B1 – Intermediate
Dining out was once reserved for the wealthy or a special occasion. Not anymore. Now more than a third of the food Americans eat is made up of so-called “away-from-home” foods, which include both restaurant food and prepackaged or prepared foods purchased at supermarkets. And about 40 percent of that comes from fast-food restaurants serving the likes of cheeseburgers and French fries.
It seems then that the more you “buy out”, the more likely it is that you will have a calorie and fat rich diet that is poor in nutrients.
Let’s read the article to learn some of the issues with eating “out of the home” and talk about the questions that follow:
http://www.amdietetics.com/articles/eating-out-an-unhealthy-habit
- What do you think about eating out? Do you consider it an unhealthy habit? Why or why not?
- What are some of the negative consequences of eating out on our health/body?
- Share your thoughts on this statement, “The more you “buy out”, the more likely it is that you will have a calorie and fat rich diet that is poor in nutrients.“.
- What are ways to prevent eating out so much?
13 replies on “An Unhealthy Habit”
1- It depends on the type of food, if it is fast food, I think it is unhealthy, but if it is food prepared by a chef in a well-known restaurant, no.
2- I think the ingredients used are the most negative.
3- I agree, but as I mentioned in the first question, I think it depends on the type of food or restaurant you eat.
4- If you are short on time, you could prepare the dishes in advance and leave them in the refrigerator.
You did a good job in sharing your thoughts about eating out.
See how this sentence can be improved:
Keep doing your writing practice.
1. What do you think about eating out? Do you consider it an unhealthy habit? Why or why not?
I think it is unhealthy if you abuse of it, I mean, if you do it very frequently and if the food you order in the restaurants or buy it to take away is not healthy or more than you would eat at home.
2. What are some of the negative consequences of eating out on our health/body?
You may worsen your metabolic balance leading diseases as for instance diabetes, cardiovascular issues, etc.
3. Share your thoughts on this statement, “The more you “buy out”, the more likely it is that you will have a calorie and fat rich diet that is poor in nutrients.“
I agree. The article mentions several sound reasons but the first one that came up to me is that you use to eat more quantity of food than at home. I use to have an entrée, a main dish, a dessert (which is normally a cake) while I drink wine or beer. On the contrary, at home I use to have only one dish, drink water and eat a piece of fruit at the end.
4. What are ways to prevent eating out so much?
To do a weekly plan of meals made at home, going to the supermarket to full your fridge so you will have the food on hand, book specific hours to cook…
Thanks for sharing your thought regarding this topic. Well done practicing your writing once again.
Here is how to improve this answer:
Good job!
1. What do you think about eating out? Do you consider it an unhealthy habit? Why or why not?
I consider eating out to be an unhealthy habit, because I think that, in order to reduce the costs of preparing dishes, restaurants tend to use more oil, and of poor quality, and to make the dishes tastier they tend to add more salt or condiments that are richer in fat and empty calories.
I think that every now and then it can be good and healthy because it allows you to socialize and try new dishes and food from other countries. But every day is not good.
2. What are some of the negative consequences that eating out has for our health/body?
Well, the negative consequences are the deterioration of our health, because we are what we eat, and one of the most general negative consequences is being overweight.
3. Share your thoughts on this statement: “The more I “buy,” the more likely I will have a diet rich in calories and fat, but poor in nutrients.”
Well, my thoughts are that I totally agree with this statement, because eating out carries the risk of eating more dishes rich in fat and few nutrients.
4. What are the ways to avoid eating out so much?
Well, the ways are to cook more at home, and if you have to eat out, take it in Tupperware. There are dishes that don’t take so long to prepare and can be very healthy.
Thanks for sharing some interesting thoughts regarding this topic.
Here is how this sentence can be revised to improve it:
Keep going with your writing exercise to improve more and more.
1. I like eating out. Eating out allows people to socialize and spend quality time with friends, family, or colleagues. Additionally, dining out provides opportunities to try new types of cuisine and immerse yourself in different cultures through food.
I consider that the eating out can be an unhealthy habit if it is very frequent and a lot of fast food.
2. Some of the negative consequences of eating out on our health/body are:
More calories and unhealthy fats compared to home-cooked meals. It can contribute to weight gain, poor nutrition, and increased risk of diseases (obesity, heart disease, and diabetes)
3. I completely agree with this sentence.
4. I try to eat out only in special occasions.
Good going with practicing your writing skills. You are showing progress.
Here is how this response can be improved slightly:
Revised version:
For question the third question, you may still elaborate on why you agree with the statement. In addition, you may cite a few more ways to prevent eating out so much for question # 4.
Until your next one!
• How often and where do you usually go when you eat out?
I don´t usually go out to eat, because I love to cook and shop at the market. For me it is like a hobby spend my time in the kitchen.
• Who do you usually go with when you eat out?
I go out to eat with my boyfriend.
• What do you think about eating out?
• In what ways have people’s eating habits changed over the years?
I agree with the article, when you eat out the food is usually of worse quality and the portions are larger.
• How have your eating habits changed over the years?
Very little, I try to eat at home and if I work I take the food with me.
• What’s the best and the worst experience you ever had at a restaurant?
I don’t know, in general the food is bad and expensive. I enjoy cooking and the restaurant has to be very good to meet my expectations.
• Do you like to try new restaurants, or do you prefer to go to those you have already been to? Why?
Both, sometimes you find new restaurants that are very good. The places you know end up disappointing because the qualities tend to drop over time.
• Do you care what a restaurant looks like, or is the food the only thing you care about?
I don’t need the restaurant to be very nice or expensive or trendy. My preference is cleanliness and good food.
Nice work answering this lesson’s discussion questions.
Here is a better way to express this idea:
Remember to elaborate more on your answers as much as you can in your next lessons.
How often and where do you usually go when you eat out?
It depends. Some weeks I eat out of home several times, and others I don’t do it at all. Likewise, I sometimes go to fast food restaurants and other times I go to restaurants with healthy or exotic menus.
Who do you usually go with when you eat out?
It is also variable. Depending on the situation I can go with friends, family, coworkers, ore even on my own.
What do you think about eating out?
I think it is something good if you take it as an occasional activity.
In what ways have people’s eating habits changed over the years?
Nowadays we have to spend a lot of time out and far from home. On the other hand, there is a wide offer of restaurants. These two conditions have undoubtedly contributed to change our habits
How have your eating habits changed over the years?
As I get older, I’m more concern about eating healthy
Do you like to try new restaurants, or do you prefer to go to those you have already been to? Why?
Although I like to repeat in the restaurants where I have had a good experience, I also like to explore new restaurants and flavours.
Do you care what a restaurant looks like, or is the food the only thing you care about?
For me the food is what makes the difference in a restaurant. How it looks like is an extra that can make it better, but it os not primordial.
Good work with your responses to this lesson’s questions.
Here is a sentence you can enhance:
Keep your persistence in improving your writing.
1. i usually go eat out once a week. When i do it, i go with my friends to eat hamburgers, sushi or a special restaurant.
2. I usually go eat out with my friends or my family.
3. I think that it shouldn´t do everyday if we want to take care of our health.
4. the people don´t have any time to do themselves meals to go to the office. Then, the usually eat out everyday.
5. I try eat more fruits and more vegetables every week to care of my health.
6. I love that the waiter will be more nice with me and they give me my hot food. I hate wait for my meal one hour or more time. also i hate that the cutlery are dirty.
7. It depends but i always want to go to restaurants that i haven´t go yet.
8. I think that two things are more important. But i prefer that the food are really good and the restaurant wasn´t so beautiful.