When eating out is a letdown

Zulu87
Zulu87 Posts: 119 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Today I was all excited to have Thai for lunch and had planned for it in my daily budget but the food wasn't that great. I feel like now, that I'm on this journey, if I'm going to eat out I want it to be worth it and this was mediocre for sure. Anyone else get bummed when this happens? I know it's a first world problem but now I feel like I wasted those calories on that food. I didn't finish it but still... suck it up and move on right? Haha

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    For sure. And my favorite Thai place close to my work hasn't been as good lately. Such a bummer.

  • BCullari
    BCullari Posts: 33 Member
    I only eat out on a cheat day.
    It's a ruined experience when I have to budget calories and exclude fabulous items or knit-pick the menu to death.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
    I get so bitter when I spend calories on something that isn't worth it. I have no problem making something delicious fit my goals, but it really sucks when you make room and it's no goof. I feel your pain.
  • Zulu87
    Zulu87 Posts: 119 Member
    I guess I didn't eat it all which I would have in the past. So that's something lol
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I am so with you. I want every food that passes these lips to taste amazing.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    Absolutely. I only eat food I enjoy, so a bunk meal really bums me out.
  • becca_sings
    becca_sings Posts: 1 Member
    The worst!!!!
  • MacaronStyle
    MacaronStyle Posts: 35 Member
    Same! I actually had three attempts at dinner today because I prepared my first two options and the first bite was underwhelming. I decided to bin the serving and try another option instead of forcing myself to eat it.
  • ashleighs148
    ashleighs148 Posts: 335 Member
    Yep, I went out to dinner with my mum and got macaroni last week. It was absolutely disgusting and I was really annoyed I'd wasted calories on it. I ate half because I was trying not to be rude but I could not justify finishing it all and going over my daily goal for it.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Had it happen yesterday. Wasn't even the food that was bad, just the atmosphere at the place. Music too loud, employees too soft-spoken, wrong order given. I ordered a taco salad and the guy asked me how many tacos I wanted. I just said I didn't want anything then. Hubby ordered a quesadilla and got a burrito.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    10/10 on here would agree. Haha. I've learned to try a smaller portion of a new food whenever possible to avoid this situation.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Omg yes. I used to eat whatever was in front of me even if it wasn't very good. Now, I'm like a food diva. It better be effing amazing if I'm spending a bunch of calories on it!
  • Wadeeee
    Wadeeee Posts: 70 Member
    I. HEAR. YOU. I try my best to plan meals that are worth it to avoid feeling unsatisfied. Disappointing food makes me want cake. LOL!!!
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I go out for dinner but I have to say I plan it more precise Needs to be a good place and I am willing to pay more.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I was all ready to come home from church and fix, for the first time, some shrimp tacos. I had all the stuff. Then Mrs. asked if we could have lunch out at a nice Italian joint. So, there we went and I got a Caprese salad, which is a sliced big tomato, several sliced small tomatoes, and a few ounces of buffalo mozzarella with a few green things and some oil. Filling, it was not, but that's ok. I'll have a shrimp taco for dinner and stay in my calorie targets. My earlier plan had a big pile of protein for dinner but that's off the plan now so my day is going to miss the protein macro by a bunch. At least I had a 20% discount coupon.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    On my best days, I just leave it. "This isn't worth the calories." On my worst days, I eat it all, then look for something satisfying :(
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Very rarely happens to my wife and I. We don't eat out often, so when we do it's usually one of our favorite local establishments. If we are trying a new place it usually is coming from a lot of good feedback from our friends who also tend to be a little food snobby like us. Usually a bad experience at one of these places is just a one off.

    There is one place that we like that is kind of hit and not usually a complete miss, but sometimes it's just better than other times. This place is a farm to table restaurant so what they have on hand is always changing so their menu is never the same...but for the most part, it's usually pretty solid.

    We don't tend to do franchise chains much as we find the food to be generally sub par...about the only exception is Jason's Deli for lunch on a weekend sometimes...they're salad bar is pretty solid.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Decided to try a grilled chicken sandwich yesterday at a place where I have liked other things. It was apparently an unseasoned grilled chicken breast, a few iceburg lettuce chunks, 2 tomato slices, no condiments and a squishy white bun. It was food that was filling and met my goals so not a waste but pretty lacking. It kind of annoyed me that they have lots of elaborate tasty burgers but the one grilled chicken sandwich on the menu is so sad and plain.
  • zalmann919
    zalmann919 Posts: 24 Member
    I've been getting into cooking in the last year. I'm not that great at it but I've made some amazing things from time to time, mostly recipes from New York Times Cooking. At the very least I know what I'm getting, so there's no guesswork, which sadly is part of the "eating out" territory.

    Having been burned several times at old "favorite" restaurants, I've decided that I would find out what a restaurant does well and stick to that. A local diner does burgers well, but order the chicken only if your shoe needs temporary repair. So I only go there when I'm ready for a burger. The Asian place tends to serve Cantonese dishes swimming in sugary sauce with a mountain of rice. But there are some Thai red curry dishes with rice noodles that are spicy and delicious, so I go with what they do well.

    I never order steak anywhere, because a) it's always 4 times as much meat as I can eat at one sitting and b) the veggies are normally an afterthought and c) I can cook it better myself anyway. I've gotten used to the "Welcome, we haven't seen you in a while!" greetings.

    I'm not god's gift to cooking, but I have lost 90 lbs in the last year and am shifting into maintenance mode, so I have that going for me. Don't get me wrong, I love a good meal, well prepared, but food isn't the cheap drug it used to be. I've evolved into a choosy eater. I'd say that's a big improvement from where I started, which was potato chips by the 1 lb bag. Ugh.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I have that problem more times then not. Since I started cooking my own food, when I eat out it just never seems to be what I imagined it would. And as you mentioned, then you feel like you've wasted not only calories but money as well. Though sometimes you just need something quick and decent. I figure you can't go wrong with cooking your own food.
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