Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/dining/food-delivery-apps-doordash-uber.html
This is horrifying in every possible direction.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/dining/food-delivery-apps-doordash-uber.html
This is horrifying in every possible direction.
It really depends on the restaurant. Eating Chick-fil-A every day certainly isn’t healthy. But there are plenty of proper restaurants that are.
It doesn’t have to be unhealthy. They do have salads and grilled chicken, and even grilled chicken salads. Of course, the healthy items are quite a bit more expensive than the unhealthy items ($3 for large fries vs $4.20 for kale salad).
The problem is that in almost every case, restaurants’ only objectives are to make food that tastes good and make customers think they’re getting a good value. Hence, tons of high-caloric additives and huge portions.
When you cook at home, even if you use oils and other high-caloric ingredients, you still use way less than restaurants do. I promise you, take a “healthy” meal from a restaurant and compare its nutritional content to the same thing you would make at home; the difference will be drastic.
A couple examples:
In these examples, both taste good. But the restaurant versions are tons of empty calories that contribute to a very unhealthy lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, I like that shit too. But it’s rare for me, I’d rather make it myself and control what goes in.
Considering that I am struggling not to loose weight, I don’t mind a lot of calories.
When I make baked potatoes at home I usually use 2 of the biggest potatoes I can find. Per person that is. Then I use Quark with 40% fat, mix in some cream, at least a teaspoon of salt, green onion and some frozen herbs.
I don’t think restaurants make it any less healthily.
Your point about using oil instead of butter is valid enough. Rapeseed oil has a lot of alpha-linolenic acid. Butter a lot of saturated fatty acids. But oil is the cheaper ingredient. Butter is important to archive the traditional tase. If restaurants use butter I won’t hold it against them.
For dishes where you can choose your own carb-rich sides I would appreciate some whole-grain options though. For example cooked spelt. It pairs wonderfully with many traditional German dishes. Far-eastern and Indian restaurants could offer whole grain rice.
White grain is the worst offender when in comes to empty calories. Saturated fats at least still fill you up as much as unsaturated fats. You need twice as much white grain to feel as full as you would with whole grain. And you’ll be hungry an hour later.
I will always remember a conversation I had with a chef friend… he said something along the lines of “Of course restaurant food tastes better… take the butter you’d add, then double it. Then double it. Then double it again. Then add some heavy cream.”
You are vastly underestimating how unhealthy restaurant food is for you - even the “healthy” places are ridiculous.
How much do you want to bet?
One example:
I’m concerned that I didn’t get butter when I went to the store on Friday because after I came home my wife told me she moved the last four pounds of butter out of the freezer.
I also have heavy cream in the fridge to make ice cream. If there’s not a layer of lard on your spoon after you’re done eating your ice cream, you aren’t really trying.
Ok, but… using butter is ok. I’m willing to bet restaurants use even more for each meal. Also, I cream is… ice cream. How much do you have in a serving when you make it at home? Is it two baseball-sized scoops full of Reese’s peanut butter cups?
Well, I don’t like having Reece’s peanut butter cups in my ice cream, so I wouldn’t get that.
I think what you may not be considering is the ongoing shrinkflation happening at restaurants.
I used to get the “Super Sundae” at Friendly’s. It’s served in a fishbowl style dish. They used to fill it with ice cream past the top of the bowl, with toppings including whipped cream above that. The last time I was there, the top of the whipped cream didn’t reach the top of the bowl.
(it doesn’t look like this anymore)
In answer to your question, having home made ice cream at home, I’m having 4-5 large scoops.
I’m not going to reach the end of my life wishing I had eaten more ice cream.
Wasn’t that called a Jim Dandy?
The Jim Dandy is a banana split made in the super sundae bowl. The one pictured is a Reese’s Pieces super sundae.
Reese’s pieces, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, hot fudge, and marshmallow sauce, whipped cream and a cherry.
If I’m remembering correctly, the super sundae was originally supposed to be five scoops of ice cream.
I suppose it still could be, but maybe their scoops are shrinking.
Edit: trying to get the ingredients right. Might still be wrong. It’s been a long time.
Well then I guess your one self-reported anecdotal datum proves me wrong. Carry on.
Well then I guess thank you for conceding the point that I know more about the food I make than you do.
You don’t live in Germany, obvs. It’s schnitzel and Maultaschen all the way down.
I do, actually. Our local restaurant of local cuisine makes an awesome salad with game meat. It’s big enough to really fill you up.
Also, Maultaschen are hardly unhealthy
They’re incredibly salty.
The only healthy food restaurants serve here is salad, so you just proved my point, really.
Oh, and forget vegetarian options.