Eating Out is Counterproductive

When time is short eating out seems to be the answer. But, eating out is counterproductive. That is to say that eating out is inhibiting you from attaining your goals rather than supporting you in reaching them. So, we should start with understanding what goals are being thwarted by eating out. Here are popular goals related to this article:

1. Losing weight (we're just 35 days from the infamous #1 New Year Resolution)
2. Building savings for anything from a vacation to buying a new vehicle to retirement
3. Eliminate debt
4. Get in shape
5. Eat Right
6. Reduce Stress

For lists of more goals see: USA.gov and RIS Media.

Linking each goal to the counterproductive impact eating out has looks like this:

1. Losing weight is foiled by eating out because restaurant food tends to emphasize the taste and not the nutrition. Hidden calories and irresistible temptations abound in restaurants. Additionally, people tend to drink weight-adding calories

1. while sitting in a restaurant for service.
2. Eating out at modest restaurants tends to cost twice to five times as much as eating a home. Although we love our coffee at the Productivity Cafe, this is vividly illustrated in a simple calculation on the cost of a cup of coffee at home vs out. Say a pound of good coffee (Starbucks Casi Cielo used in this example) costs $13 and you can make 35 cups from that pound. The cost per cup is: $0.34. Paying $1.50 for a cup out is $1.16 over making it at home or $312.50 per year. That is $4,119 every ten years. Go to the hugh's coffee calculator for your own savings. Now multiply one cup of coffee times multiple cups, full meals, soda, and other foods in your life.
3. In addition to point 2 above, these little expenses add up to money owed versus money saved or applied to reducing debt.
4. Getting in shape does not happen when eating out. Typically people spend just under an hour at restaurants during lunch hour and 1½ or more for dinners. That compares poorly to whipping up something in your kitchen for a fraction of the time (including shopping since you can shop for a week's worth of meals in one trip). So sitting around in a restaurant consumes loads of time diminishing your fitness and keeping you from activity which would enhance your fitness whether it's walking around the neighborhood or working out with your trainer.
5. Eating right or healthfully is tremendously difficult when eating out. First of all you don't know what is in the food so it could be good stuff or bad stuff. Secondly portions in America are geared to satisfy a 200+ lb. person so if you don't want to be 200+ pounds, you're getting served tpo much when you eat out and you're probably eating it. And eating at home you know clearly what ingredients are going into your recipes and can make healthful choices easily.
6. Eating out can increase your stress if you're busy because that becomes one more thing that you have to do. It's more time that evaporates rather than having a return on your investment of time.

For ways to make eating time less unproductive time, come back next Monday.

Comments

[Donna Moyer]

Dear Susan:

I wanted to tell you about a healthy alternative to eating out that also helps me save time. I sometimes don't cook as I have a difficult time just deciding what to make. We live in Elverson, PA (Northern Chester County) and recently a new business called My Sous Chef opened in our area. It is one of those places where you can go in and do a session to prepare meals in advance or they have some items ready for pickup to prepare for that evening. It is not a chain and the woman who owns it tries to shop for local produce, meats, etc including getting some of her ingredients at the Italian Market in Phila. She provides nutritional information for each item. The cost for 2-3 serving size pickup is $15.00. The cost per meal goes down if you go in and do a session and do the prep yourself. The menu changes monthly. And her creative, simple ideas inspire me to be more creative when I cook.

For those days when we are really busy, it provides a healthy alternative to eating out and a way to supplement our menus when I run out of ideas.

Donna Moyer

[Denise]

Hi Susan,

I've posted links to this post and your new one about eating in is more productive on my weight loss blog.

Thanks for expanding the reasons for maintaining a health and wellness plan.

[AndreaR.D.]

Making healthy choices when dining out can seem like an overwhelming venture! Thankfully, HEALTHY DINING’S new online resource makes it easy! Just log on to the free site HealthyDiningFinder.com to find HEALTHY DINING choices -- and corresponding nutrition information -- at over 50,000 restaurant locations, ranging from fast food to upscale dining. You can “search” for participating restaurants by specifying zip code or location information and desired price range. The site also offers free e-newsletters, recipes, nutrition tips and more.

HEALTHY DINING’s expert staff of registered dietitians and master's level health/nutrition professionals consult with each participating restaurant to find and/ modify menu items that meet the following nutrition criteria: Entrées (or full meals) must include at least one of the following: lean protein (skinless white meat poultry, fish/seafood (including salmon), tofu, etc.), fruits and/or vegetables and/or 100% whole grains. Entrees must also be 750 calories or less, have 25 grams of fat or less, and contain no more than 8 grams of saturated fat. Bon appétit!

Healthy Regards,
Andrea Ogden, R.D.