How often do you eat takeaways?

[Freyaaaa]

I work in a pretty stressful job and often have to work overtime. Lately, I've noticed that I'm eating 4-5 takeaways a week and sticking to simple foods like sandwiches when I'm at home.

While I haven't put on weight yet (I'm still in my mid-20s). Using "Just Eat" is so easy and convenient, but I'm becoming increasingly concerned about my health.

I came to this realisation when the takeaway driver said the staff at the shop were surprised when they found out I was a female in my 20's apparently they thought I'd be a bloke in my 40's.

Now I'm too ashamed to order from them again. 😭😂

How often do you eat takeaways & how do you make time to prepare your own food?

That sounds nice! I do love M&S food! Especially their extremely chocolately milk chocolate round biscuits. 🤩

Yeah gonna be honest with you, I was 24 and 125lbs working a busy job and eating takeaways 4-5 times a week, not gaining weight and thinking it was fine. Then all of a sudden I was 29 and 225lbs. Get it under control now while you're still young and haven't gained anything yet, because getting back to 125lbs was a fuck load harder than getting up to 225 😆

I now do takeaway once a month or so. You can get meal kits like Hello Fresh which cater for 2 people and just get the ones that make leftovers and eat those for two days maybe?

Cook meals have single portion options.

Make something like a bolognese or a curry at the weekend, which you'll get lots of portions from. Keep some in the fridge for the next 2-3 days and some in the freezer.

You could also get things like fish fillets and chicken breasts that you can just pop in the oven. You can get premade mash to heat in microwave and some frozen mixed veg that will only take a few minutes to cook on the hob.

A slow cooker could be a good idea as you can just throw all the ingredients in and let it do the rest over the next 4 hours.

Most definitely less money! It sucks as when I order I'm spending a minimum of £13 due to minimum order amount and delivery

Not very often. I'm always a bit dissatisfied in them. In prefer to cook.

Try hello fresh or something like that.

If you can afford it (which you probably can if you have 20 take aways a month!) you could buy one of those ninja cookers. I have one and it's amazing. It has a setting that does quick meals and you just throw everything in and it cooks it in about 15 mins.

Other quick meals options that take less than 15 mins to cook:
Steak and veg
Burgers
Fresh pasta with jar sauce (add anything else you want)
Stir fry
Omelette
Rice with soy sauce and veg
Salad with mozzarella, tomato, chicken, salmon, whatever you like

I have a fish and chips once every two months and that's it. Although to be fair if you're ordering through just eat you're probably eating restaurant type food rather than traditional take away? I eat out once or twice a month depending on finances.

Once a year at the most. Overpriced and generally shite

That does sound interesting! The other day I ordered a Sunday roast from a carvery!! It was delicious!
However I'm going to stop it all as I just can't control it.

About once every few years.

I need to learn to cook! I hate myself as my mother is a wonderful cook! She always wanted me to help her and I refused as I thought it was boring. Aweee I wish I could take time back.

Seldom, maybe a pizza 2-3x a year. We just don't enjoy it; I'd rather have cheese, crackers and an apple here, or microwave a jacket potato. Or eat popcorn for the evening meal.

And spend my money on things that are more fun.

No need to wish you could take time back

The internet is heaving with millions of very simple cooking tutorial videos.

Give some of those a try.

Very occasionally as a treat!

My mother used a slow cooker often, made a lovely chicken casserole! I loved the smell it made throughout the kitchen.

Do you have time on Sunday to meal prep? Bake some chicken breasts and you have the basis for sandwiches, salad or warm meals.

You ordered from a carvery - what did you get? It couldn't be easier than to make a Sunday roast and have leftovers.

What do you enjoy eating?

No it's traditional takeaway food. Last week I ordered a carvery and the other orders were chicken kebabs, chips and burgers.

Thanks for the meal suggestions! I will look into them.

Not very often maybe once a month max. However this is because I live 2.5 hours away from our closet city/mcdonalds so we only have a Chinese, Indian and fish and chips which gets boring after a while. Also no food delivery apps so that extra step means we end up just grabbing a pizza from Lidl as a take away equivalent.

It was literally a Sunday roast! Lamb dinner with all the trimmings but nothing like what my mother made. I've never made a Sunday roast. I live alone so I always think what's the point.

Less than once a month. Usually it is a chippy tea.

I've never made a Sunday roast. I live alone so I always think what's the point.

The point is, you like Sunday roasts and it's a very easy meal to cook, especially for one person.

There are loads of websites where you can get good slow cooker recipes.

I was a bit late to cooking too and I tend to adapt recipes to make them a bit easier, like I might not use every single herb and spice it asks for, or sub out some of the veg for others.

For a very simple meal (not slow cooker) you can just boil up some pasta and add in a few spoons of pesto with some chicken pieces and a bit of spinach. Maybe some grated cheese on top. Or for a tomato type sauce use a carton of passata, add some garlic granules and herbs and simmer for about ten minutes.

Every couple of years. At which point I remember why I prefer my own cooking.

I do eat in restaurants or cafes averaging monthly over a year.

I don't think any takeaways are healthy

Ouch that must be pricey and really not going to be great for you in the long run health wise. We probably get a takeaway every 1-2 months mainly because quality usually poor do we prefer to cook. It’s so hard when you’re busy have you considered hello fresh/gusto type boxes , all prepared for you, but fresh has variety and all you need to do is follow the instructions ? Or just keep things simple grill fillet of sea bass or similar, salad, microwave rice ? . Tbh a simple fish finger dinner would be healthier than the takeaway !