Eating out

[sadiemay123]

Does anyone on here think its okay if I prefer to eat home cooked meals rather than eat out?

[crd08]

I think most people (even non-emets) prefer a home cooked meal over eating out. I do eat out, but I also like just cooking myself.

[jkl81]

I usually prefer cooking my own food, and I like to cook for others too. Once in awhile I enjoy takeout or a restaurant. No food is perfectly safe, but most is withing what most of us would consider to be acceptable risk limits. I try not to let emet dictate this for me, but if you need to eat at home for now, there's no shame in it. The bad part would be if you REALLY wanted to eat out, but your phobia made it so that you couldn't. If that's the case now, don't feel bad about it, but you could try to work on getting better to the point that you could do that if you want to. For me at least, the main thing is to enjoy the life you have. I'm guilty of not doing that, but I really do try...most of the time. If you just prefer eating at home, don't let anyone make you feel bad or guilty about it.

[marzipan]

I think as others have said, if you just have a natural preference for home cooked food as opposed to food from a restaurant then that is completely fine.
However if you feel its your phobia that's getting in the way of you eating out then that is a shame. I'm actually suffering with something similar to that at the moment (in fact I posted a thread earlier regarding take outs/eating out) but it really isn't fair for us to let our phobia prevent us from eating out if we really want too.

[mhartse]

I got sucked into the fast food world super fast. I was literally eating out every single day. For about 2 years and then I started eating more at home, and its been over a year now since Ive even ate out! And I will never eat fast food again, or eat out at all really. I don't eat gluten so its hard to eat out anyway. It makes me feel better that I am making my own food though, and safer.

[sippysippyissy]

I can eat out if I avoid foods that are the "cliché" foods when it comes to food poisoning. That means no chicken, no rice and I think I'm ok.
Or do what I do, eat vegetarian meals when you eat out! Some of it is lovely after all. Or, lamb or beef etc, and nothing too rich! That's why italian food is my favourite.

[CMM811]

I dont eat out often at all, mainly when we travel. I prefer to cook actually for many reasons, it's healthier, my family sits down together and I know the food is ok lol! Though I quit eating fast food over 8 years ago and have no regrets!

[stopthissong]

I like eating at home much more than at restaurants purely because I don't have to worry much. Although the pleasure of not having to cook your own meal can be nice, and enjoying a night out with friends or loved ones with good food is also a really nice thing. Just depends how anxious I am really!

[Dxxr]

Sippysippyissi - no rice? Is rice prone to food poisoning?

I prefer to to make my own food too I rarely eat out but lately we seem to be getting takeaways on a Friday amd Saturday evening because we just can't be bothered to cook after working all week Chinese, dominos, mc Donald's - I need to stop this lol

[acarl5]

I have a really hard time eating out. I actually only usually take a few bites. It's a problem especially if I travel. I lose weight quickly and usually feel absolutely terrible because I am not eating that much. I just don't trust it- I even have a hard time eating at other peoples houses because I don't know how they have prepared the food. I never eat at potlucks and def not buffets. People think I am crazy... maybe they are right.

[Dairyfreelife]

Depends on why you are not eating out. Most people prefer home-cooked to eating out just because it is much cheaper and they enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with that. It is wrong when you are not eating out because of a phobia. It will ruin you. I used to be that way for years and I regret it. I now go out and eat and I do avoid some things because of the risk of fp or because I do not like or cannot eat them. I do not mind cooking though. I just also enjoy hanging out with friends and family and my bf and that includes eating out. I like to visit places and eating out is involved. It is fine to not eat out much or at all, but if it is out of fear and preventing you from enjoying time with friends and family or keeping you from advancing at work because you don't go out to the dinners they provide, then that is a serious problem.

[Syrup]

Was going to say the same as DairyFree. Well said, friend! It's never ok to say you don't want to do something and then begin to stack the reasons that you're not doing it rather than admitting to yourself that you're not doing it because you're scared. You need to face the fear head on if that's the reason. The sooner the better.