Are you careful where you buy food?

Recently there was spotlight given to a new trend in which lunches were being offered to customers at the very low price of $100. These types of boxed lunches usually consists of simple fare such as chicken back or mackerel and rice. The low cost of those items make it suitable for quick sales at a reduced price.

Are you interested in these types of lunches?

Well the cost is a huge factor that would attract customers since most restaurants offer a cooked meal between $300 -$500 depending on the choice of dish. Certainly everyone is trying to save money and cutting down your food bill would certainly be one way of ensuring that you have some money in your pocket at the end of the month.

Factors to Consider

Of course cost is not the only thing to consider when purchasing food.  The quality of the meal is also very important. However, besides taste there are other factors to consider.

Site of food preparation

It’s important that you know where your food is being prepared. The kitchen should be properly equipped with areas for staff handling the meals to wash their hands and meat should be properly stored. Customers are not usually given a tour of the kitchen but you can have an idea of the cleanliness of  the kitchen by the look of the general area of the restaurant.

If you notice that the dining area of the restaurant is dirty then there is a good chance that the areas that you can’t see are also unkempt. Obviously be on the guard for bugs or vermin as they are a sign that the eatery has issues.

One way to decide if food is being prepared in a clean environment is to be observant. Are the dishes or boxes in which the food is served dirty? If so that’s a red flag. Any utensils offered to you should also be clean.

Talk to the staff

I always take the time to have conversations with the staff at restaurants.  I ask them what is their favourite dish or what they would recommend.  I am always disappointed if they admit they have never eaten there and so have no idea of what anything on the menu tastes like and so can not offer an opinion.

Especially if they have worked there for years without sampling the dishes, you might consider eating somewhere else. Although they might not say it, they might have good reason for choosing to eat elsewhere.

I have even spoken to such honest staff members who tell me to avoid a particular dish because it wasn’t  ‘freshly’ prepared. I certainly appreciated that as behind the glass of the display case the item had not looked stale.

So how do you decide where to buy your food? Leave a comment below.

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: food preparation, restaurant, save money