Eating out- Is it really worth it.

[Zorro]

When I was younger and got in late from work (or returned home from working away) I always had a standby meal in the cupboard of a bag of dried pasta and tins of chopped tomatoes.

Pasta and tomatoes with some salt and black pepper.

10 minutes cooking, no prep and cheap.

 

[MntnMan62]

I'm a bit of a hypocrite. When I come home from band practice which means I don't get home until about 11PM after unloading the car, I have zero interest in cooking......anything. Since my town is so unfriendly to business (corrupt motherf*****s) there are literally two fast food places to choose from. McD's which is very close and White Castle which is a little further but not by much. The only other option is Wawa but that is farther away and there really isn't anything I would consider eating for dinner from there. And since I've sworn off burgers from McD's because they are just disgusting, I get a crispy chicken sandwich meal. That sandwich with a large fries and a large soda (orange Hi-C is my fav) runs over $10. For $10 someone who can't afford much can buy 2 to 3 meals simply by purchasing ingredients in a supermarket. The other issue I find on this topic is that those who can least afford to will shop at local markets, bodegas, quick stops, quick checks, Wawa, etc instead of the supermarket. Things are MUCH more expensive in these places. It hurts to see people in need making poor decisions for themselves.

 

[Twelvefret]

I think I understand why this is. I have noticed that when I am really stressed out, comfort food is what I seek. So that means breads, cakes, pies and stuff with lots of sugar. It gives a temporary boost in mood. But the benefit ends there. And when someone is basically stressed out all the time due to wondering how they will pay the rent and put food on the table from day to day, they seek relief from that stress in the form of a quick fix, which can come from these types of foods. And then that can lead to health issues down the line. All of that serves to keep people down. I agree that the homeless need ready to eat food. I may check some of the local food pantries to see how I can be helpful.

Maybe. Short acting carbs get the insulin levels elevated which increases hunger setting the day up for overeating. Long acting carbs like oatmeal has a more flat trajectory. It’s easy to grab short acting than make oatmeal. Fast food companies understand. When a small child is raised on McDonald’s French fryies, steamed vegetables isn’t going to interest.

 

[R181]

A member here bought one of those rotisserie chickens this week and ate on it for three days.

That may have been me. That rotisserie chicken gave the two of us hot chicken sandwiches for one meal and homemade chicken soup for two other meals. This was instead of one eat out night. I thought it worked out just fine.

Bob

 

[MntnMan62]

That may have been me. That rotisserie chicken gave the two of us hot chicken sandwiches for one meal and homemade chicken soup for two other meals. This was instead of one eat out night. I thought it worked out just fine.

Bob

I typically shop at Shoprite near me and they have rotisserie chickens. But I've found that Costco's larger ones are a much better deal. That can be three meals for me alone and maybe even 4.

 

[R181]

I typically shop at Shoprite near me and they have rotisserie chickens. But I've found that Costco's larger ones are a much better deal. That can be three meals for me alone and maybe even 4.

There are two of us so that bird made up 6 meals altogether.

Bob

 

[Chris]

The "system" across the Pond may be a bit different than here. I suspect servers are less reliant upon tips than they are in the US.

If the servers are reliant on tips then the system is broken, in no other industry is the customer expected to pay a business's employee for doing their job.

 

[SpeedyPC]

If the servers are reliant on tips then the system is broken, in no other industry is the customer expected to pay a business's employee for doing their job.

In Australia, our country doesn't offer tips anymore to any services in hotel, restaurant, clubs, take away, supermarkets, etc etc. Not like USA where servers are reliant on tips.

In Australia, extra tips are already included in the price you pay at the checkout services, they charge all items as part of each tips you buy.

 

[Twelvefret]

That may have been me. That rotisserie chicken gave the two of us hot chicken sandwiches for one meal and homemade chicken soup for two other meals. This was instead of one eat out night. I thought it worked out just fine.

Bob

It was Bob. I wanted to highlight that fast food is not a forced condition due to poverty. It is a choice.

 

[Twelvefret]

This conversation has reminded me of "food islands" where a lack of transportation, personal and public, and a lack of grocery stores isolate some communities from anything other than fast food. These situations result from the degradation of a community's basic social integrity.

 

[R181]

It was Bob. I wanted to highlight that fast food is not a forced condition due to poverty. It is a choice.

You are right in that fast food is not always a forced condition but can be a choice.

Well, there is fast food and then there is fast food. I do think that a rotisserie chicken is not exactly as bad as for you as a McD burger take out nor is the homemade chicken soup made from the rotisserie chicken.

Bob

 

[SpeedyPC]

This conversation has reminded me of "food islands" where a lack of transportation, personal and public, and a lack of grocery stores isolate some communities from anything other than fast food. These situations result from the degradation of a community's basic social integrity.

A lot of that issue has been going on throughout the Pacific Islands.

 

[purerockfury]

I didn't read the thread and just tapping my post about eating out....

For around 30ish years i ate out everyday and a few times a day if i could. Simplest story, i can't cook and never had a thing to practice cooking on. I also only eat a few things so eating out was/is cheap if i needed it to be. And where i used to live there were/are 3 diners, 3 bagel shops, 6ish fast food restaurants, 5 big box restaurants and several breakfast/lunch or lunch/dinner restaurants all within walking distance (a 4ish mile "radius") from where i used to live. Which isn't a city just a compact/congested area with the Eath's tiniest city that is in the 4ish mile radius.

 

[Vacumatic]

I saw a menu for one of the best London hotels yesterday, one of the items was a set meal, in other words you did not have a choice, the set meal was for two at £2,300.

 

[Twelvefret]

Meals can be a wonderful social opportunity and eating out provides the freedom from having to prepare, although I enjoy my daily food prep. That said, a local grocery store had these huge filet mignons in the case @ $59 per pound. High prices and no chose isn't my cup of tea.