Restaurant's Food - Advantage And Disadvantage

Eating out at a restaurant has almost become a norm for every celebration.Be it anniversary, birthday or a promotion at workplace everybody seeks an excuse to go out with friends or family and have a scrumptious meal that amplifies the spirit of the special occasion. Of course the frequency of eating restaurant food depends a lot on the socio-economic status, geographic location and the life stage. However it is needless to say that Millennials are more inclined towards eating restaurant food than their preceding Baby boomers and the principal reason for this is “ease of access”. Budget and high-end restaurants are thriving in the nooks and corners of big cities while their small town counterparts are riding on the popularity of dhabas, small eateries and big restaurants slowly making inroads.According to asurveyby Franchise India,34% of the people eat out two to three times a week, while 27% eat once a week,about 11% eat three or more times a week, 12% eat once a month, 3% eat on special occasions, while 12% love to eat daily at a restaurant.

The figures are even more staggering in the US market.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2013 and 2016, 36% of adult Americans consumed fast food on any given day. That’s one of three Americans eating a meal at fast-food eateries such as McDonald’s, Burger King or KFC.

With food delivery apps coming into foray, ordering restaurant food has become a cakewalk and a go-to solution for young working professionals who like to get crunchy burgers, fries. pizzas and even delicious food bowls delivered in no time within the comfort of their homes. But however tasty and convenient restaurant food might sound it also has many disadvantages.Here are a few advantages and disadvantages of restaurant food

Advantages
1.Nocookingathome: Times are changing, families are becoming smaller and women are no longer confined within the 4 walls of a kitchen room, as more and more number if women are going out for work, the time and skill required for cooking are diminishing. Even though some of us still believe in indulging guests with a home-cooked spread, we resort to ordering not just for get togethers but also at times when we wish to have good food minus the hassle.

2.Tryingforeigncuisine: With the rise of the restaurant going population in the 70s when the well-off people started going out for a meal at a fine dining restaurant, they started developing a taste for exotic flavours which were surely not attainable in home-cooked Indian dish. While visiting a foreign country can be a costly affair, getting a taste of its cuisine is not. Various exotic cuisines like Vietnamese, Japanese etc have found their way in Indian metro cities and have got appreciation from food lovers who are always ready to explore

3.InnovativefusionFood: The Indian cuisine has been highly influenced by many foreign cuisines with the consecutive reigns of Persians, Afghans and Britishers. Biryanis, kebabs and lots more have been the trademark of Mughal cuisine. With modernisation of Indian food and influx of multicuisine restaurantsfusion food has gained popularity. Some of the most popular cuisines like Chinese, Italian or Mexican have their own Indianised versions easily available in restaurants and cafes across the country, not only do the suit the taste of Indians but have also encouraged chefs and restaurant owners to introduce various innovative fusion dishes. Hence over the years many such dishes have been made available and popularised in the Indian food marketthat are here to stay.

4.Carrying the legacy of food:Your grandmother might have cooked a dish which was so delicious that the taste still lingers in your mouth, but perhaps the recipe is now lost in oblivion, because either nobody knows the intricate details and the ingredients or may be the process was so painstakingly tough that in today’s time and age it cannot be done. But there are some boutique restaurants which have preserved the legacy of such native cuisines. The taste might vary a bit but it surely remind you of your grandmother.

5.Economicgrowthofcountry: As more Indians are slowly adapting the idea of eating in restaurants, eating out is no longer reserved merely for special occasions. Thanks to growing wages, urbanization and technology’s influence on food habits, foodservice sales in this country of USD 1.3 billion are growing at about 10% annually (making it one of the fastest-growing in the world). This growth is double the rate expected for the much more mature U.S. restaurant industry, and with a population quadruple the size. All told, between 2013 and 2021, the Indian restaurant market is projected to double. Hence it can be said that the more we eat out, the more we help in the growth of India’s GDP.

Disadvantages
1.Compromise on quality: The commercialisation of food has led to the use of low quality ingredients for example oil, wheat meat etc. which can be dangerous if consumed on a regular basis. Plus only a few restaurants have live kitchens so it impossible to inspect and supervise how the food is being prepared and whether hygiene standards have been maintained or not. The food cooked with love may not have a restaurant-like taste but is far safer to consume than the food cooked for mass consumption. Restaurant chains like KFC, Mcdonald’setc have often been accused of using low quality meat which does not even meet the basic health standards

2.Healthproblems: Sedentary lifestyle plus junk food is a dangerous cocktail for health diseases. Sitting in front of a laptop in office and grabbing a burger with extra cheese and a bottle of Coke sounds very convenient. But consuming fast food on a regular basis can have long term effects on health and can lead to various health conditions like diabetes, thyroid etc in both kids and adults. Food like greasy burgers, fries and pizzas are high on calorie content and can increase blood sugar levels leading to obesity and heart diseases