Is it bad to eat takeout every day? The health, financial, and mental risks

November 18, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, adults who eat meals prepared away from home frequently have a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality. This raises a critical question for many modern households: is it bad to eat takeout every day? The reality is that a daily takeout habit can be detrimental to your well-being in more ways than one, impacting your physical health, financial stability, and mental state.

Quick Summary

Eating takeout every day can lead to significant negative health outcomes like weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes due to excessive calories, fat, and sodium. It also drains your finances, reduces nutritional intake, and may negatively affect your mental health. Prioritizing home-cooked meals offers a healthier, more cost-effective, and emotionally rewarding alternative.

Key Points

Health Risks: Daily takeout can lead to significant health problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease due to excessive unhealthy fats, sodium, and calories.
Nutrient Deficiency: Restaurant food often lacks the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in home-cooked meals, leading to nutrient deficiencies over time.
Financial Strain: Ordering takeout daily is substantially more expensive than cooking at home, putting a consistent and significant strain on your budget.
Mental Health Impact: High consumption of processed and fatty foods found in takeout can be linked to negative mental health effects, including increased risk of depression.
Hidden Ingredients: When you eat out, you have little control over ingredients, which can include hidden sugars, excessive salt, and preservatives that compromise the nutritional quality.
Behavioral Habits: The convenience of takeout can foster a dependence that erodes cooking skills and reinforces impulsive or emotional eating patterns.
Better Alternatives: Simple strategies like meal planning, batch cooking, and stocking your pantry can make cooking at home a healthier, more affordable, and less stressful alternative.

The Serious Health Risks of Daily Takeout

While the occasional takeout meal offers convenience, a daily diet of restaurant food poses numerous health threats. Most commercial meals, especially from fast-food and casual dining chains, are designed for maximum palatability, which typically means they are loaded with ingredients that drive up calories and compromise nutrition.

High in Unhealthy Ingredients

Restaurant and takeout food is notoriously high in calories, saturated and trans fats, sugar, and sodium, and low in essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This imbalance can have immediate and long-term effects on your body. For example, the high sodium content can cause fluid retention and increase blood pressure, putting stress on your cardiovascular system. Over time, this can lead to serious conditions like hypertension, heart disease, and kidney damage. Similarly, high amounts of refined carbohydrates and added sugars can cause rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and contributing to weight gain.

The Link to Weight Gain and Obesity

Eating takeout frequently is strongly linked to weight gain and obesity. Restaurant portions are often significantly larger than a single, healthy serving, leading to overeating. A study found that restaurant entrees contained an average of 1,128 calories—more than half the recommended daily intake for an adult. This caloric excess, combined with a sedentary lifestyle often associated with convenience eating, creates a perfect storm for weight problems.

The Connection to Mental and Digestive Health

Beyond physical ailments, regular takeout can impact your mental and digestive health. Some studies suggest a correlation between a diet high in processed, takeout foods and an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Additionally, the low fiber content of many takeout options can disrupt your digestive system, leading to issues like constipation and poor gut health. The psychological component of eating takeout is also worth considering, as convenience-driven choices can be tied to stress or emotional eating patterns.

The Financial and Psychological Toll

Comparing Home-Cooked Meals and Takeout


Feature	Home-Cooked Meals	Takeout/Restaurant Meals
Cost	Significantly lower per meal. Ingredients bought in bulk save money.	Often 3-5 times more expensive per meal due to markups, delivery fees, and tips.
Nutritional Control	Complete control over ingredients, portion sizes, and cooking methods.	Limited control. Dishes may contain hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and excessive sodium.
Preparation Time	Requires active time for cooking, but often more efficient with meal planning.	Immediate convenience. Saves time on shopping, cooking, and cleaning in the short term.
Health Impact	Associated with healthier diets, weight control, and lower risk of chronic diseases.	High risk of excessive calories, fat, and sodium; linked to obesity and heart disease.
Psychological Impact	Can reduce stress and improve mental well-being by providing a sense of control and accomplishment.	Can reinforce impulsive and emotional eating habits, potentially contributing to mental stress.

The Hidden Costs of Convenience

On the surface, ordering takeout seems cheap and easy, but the costs quickly add up. A single takeout order costs far more than the same meal prepared at home, and these expenses balloon into a substantial financial burden over time. This can strain personal budgets and divert money from other important goals, like savings or investments. Meal prepping, on the other hand, is a proven strategy for saving both time and money.

The Habit-Forming Cycle

The convenience of takeout can lead to a cycle of dependence. Stressful days or a lack of energy can make the thought of cooking overwhelming, pushing you toward the easiest option. Over time, this can erode your cooking skills and create a reliance on external food sources. The high-fat, high-sugar content in many commercial foods can also be psychologically addictive, making it harder to break the habit. Breaking this cycle requires conscious effort, but the rewards for your health and finances are significant.

Strategies for Reducing Takeout

Changing a daily takeout habit can feel daunting, but a few simple strategies can help you regain control. Start small and build momentum over time to make home cooking a manageable and rewarding part of your routine.

Plan your meals weekly: Dedicate a short period each week to planning your meals. This prevents last-minute, hunger-driven impulse orders.
Stock your pantry and freezer: Keep staples like rice, pasta, canned beans, frozen vegetables, and easy proteins on hand. This ensures you can whip up a quick meal even on the busiest days.
Cook in batches: Prepare larger quantities of food on the weekend to have healthy, ready-to-heat meals throughout the week. This makes home-cooked food as convenient as takeout.
Find quick and easy recipes: Don't feel pressure to cook gourmet meals every night. Focus on simple, satisfying 15-minute recipes for busy evenings.
Identify your triggers: Recognize the situations that lead you to order takeout, such as stress or fatigue. Addressing these underlying issues is key to changing your behavior.

Conclusion

While the appeal of daily takeout is understandable in a fast-paced world, the long-term consequences for your health, wallet, and well-being are substantial. The elevated levels of unhealthy fats, sodium, and calories in most restaurant meals can lead to chronic health issues, while the consistent financial drain can strain your budget. By re-engaging with home cooking through simple meal planning and preparation, you can take back control of your health and finances. It is far from harmless to eat takeout every day; it's a practice that carries significant, avoidable risks. Making a conscious shift toward more frequent home-cooked meals is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for your overall wellness.

Note: For those struggling with changing eating habits, consulting a registered dietitian or nutritionist can provide personalized guidance. Consider visiting the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for resources and to find a professional in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eating takeout every day significantly increases your intake of unhealthy fats, sodium, and calories, which can lead to weight gain, obesity, and a higher risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Yes, eating takeout daily is a major drain on your finances. The cost of a single takeout meal is often several times higher than preparing a similar meal at home, and these expenses accumulate rapidly over time.

While some takeout options can be healthier than others, most commercial food is higher in calories, fat, and sodium than meals prepared at home. You also have less control over the specific ingredients and portion sizes, even with 'healthy' labeled options.

You can reduce your takeout habit by meal planning, stocking your pantry with staples, batch cooking on weekends, and finding quick and easy recipes for busy weeknights. Identifying the triggers that lead you to order takeout is also helpful.

Yes, frequent consumption of fast food and processed meals has been linked to negative mental health outcomes, including an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Emotional eating patterns can also be reinforced by relying on convenience food.

Yes, restaurant and takeout portion sizes are often significantly larger than a standard healthy serving. When you cook at home, you have complete control over your portion sizes, which is crucial for managing weight.

Cooking at home offers better nutritional control, costs significantly less, and can lead to a healthier diet with a lower risk of chronic disease. It also provides a sense of accomplishment and can be a source of stress relief.