I have officially given up eating out.

Let’s rewind to the day it started…

I recently read a book, “The Art of Eating In” by Cathy Erway, and was amazed at this woman’s story.  Living in New York, (where they sell homes without kitchens, eating out’s so common) Erway had grown tired of the same, sub-par food she ate in some restaurants. So, she challenged herself and her way of life by deciding to not eat out. And she succeeded. For two years.

The results were remarkable. She broadened her culinary horizons. From freeganism to cook-offs, dinner clubs to dating without restaurants, Erway essentially learned an entirely new lifestyle and gained a shiny new perspective. She also inspired me to try it out.

Mind you, there are guidelines to this challenge. For instance, even Erway ate out if she wasn’t in her home town or her parents’ home town. If she couldn’t cook a meal for herself due to location, she ate out. She also allowed herself to eat out if her boss catered/treated her to lunch. She still had to maintain a happy workplace environment. 

But that was it. Save for a couple exceptions, she made it.

I can’t say whether or not I’ll make it two years without eating out, but I’m sure going to go about this with this goal in mind: I want to stop eating out in order to push the limit of my pantry. I want to learn new cooking techniques, how to use new ingredients, and how to pay attention to what goes into my body.

Bentos will certainly help me with this goal. They’re an easy way to pack a lunch rather than running to McDonald’s anytime I’m hungry.

I’m still working on the rules I’m setting for myself. Look out for that post later this week. So far, I have lasted 3 days without eating out. Lets see where this takes me.

-K