Eating Out and Packaged Foods

We don’t go out to dinner often at all here. It is way more expensive than in the U.S. where going out to dinner is a way of life. A few weeks ago we went to one of the pizza chains in the UK and we each had one drink (non-alcoholic) and then individual style pizza and the bill was the equivalent of about $66.00. Last week while in Chicago we picked up a carry-out pizza from one of the great local places and it fed all four of us and we had leftovers for $25.00. That’s fine though because we need to eat at home more than we did in the U.S.

All the grocery store chains in the UK have at least two aisles devoted to heat and eat stuff that ranges from chili con carne and rice to fancy meat and veggie dishes. All of the packaging says things like “good as going to a restaurant”. So is the amount of packaged food directly linked to the cost of going out to eat here? It seems to be since they both offer convenience. The packaged stuff seems very expensive to us but it does pale in comparison to going out for a meal.

We went out to an Italian restaurant on Thursday for dinner. To be healthy I ordered a beautiful salmon salad that had greens, asparagus, green beans and some cherry tomato underneath. It was beautiful, but it was so healthy and not so filling that I felt like a vulture staring at A’s quattro formaggi pizza, waiting for her to say that she was done so I could have a piece. She did offer me a piece since this particular restaurant used gorgonzola as one of the “formaggi”, which is not her cup of tea. Still trying to eat healthy, but right now it is not easy.