Where do you eat?

Do you have a set location in your house that you eat or does it vary?

Do you eat out, perhaps at work, cafés, restaurants or in the cinema where you might be eating with others?

Do you eat alone? Do you prefer to eat with others or alone?

Do you find some places more conducive to having a meal - when at a restaurant or café, would you feel comfortable if your table was outside, near the toilet or beside a window?

I have a list below of places that might be relevant to you, but I know that there are many more.

In a café

In a restaurant

At home

At work

At a desk

At a bowling alley

At a dining table

Train station bench

Park bench

Sitting on the ground/ in the garden

In bed

In the bathroom/ toilet

On the beach

Beside the pool

Other people’s houses

On a tray

At a side table

Using a ‘TV dinner’ table

Whilst cooking

On the floor

With others

Alone

Cinema

Whilst people watching

Does it matter where you eat? 

As long as you are comfortable, sitting down, relaxed and hygienic (which includes not eating in the bathroom/ toilet), your body should obtain some nutrients from the food that you are eating (1).

Eating with others might be more social than eating alone (2,3). 

Eating away from home might mean a feeling of occasion, but more calories might be consumed (4) and better ‘dietary quality’ is associated with eating at home (5).

Eating at home does mean that you have more idea about what is in your food (6).

If you would like to know more, please arrange a consultation with me.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597379/?report=printable
2. Glanz K, Metcalfe JJ, Folta SC, Brown A, Fiese B. Diet and Health Benefits Associated with In-Home Eating and Sharing Meals at Home: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 7;18(4):1577. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041577. PMID: 33562357; PMCID: PMC7915304.
3. Dunbar RIM. Breaking Bread: the Functions of Social Eating. Adapt Human Behav Physiol. 2017;3(3):198-211. doi: 10.1007/s40750-017-0061-4. Epub 2017 Mar 11. PMID: 32025474; PMCID: PMC6979515.https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/downloads/Qualitative_consumer_research_Eating_out_of_home.pdf
4. Mills, S., Brown, H., Wrieden, W. et al. Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 14, 109 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0567-y
5. Ultra-Processed People - Why do we all eat stuff that isn’t food…and why can’t we stop?, 2023, Chris van Tulleken, Cornerstone Press.
6. James A, Lawrence B, O'Connor M. Healthy Eating as a New Way of Life: A Qualitative Study of Successful Long-Term Diet Change. Inquiry. 2022 Jan-Dec;59:469580221090397. doi: 10.1177/00469580221090397. PMID: 35418258; PMCID: PMC9016560.