What comes along with eating out?

There was a time when restaurants ran full house only during the weekends. Not anymore. Increasingly, we see restaurants packed to the brim even during weekdays. It's as if people have stopped cooking at home. Not just the restaurants.

Every café by the street or a roadside stall vendor has lots of people milling around them digging into the steaming food that is doled out in high frequency. Home-delivery bikes can be seen at odd hours of the day, even late nights – all validating the fact that eating out or ordering in is an industry that is booming.

Yes convenience, taste, variety, experiences are the driving force, but what are the other implications of eating out?

Read on here:

Excess sodium

The maximum salts that we get is from packaged food as salt is a good preservative. Restaurants use a lot of packaged foods, such as sauces, frozen foods, salted butters and more.

Excess fats

It's been drilled into a chef that food cannot taste good without large amounts of oil, butter or ghee. These are pure fats. Not to mention meat and dairy products that are full of fats and cholesterol.

Inferior quality of produce

All the inorganic vegetables and fruits that are fit to be unsold are picked up by restaurants at low prices. Both the vegetable vendors and restaurant owners are in business for profit. Who gives a second thought to your health!

Pre-cooked meals

Is it practically possible for restaurants to serve freshly cooked meals? Anyone who has ever put together a meal knows the answer is a big 'no'! The reason why at restaurant chains, food tastes the same at every branch, for its cooked in the main kitchen in large quantities, frozen and sent out to all. Also, changes cannot be made to the dishes as they are already pre-cooked.

Microwaved food

Cooking or heating food in a microwave oven comes with its share of radiation, which is extremely harmful to our health.

You're likely to overeat

The variety and the free accompaniments, the huge portion sizes, the music, the company and the mood ensure you overeat, taking in far more chemicals and fats into your system than you would have in a home-cooked meal. Plus, the sugar in most drinks, sauces and desserts is addictive.

The hygiene factor

It's a task to keep a small kitchen at home clean, imagine restaurant kitchens serving hundreds of diners' day in and day out. How can hygiene not be compromised then?

Burns your pocket

It's truly way cheaper to cook meals at home with organic produce.

Is it really vegetarian or vegan?

That's a good question to ask, particularly when you dine at restaurants that serve meat. They use the same stock, utensils to cook and spoons to taste. Also, with so many orders coming in, can the chef really take care of your special requirements?

Disease

Consuming high amounts of sodium, preservatives, inferior produce, packaged foods that are frozen, as well as pre-cooked meals contribute to lifestyle diseases, including PCODs, blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues and even cancer.