Dining hall eating tips for teens

Your favorite eating place might give you stomach troubles with compliments of the chef. Here are the do’s and the absolutely don’ts behind eating out.

We all have a favorite place away from home. A place where you can ‘chill’ or hang out with your gang of friends. Depending on the state of your pocket you choose whether to have a full feast or go stingy and share a cup of coffee between 3.

At some point even the friendly café owner glares at you if you just hang around and not place an order. So you make do with a plate of greasy fries and a coke, or maybe cup of tea hoping the crowd will thin out and the owner will allow you to use his wifi for your play station.

Again, maybe pocket money isn’t your worry at all and nothing short of McDonald’s or KFC will do for your everyday dietary needs. Wow! Lucky you! Let’s face it!

You do spend more time away from home as you have college to attend or late evening classes and field assignments and dates and friends to meet …things to do…miles to go before you can sleep! And just to read your thoughts- “How uncool to have breakfast with the family, ewww!”

Right? You could be just a little wrong there. Here are a few things you can do about the food that you have outside your home (which is like every minute, every hour!)

1. Breakfast is the most important meal and you should try having it at home as much as possible. You could have early morning tuitions or college. In that case many teens make it a habit of skipping that one meal that can make a difference to your health. So you have breakfast outside, well then at least make sure you have it at a clean cafeteria or food stall. Yes even a road side eatery can have steaming hot idlis or hotdogs or sandwiches (Depending on what part of the world you are at.) Ensure that it isn’t near an open gutter or stagnant water as that can get your stomach troubles and infections like nothing else can. If you are having a sandwich make sure that the vendor uses fresh bread and the fillings whether salad or meat cuts are fresh. Avoid spice and chilli pickle early in the morning.
2. If you are at a hotel or restaurant make sure that it is certified ‘B’ grade at least for your sake. Some eating places have lovely decors but their kitchens are absolutely deplorable. While we don’t suggest you demand a round of the kitchens, you can certainly ask around before stepping in. Sometimes restaurants make do with leftovers, so before popping food in your mouth make sure it is served hot. (Rule doesn’t apply for desserts, of course!) At first suspicion something doesn’t taste right, point it out to the guy behind the counter, as he may be completely unaware of what his chef is up to.
3. We are often forced to eat at railway counters or delicatessens. While we may not have much choice there, at least make sure you don’t have food which is out in the open or infested with flies. At least ask for a cooked dish if you can’t avoid it. Ensure that you eat at a place where the food behind the counter is being served hygienically i.e. with gloves and the proper implements. This could lead to major contamination through touch.
4. Avoid greasy and oily foods while eating outside. Opt for salads or greens, a serving of rice and curry instead of hamburgers and fries if this is your first visit to that particular restaurant. Have soups, salad sandwiches, tofu, grilled chicken dishes as they are a much better option over fast food.

Honestly there is no place like home when it comes to the healthiest possible outcome from meals.