🍴How Many Meals Eaten Out Is “Too Many”?

Hi! I’m back this week with a fresh blog. Yes, life is still as busy as ever, but I'm really excited to share this one. It’s inspired by a study I covered in my Biostats class (Hi Dr. N!) that looked at health and eating out.

If I may, before we dive in, I'd like to clarify something: in the field of nutrition, there’s so much information out there. Unfortunately, studies can sometimes be exaggerated, sensationalized, or misrepresented on media platforms or within the scientific community. (Remember the purposely bogus “chocolate helps weight loss” study?)

My goal here is different; it isn’t to tell you what to do or how to think, but to provide you with informative, research-based insights that you can take what you want from. I want to break down complex research, remove the fluff, and start honest conversations about what the science actually says and interpret its meaning.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to the study.

Why This Topic Matters

For those who know me, you already know: I LOVE cooking. But I also LOVE eating out—takeout nights and quick lunches on the go are part of real life. They’re convenient, social, and sometimes the only way to keep up with a busy schedule. But here’s the big question: how often is too often?

⚠️ Quick Disclaimer

The information I share here is for educational purposes only. I cannot assess, diagnose, or treat medical conditions. If you need medical advice, please consult your healthcare provider.

What the Study Looked At

Study Title: Food Away from Home Frequency, Diet Quality, and Health: Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES Data 2011–2018 (Noh & Rhee, 2022)

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 15,000 U.S. adults (ages 20–65) using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

They compared two groups:

Group 1

≤ 2 meals per week prepared away from home

Group 2

> 2 meals per week prepared away from home

They then scored diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) and checked weight, waist circumference, and blood markers.

What They Found...

• Diet quality dropped with more meals eaten out—especially for fruits, veggies/beans, whole grains, and sugar.

• Weight & waist differences: Women who ate out more often had slightly higher BMI and larger waist measurements.

• Men showed less difference: Their weight and waist outcomes weren’t significantly affected.

• Bloodwork was similar: Cholesterol and other labs didn’t differ much between groups.

Strengths of the Study

✅ Large, nationally representative sample—findings apply broadly to U.S. adults.
✅ Used a validated tool (HEI-2015) to measure diet quality.
✅ Adjusted for demographic factors like age, sex, income, and education.

Weaknesses to Keep in Mind

⚠️ Cross-sectional snapshot—can’t prove cause and effect.
⚠️ Relied on one 24-hour food recall—not the full picture of someone’s usual diet.
⚠️ Didn’t include snacks prepared away from home—so eating out may be underestimated.
⚠️ Some findings were statistically significant but small—so not all differences may matter in daily life.

Everyday Significance

The takeaway isn’t “eating out is bad.” It’s that more than two meals out per week can potentially tilt your diet toward fewer nutrient-rich foods and lower overall diet quality. This doesn’t prove that eating out causes weight gain—but it suggests that frequent meals out make it harder to meet healthy eating goals. With some thoughtful swaps, you can still enjoy meals out while keeping your health goals in check.

Final Thought

This study tells us what many of us know: home-cooked meals tend to align better with healthy eating patterns. But life is busy, social, and full of real-world pressures. Instead of aiming for “never eat out,” let’s focus on making meals—whether at home or away—work for us in the best way possible.

💬 What do you think? How often do you eat out, and do you notice it affecting how you feel?

Until next time. Take Care!

-Adrienne

📖 Reference (for transparency lovers like me!):
Noh, S., & Rhee, M. (2022). Food away from home frequency, diet quality, and health: Cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data 2011–2018. Nutrients, 14(16), 3386. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163386