Eating out disappoints AGAIN! - BOYCOTT

GPSHEALTHCOACHING
GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I don't eat out a lot, mainly to save money. The last couple of times I've eaten out, the food was NOT GOOD!! Over cooked, dry chicken, Chinese buffet that was ALL moosh, egg roll that was hard as a rock, hubby got an undercooked burger.....

I think I'm gonna BOYCOTT eating out for the REST OF THE YEAR!!!! I think my healthy eating taste buds no longer like the crap food in restaurants! I'd be better off buying the ingredients and cooking a nice meal at home!!!

My only exceptions will be Subway and pizza..... They never fail to disappoint! :P

Replies

  • iron93
    iron93 Posts: 22
    Preach on!
    Yea I agree with this. At least you know what exactly goes into your meals.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,089 Member
    for me: it's eaither going to rather pricy restaurants or (rarely) getting chain fast food burger/ pizza.
    the cheap menu places or no brand fast food places are worse then the worst sandwich I can prep at home.
    But I guess that is because I'm quite picky, I budget my cals, so I expect the best calorie / taste ratio I can get :laugh:
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    i also agree. I find it difficult to eat healthy when going out. Plus I am VERY anal about my food and nobody cooks it like I like it anyway, LOL.
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
    I ate out this week too, and my whole daily calorie intake was almost used up.........
    Christmas times seems a great idea to aim for my next meal out.
  • icreate
    icreate Posts: 60
    I don't eat out a lot, mainly to save money. I approved this message :)
  • Zylahe
    Zylahe Posts: 772 Member
    yep
    i'm with you there.
    (and as a veggie my selection is sooo limited)
    most times I'd rather have beans on toast.
  • litterbitt
    litterbitt Posts: 15 Member
    Agreed! I tried my hand at raising my own chickens and turkeys the last year.... very different texture than store-bought! ...and delicious.
  • zoeluiisa
    zoeluiisa Posts: 392
    I couldn't give up eating out. I love meeting my friends for Sunday brunch, or going to a nice restaurant for someone's birthday dinner.

    But I think it depends *where* you eat out. The restaurants and cafes near me use proper fresh ingredients cooked by proper chefs, so it's like eating at home only better. Junk food places are a different matter - if that's all I had to choose from I wouldn't eat out ever.
  • trixiemou
    trixiemou Posts: 554 Member
    I hate it when you go out and your meal is mediocre, at best. These guys are supposed to know what they are doing. it is certainly a pet peeve of ours. We have now founf somewhere nice and tend to go there on the occasions we do go out.
  • humidex8
    humidex8 Posts: 24 Member
    urgh yea, being a vegetarian sucks when it comes to eating out!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    My only exceptions will be Subway

    If you are going to boycott eating out anywhere, please make it Subway. That place is disgusting and there is a lot better sub places that you could go I'm sure.

    I ate out yesterday at a local Mexican Joint.. Two steak tacos with lettuce, cheese and sour cream plus a margarita.. it was perfect.

    I generally don't eat at fast food places, but eating out at sit down restaurants. Everything is made fresh and there are always a ton of choices... so no matter what I'm craving, I'll find something!
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I totally agree that there a lot of restaurants that are no more than processed food assemblers/heater uppers… I avoid those. The Houston fast food places I eat are : 1) Subway - they will make a salad out of any sandwich I want, and the calorie/nutrition counts are on the wall! 2) Freshii - good stuff! 3) El Rey- there grilled chicken salad is simply awesome. Great fresh ingredients, and grilled chicken, zucchini and peppers. 4) Tree beards. Only downtown, but the chilled shrimp salad is great.

    All of these places offer a meal for less than $10. I don't have much choice but to eat out most days for lunch, so I have to hope fast food places continue on the trend to have full disclosure on the nutrition/calorie counts, and go for more nutrition packed foods.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Sounds like you have some really lousy restaurants where you live.
  • DoomCakes
    DoomCakes Posts: 806 Member
    I noticed the same thing!! After a month of eating healthier, when I go out I find I don't like the taste of restaurant food anymore! Especially fast foods or buffets. Everything tastes like crap, or is mooshy, or not cooked right or worse, I can TASTE the grease. Then when you eat it you feel all crappy and bloated and sick.

    It is much better just making the same stuff you go out for at home! Tastes better too. :)

    The only places I find that I can stand the taste for are Wawa, Chipolte, Panera Bread (just wish I had one closer D: ), Chick-fil-a (their grilled chicken is so good), Subway, and my fave pizza place Luigi's... they just got veggie burgers!
  • zoeluiisa
    zoeluiisa Posts: 392
    Your Subway must be really different to ours (in Britain) as I keep seeing it mentioned on MFP as a healthy eating option. Here I'd definitely class them as junk food - stodgy doughy bread, suspicious processed meats, and at least twice as big as any person needs a sandwich to be! No idea how many calories must be in one of those foot long things, but it must be A LOT.
  • alizon15
    alizon15 Posts: 59
    Oh I love eating out , we have some lovely restaurants near us using good quality products at a good price; have to agree regarding chain restaurants tho , most of their food is pre prepared and re heated , and yuk!!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    It would seem to me you're doing it wrong. I'm rarely disappointed with our local gems, chains yes, but locally owned and operated restaurants where the owners and staff take pride in quality product & service? Rarely.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    I find the chain resteraunts to be sucking majorly lately so I've stopped going to them. I've only been eating at small localy owned places and the food is much better.
  • mogletdeluxe
    mogletdeluxe Posts: 623 Member
    I agree, many places are below par. But when you find a bit of a gem, it's always worth it - there are some beautiful little restaurants and cafes in my hometown, and especially in my partner's village as they're all small family-run independents. If any MFP-ers are in the Oxfordshire area you HAVE to try Pierrepoints in Goring. Best food I've ever had.

    But yes. Usually a pricey calorie-fest that really wasn't worth the £ or lbs.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    My only exceptions will be Subway and pizza..... They never fail to disappoint! :P

    I'm wondering why you would choose to eat at places that never fail to disappont.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Undercooked burger?

    ...was it pink on the outside?
  • LCBinGA
    LCBinGA Posts: 102 Member
    You have to stay away from chain restaurants!
    Also, do not accept the "free" foods (buttered white bland breads - served with extra sweet butter), chips (deep fried with added extra salt)

    Once you start eating real healthy foods, and take the time to realize just what it is you are eating and tasting real goodness, the rest is just a let down from your old style of eating. you could see it as a good thing, saving money, saving health
  • jonchew
    jonchew Posts: 239 Member
    My only exceptions will be Subway

    If you are going to boycott eating out anywhere, please make it Subway. That place is disgusting and there is a lot better sub places that you could go I'm sure.

    I ate out yesterday at a local Mexican Joint.. Two steak tacos with lettuce, cheese and sour cream plus a margarita.. it was perfect.

    I generally don't eat at fast food places, but eating out at sit down restaurants. Everything is made fresh and there are always a ton of choices... so no matter what I'm craving, I'll find something!

    Agreed! Look closer at your hometown downtown, there WILL be great places to eat, with food that will taste better and be (albeit only somewhat) better for you. Ma & Pa restaurants can't compete when it comes to making themselves visible, so you'll definitely have to look closer - but they ARE there!
  • supergirl6
    supergirl6 Posts: 224 Member
    My husband and I have a couple of local places where the food is always awesome and we love supporting our local businesses. So the few times we go out to eat we choose from those places only. The only time we go to chain restaurants is if we're being dragged there by friends. The bonus of going to our favorite local restaurants is that 1) we already know what's in the dishes we order every time and 2) the staff is usually much more willing to making food the way I need it - with no added salt, or specifically measured amount of rice/pasta.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    We don't eat out much anymore either for financial reasons but I do still enjoy going to a nice restaurant. We've definitely learned over the years that mot middle of the roads places are just not worth the cost when you're talking a family of 4. Fortunately we have a fantastic pizza and chinese food place locally so when the urge really hits, we know we can count on them. :)
  • cpaman87
    cpaman87 Posts: 193 Member
    I enjoy a meal out and am fortunate to have a few local restaurants that are good and reasonable. My last meal I split a baked brie with my wife and had lamb chops with risotto. Great meal and I was still in a calorie range for weight loss.
  • zoeluiisa
    zoeluiisa Posts: 392
    I enjoy a meal out and am fortunate to have a few local restaurants that are good and reasonable. My last meal I split a baked brie with my wife and had lamb chops with risotto. Great meal and I was still in a calorie range for weight loss.

    Baked brie... *drools*

    My last meal out was lunch at one of the cafes on my street (I'm lucky enough to have four and they're all awesome). This one has a huge salad menu and you can pick whatever combination you like - I had Greek salad and lentil salad and roast veggies and falafel and beetroot... Delicious AND virtuous! Plus, they boxed up the leftovers for me to take home for dinner so I got two meals for the price of one. I love my cafes. :happy:

Categories