5 Facts About Restaurants That Will Make You Want to Eat at Home
Source From: https://homejarfitness.com/5-facts-about-restaurants-that-will-make-you-want-to-eat-at-home/
By: GUEST BLOGGER, CASSIE
In 2016, Americans spent over $54 billion eating out at restaurants and fast food places and a little more than $52 billion on groceries during the same period. It might not seem like a big difference, but $2 billion is a lot, and it’s safe to say we seriously love our takeout food in America. On average, most Americans eat out about four and a half times every week. That’s about once every other day.
Considering the type of food found in the average American diet, this delegation of what we eat to restaurants should be concerning. This, combined with the expense of eating in restaurants and several other factors should be enough to convince you to skip the drive-thru or the diner and eat at home. So before heading out to eat, consider the following not-so-well-known facts about restaurants:
Portion Sizes
A study by the USDA found a person will, on average, consume 134 more calories when eating out than when eating the same meal prepared at home. Over the course of a year, that adds up to a gain of about two pounds, simply from eating out instead of dining at home. Essentially, you’re spending more money for the convenience of gaining weight.
Food Poisoning
Many people believe they are more likely to get a case of food poisoning eating at home than they are at a restaurant. Makes sense, no? After all, food at restaurants is prepared by professionals. In reality, though, you are twice as likely to get food poisoning in a restaurant than in a private home, according to a report published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Identity Theft
It might seem like an unlikely place, but identity theft at restaurants is relatively common. Also, nearly everyone at a restaurant is probably hooked up to the free WiFi on their smartphone or some other mobile device. But that “free” WiFi might be costing you more than you think. Public WiFi signals are not encrypted, meaning anyone with a minimal amount of technical knowledge can intercept your communications and potentially steal your information, including email passwords, credit card numbers, banking information and more.
Your safest bet is to avoid unsecured WiFi connections completely. If you absolutely must use public WiFi at a restaurant, access any important data through a proxy software service to protect your sensitive data.
Actual Theft
Restaurants are one of the few places we allow our credit cards to be out of our sight, so it’s no surprise restaurants are also a hotspot for credit card fraud and theft. In some cases, workers skim your credit card number and sell it to a third party in a relatively high-tech scam. In other cases, an employee may simply run your card for extra charges and pocket the rest, hoping you don’t notice the extra charges on your next statement.
Germs
For many of us, our home is never as clean as we’d like it to be—the product of a busy, hectic lifestyle. However, chances are your home is much, much cleaner than most of the surfaces at any restaurant where you might consider eating. Also, the germiest places probably aren’t the ones you’d expect. According to a report by ABC News, the top five worst places for germs in a restaurant are the seats, the menus, lemon wedges, salt and pepper shakers, and tables. Consider that carefully before ordering lemon in your tea at your next luncheon.
While eating out might seem more convenient than preparing your meals at home, the fact is you will save money and eat healthier by preparing your meals at home. Restaurants pose a variety of threats to your health and security, as well as your waistline, and you’re much better off simply eating at home.
About the Author: Cassie is a health coach who specializes in teaching people how to plan and prepare healthy meals. When she’s not in the kitchen testing new recipes, she’s probably out training for her next 5K.