, Abuja deadlines, and endless online meetings, Nigerian professionals are constantly battling one of adulthood’s biggest daily decisions: to cook or not to cook?

On one hand, eating out saves time and gives you variety. On the other hand, cooking at home feels healthier, more economical, and - let's be honest - gives you bragging rights in the "adulting" department.

But then comes the popular question: which is better between the two? I guess that will need some debating.

Well, we'll try as much as we can to settle the score in this article -or at least add some spices to the debate.

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Pros

• Insane Level of Convenience

You just closed your laptop at 8:45 p.m. after a long day of battling Excel sheets, NDAs, and cranky clients. Are you really going to start dicing onions? Probably not. Ordering jollof rice and turkey from the place down the street just makes perfect sense for the moment.

• Variety on Demand

Craving amala and egusi today, Chinese tomorrow, and shawarma by Friday? Well, you'll have all these at your fingertips. As long as you can afford your cravings, you can be sure to get them. Just place an order and boom!

Cons

• Your Wallet Suffers

That ₦3,500-per-day habit becomes ₦24,500 per week. Multiply that by 4, and you can already tell where all your earnings are going to and why you can't save. Eating out regularly is convenient, but not always sustainable.

• You Don’t Control What’s in the Food

Too much oil. Too much salt. Or that tiny piece of meat swimming in stew. There's always a significant limitation to what you can control when you don't make your own food. You never know when you begin to harm your health.

Pros

• Your Pocket Will Thank You

With ₦10,000 worth of ingredients, you can cook enough rice, stew, and soup to last a week. Buying in bulk, meal prepping on Sundays, and portioning your food can stretch your budget far better than daily takeouts.

• You Know What’s in Your Pot

No mystery ingredients. No recycled oil. No fear of a stomach upset at 2 a.m. Cooking gives you full control over your nutrition, hygiene, and portion sizes.

Cons

• But Who Has Time?

Between long work hours and city traffic, the energy to wash, cut, boil, blend, and fry just isn’t always there. Cooking is a full-time task, and if you live alone, you may end up eating the same food on loop till you resent it.

• Motivation is Not Constant

You start the week as Chef Tolu with a fridge full of promise. By Thursday, Indomie and cabin biscuit will become your best friends. Cooking requires planning and discipline - not always easy in Nigeria’s chaotic rhythm.

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There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Whether you’re eating out or cooking at home, what matters is balance. Your food choices should nourish your body, not drain your account or your energy. Some weeks, you’ll be a MasterChef. Other weeks, it’s Indomie by candlelight, which is okay.

So the next time you’re staring into your fridge or scrolling through JumiaFood, remember: both paths are valid. Just don’t forget to eat well and live well - adulting is already hard enough.