How Often Do You Eat Fast Food, Packaged Food, Take Away etc?
By Malyck
@Malyck (3425)
Australia
September 1, 2007 1:08am CST
How many nights a week do you eat fast foods or frozen meals etc rather than cooking?
Is it once a week, once a month; more or less than this?
I started thinking about this this morning when I decided that I would use some Red Rooster vouchers that I won, instead of cooking tonight.
This is the first time we've had something other than a home-cooked meal in over a month, and I wondered how often others opt for packaged food, fast food or takeaway.
Growing up, we were lucky to get pizza or Indian take away once a month, and nowadays, it seems like the complete opposite.
5 people like this
26 responses
@joyce959 (1559)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
Before, we use to eat home-made cook food. However when the fastfood chains started, the home-made cooking suddenly became scarce. I usually eat out, or take home food bought outside home. We are usually busy, so buying out ready to eat food outside is convenient and cooking food at home is now scarcely made, except when there special occasions.
1 person likes this
@joyce959 (1559)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
Yes, there are healthy take away foods that we can buy, like the fresh fruit shake... a combination of carrots and mango or pineapple/ carrots/ orange...taste delicious and healthy, so doesn't matter if we pair it to a burger sandwich or hotdog sandwich. Also there are restaurant that cater not only meat, but fish and vegies as well.
1 person likes this
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
1 Sep 07
We eat out about once a week, most of the time. Sometimes we eat out twice, and sometimes we don't eat out at all. It really just depends.
As far as eating frozen meals and prepackaged stuff, we do that once or twice a week, too. I usually cook dinner at least 5 days a week. And I try to cook lunch 4 or 5 days a week as well. Usually when my husband is at work, if I don't feel like cooking lunch, I will just make my son a sandwich and give him some fruit. We rarely eat out for lunch.
I try to make sure I give my son healthy food every day. If I know we are going out to eat for dinner, I make sure to give my son something really nutritious for lunch. Before my son was born, we ate out a lot more. Now nutrition is much more important to me.
1 person likes this
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
1 Sep 07
We usually eat at a real restaurant 2-3 times a month, and maybe about that many times, we get fast food. We probably wouldn't do fast food so much, if there were real restaurants on base, though! I much prefer being able to offer my son some fruit to go with his burger or chicken when we go out.
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@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
1 Sep 07
It's great that you're making sure to keep your son healthy and happy =D
When you talk about going out to dinner, do you mean to fast food or to a restaurant?
My family usually goes out to a restaurant once a month, which I love because we always go to great restaurants and get gourmet food, which is still healthy even if a little more indulgent.
1 person likes this
@mermaid911 (798)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
You're right! You know, I haven't really thought of thinking how often I go out to eat. There are times I eat out once a week and sometimes more than once in a week. In our place restaurants are fairly accessible so its just easy for us to drop by and buy something to eat. There are also times when we're so busy we can't cook our own food so we just buy for our meals. And sometimes, fast food just feels like a good thing to eat so we just go out and eat. This is one realization for me to slow down with eating outside. This is not a very healthy lifestyle. Thanks for reminding me.
@genuinesqueak (325)
• Australia
1 Sep 07
We used to eat it all the time. Especially when i worked at KFC! I'd bring home the left overs. But thankfully now we live in the country and there's no take away food around here. So it's fresh cooked meals all the time for us. nless we go to the city, which is about once a month. That's when we 'splurge' and buy take away.
I do miss the easiness of ordering take away, especially if i've had a really busy day and just can not be bothered cooking! And those day's where i just crave fish and chips!
1 person likes this
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
1 Sep 07
Fish & Chips have always been my favourite, along with Indian curries and tandoori.
I guess I do like the simplicity of ordering in, but I find it so costing, both financially and to your health (in high doses).
I'd rather whip myself up some scrambled eggs and a salad, or a toasted sandwich than eat all the grease and fat =P
I just don't find the taste of fast foods that good, although I do crave MacDonald's cheeseburgers every now and then =D
1 person likes this
@genuinesqueak (325)
• Australia
1 Sep 07
I agree! It is getting way too expensive to eat out these days, but i guess that's a good thing, so we don't over use the convenience of them. Well to a point.
Last time we went to a mcdonald's we were quite disapointed with it. My other half said his burger had no taste at all. I think he got a big mac or something. He said he'll never buy a mcdonald's burger again, he much prefer's hungry jack's burgers. I think the reason mcdonald's burger's are now tasteless is because they've gone all 'healthy' and taken fat and other nasties out, so now your just left with that fake meat stuff (ok probably not fake, but it tastes like it). Hungry Jack's still seem to be greasy so therefore tasty.
I think i watched a current affair program once and HJ's was actually one of the healthiest. I say if you're going to stuff your diet up, you may as well do a good job of it and get KFC and be done with it. haha. Or fish and chips. Yum!
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
9 Sep 07
More since marrying - my husband is the food devil. He brings me grilled chicken wraps at midnight after work or sometimes brings me Pad Thai on weekends. Its an added expense though with a baby - it adds up. He usually eats that at work. Years ago, I tried giving him yummy but healthy lunches and dinners and snacks to bring to work and he would come back with almost all of it because he'd go out to eat. In the next few years, especially with my pregancy, I slipped over to the dark side instead! Food equals love and affection in his book. He read the same one that my grandma did I guess.
I want my baby to learn to eat balanced - he will want to eat what I'm eating. If I'm eating preservatives, chemicals,additives and salt made up to look like food that's what he'll want to eat too.
I used to get Fish and Chips as a child at Arther Treachers a restaraunt in NYC.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
9 Sep 07
Thanks for your faith in me. You need to get a job as foundation post or a back patter. A personal cheerleader. Hey they have personal shoppers why not these? I want a de-procrastinator - a kick in the butter - for like my writing projects and such.
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
9 Sep 07
I want your ideas!
All of the above are fantabulous, and although I'm a procrastinator myself (it's always the artistic types =P), I think I'd be a great kick-in-the-butt-er (or in the butter... wherever that is located).
My best friend, Frankie, she's also great at that. She keeps me grounded when I get over-ambitious with no action.
I'll happily be your virtual/cyber back patterer, but there may come a time, nearing the end of the day, that you will have to move your back to my hand because it will be sore from all of the patting - as I'm sure you deserve it in abundance! =D
1 person likes this
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
9 Sep 07
Naughty Daniel!
My mum always did the same for my sister and I at school, but we never brought any of it home.
I loved eating my gourmet salad sandwiches on wholemeal bread, and having tomatoes, apples and dried fruit & nuts as my snacks, although I've slipped as I've gotten older, and because Alex isn't the healthiest of eaters.
We both know you'll do right (I wrote 'write' how embarrassing) by Snoogs, and he'll grow up loving the healthy food *nods convincingly*
=D
1 person likes this
@raychill (6525)
• United States
1 Sep 07
I probably only eat at a fast food place two times a month. Maybe. I probably eat frozen and/or packed foods 3 to 4 times a week. Friday is Pizza night. I always eat a frozen pizza. I try my best to eat stuff from the grocery stores rather than going out and buying stuff to eat for the evening because it really saves money.
I try to eat a home cooked meal at least twice a week or more...but it really all depends.
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
2 Sep 07
Sounds pretty reasonable.
I have quite a soft-spot for the frozen pizzas myself.
But my 'father in law' (sister's boyfriend's father) makes his own pizzas and brings around 20 over each month =P
It really does save, too!
Even if I spend $150 on groceries, the ingredients keep for a lot longer than $30 worth of fast food to feed everyone! =]
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
1 Sep 07
I used to eat fast food alot, almost everynight, but now I only do that once in a while. I work in a deli/meatshop so I bring home something everynight and cook it. it is easier that way and healthier.
1 person likes this
@leonarda (92)
• Bulgaria
11 Sep 07
Once a month - or even less. And I am extremely happy with this because I know that fast food is not healthy, so I just hope that I will never have to live on it. A former co-worker of mine used to order fast food for lunch (at 1 p.m) and for afternoon breakfast (at 17 p.m.) EVERY DAY! I am not sure what he had for dinner or breakfast but I guess, I have an idea. :))
@stehomicide (8)
•
1 Sep 07
Not that often to be honest. Very rare. Only eat out a few times a month really!
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
1 Sep 07
While we are trying to get out of debt, we have been eating entirely at home. (Although not necessarily our own home).
@maildumpster (3815)
• United States
15 Sep 07
WAY TOO MUCH!! We must do take out (at least for one member of the family if not the entire family) around 4 times a week!! I hate it
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
28 Jan 08
I rarely eat fast food however I do fall short in the pre-packaged food...not terribly but somewhat. Sometimes it's b/c I'm in a hurry and just too tired to make a big dinner. I'd love to get back to making things from scratch but I don't have much counter room in my kitchen. Maybe when I get a kitchen table and chairs it'll help.
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@binny29 (1527)
• India
2 Sep 07
i love eating fast food but i am not keeping well so doctor has adviced me not to eat fast food .thats why i couldnt eat any outside food for the last 2 months
@vijay1wdv (357)
• India
2 Sep 07
I generally take in fast foods whenever i roam about with friends. There are a lot of shops available in my city, so i eat a lot when i go to such stalls. But i go out with friends around a couple of times in a month. So, there is less chance to getting affected by the food that i eat outside. I think, if u can eat home cooked food, it is the best to eat. Because, even it appears to be hygienic, some hotels do all weird things when they cook. Take care of your health.
@retsky (14)
• Australia
2 Feb 08
It has become a take away society. The Govt. takes away rights and one of those rights is being able to live a life of bartering. A place in Ithika (? spelling) in america is a town that lives on complete bartering system. There are no banks or money in the town I have been led to beleive they swap meat and veg for babysitting and tutoring etc. Haircuts for carparts. All sorts of things which lead us back to the old adage that one mans garbage is anothers treasure. But back to take away,I would be lost without it sometimes as I hate cooking unless I have a thousand ingredients to choose from and then I really cook up a storm. Trying to make ends meet these days, take away food is cheaper in the long run I guess, and convenient.
