Most modern families see almost all members being the breadwinners of the family. With work pressure and long work commute, it is indeed a...
Most modern families see almost all members being the breadwinners of the family. With work pressure and long work commute, it is indeed a challenge to strike the right work-life balance. In such a situation, spending the little time you manage with your family takes priority over cooking and cleaning.
The combined effect of all of this had led us to order in more often than in the past when this trend was restricted to bachelors alone. While this is a welcome trend, there are a few things that you must keep in mind if you order food regularly.
12 Things You Should Know Before Order Food at Home Online
1. Order before you starve
When you are ravenously hungry, you tend to overestimate your hunger. Not only do you end up ordering more than what you can eat, but you go for fast food options that deliver unhealthy food quickly.
Most delivery services in the US, such as New York, Oakland or Los Angeles food delivery services take more time to prepare healthier options on their menu, so place your order before reaching the peak of hunger.
2. Do not eat out of containers
When you order food from a restaurant, you may feel tempted to eat it straight out of the container. Often, the portion size of restaurants is more significant than your regular intake, and you do not realize that while eating straight out of the container.
Transferring the contents to your regular dining plate will allow you to control your calorie intake by sticking to your usual portion size.
3. Ordering in for kids
If you let your kids pick up a dish for themselves from the menu, it will take them ages to decide to leave you frustrated. An easy way to tackle this would be by opting for a restaurant that has a kid’s menu. Ideally, meals off the kid’s menu provide a more balanced nutritional intake and have a smaller portion size.
Choose two or three items from such a menu that you think your child will like and then give them the freedom of choice. This will not only bring down the time required to place an order, but it will also increase the chances of your child liking what they ordered.
4. Think over your drink
Most of the time, we do not order food without a beverage to it. Most online delivery services encourage the sale of sugar-sweetened drinks that have negligible nutritional value. Take due attention and order fat-free milk, water, or unsweetened tea or coffee.
5. Choose your food delivery service provider
Most service providers all over America, such as Oakland food services or New York food delivery services, offer some form of discount to their loyal customers.
Do some research on which food delivery service caters the best to your locality and start ordering from it. By not making a switch between the different service providers, you will earn their loyalty, and the same will usher in monetary gains for you.
6. Choose a suitable credit card
Many credit cards give good reward points or cash back offers when you choose a particular food delivery partner. Find out which credit card offers you the maximum benefits. Try to enroll in suitable reward programs to get the maximum discount out of your daily ordering.
7. Ask for weekly or monthly plans
Many restaurants or food delivery service providers offer special discounts to people who opt for regular meals. Many food delivery partners provide excellent discounts on pre-paid orders.
8. Be mindful of your orders
Regular ordering of food need not be at the cost of your health if you are a little cautious. Avoid crunchy, cheesy, crispy items as they are high in saturated fats. Instead, choose the grilled, marinara, roasted or baked items off the menu. Wherever possible, go for fruits or steamed vegetables.
9. Choose your sides carefully
Most restaurants offer one the option of taking the dressings and sauces on the sides. Specifically, ask the restaurant for this choice if your food ordering app does not prompt you to make a choice. That way, you will be able to control your calorie intake and keep a tab on how much cheese and saturated fats you are consuming.
10. Opt for bulk ordering
If you and your flatmates order from the same restaurant regularly, try to arrange a setup wherein you order together. That way, the restaurant saves on having to make multiple trips to the same place. To reward you for such gestures, most restaurants have the practice of giving special discounts to regular bulk orders.
11. Be clear with your directions
As a customer, you must make sure that the process of delivery is as simple as possible for the delivery person. Be lucid with the directions of your delivery location and include relevant references.
If there is anything specific that you would want the delivery agent to know (such as the presence of dogs in your compound or if you want them to knock instead of ringing the bell), make sure that the same is mentioned at the time of placing the order.
12. Tip the delivery person
It is general courtesy to tip the person who brings you your food. However, if they bring you the food in situations that are more challenging than usual (snow, rain, hailstorm, etc.), make sure you tip them a little extra for the effort.
While you may choose to tip them in the food delivery app itself, most delivery agents do not mind being paid in cash. People who order in regularly need to realize that as much as it is the responsibility of the delivery agent to get the food to you, you have to make sure that the act is not too difficult for them.
Clear snow off the lawns and keep your pets indoors when you are expecting your delivery. Most delivery apps show you the estimated time of arrival of your food. Plan accordingly to ensure that you (or someone else) is at home at the stipulated time to pick up the parcel.
In case that is not possible, leave clear instructions on where the delivery agent should leave your food.
Conclusion:
As you can see, ordering food in need not necessarily be an unhealthy choice. With a little caution, you can plan your orders in a way that your body gets the nutrition it deserves without giving your taste buds a hard time.
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