Do you avoid salads/ salad bars at restaurants?

[Anonymous]

I travel a lot with work so eat out a lot. The apple slices and listeria outbreak got me thinking about eating raw fruits and vegetables at restaurants. I would guess its actually as much of a risk as lunch meat is. I don't find it a hardship to avoid lunch meat since I rarely eat it anyway, but I eat a lot of raw fruits and veggies (like melon with breakfast and salads or salad bars for lunch). If it was only once in a while, I guess it wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm on the road for work up to 10 days a month.

Think the benefits of eating healthy food outweighs the listeria risks?

[Anonymous]

I like the salad bars...

But my brother, who once used to have to stock the salad bar at a steakhouse, avoids them like the plague.

Ignorance is bliss.

[Anonymous]

No, I do not avoid raw fruit and vegetables. The paranoia is getting out of control, IMO.

[Anonymous]

This is actually interesting - I was (unexpectedly) at a huge buffet restaurant this weekend and was totally skeeved out by the meat and other warm food that had been sitting out and went right for the salad without a thought.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the place. Which I know is naive as they are probably all gross. I used to eat at the salad bar at the safeway in my building all the time but I swear ever since I got pregnant just looking at it grosses me out. However, I have convinced myself that the whole foods salad bar is ok. Im really not much of a stickler though for the whole pregnancy food regulations ( as I am about to go eat some raw tuna at Ceiba in about an hour).

[Anonymous]

I only eat raw veggies and fruit that I have prepared and washed well. I dont eat it out at restaurants, just to be safe. In fact, I dont eat out much now that I am pregnant b/c you have no control over what you are eating, restaurant food has massive sodium. And like PP, i get grossed out by salad bars, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not avoid raw fruit and vegetables. The paranoia is getting out of control, IMO.

+1000000. If you live by the same logic that causes you to avoid all salads unless you've washed them yourself, you probably shouldn't bother leaving the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not avoid raw fruit and vegetables. The paranoia is getting out of control, IMO.

+1000000. If you live by the same logic that causes you to avoid all salads unless you've washed them yourself, you probably shouldn't bother leaving the house.

this is not true! I go out to eat once a week, at least! There are so many other things to choose from off the menu! And there is nothing wrong with washing and eating your own veggies and fruits at home for 9 months just to be safe. It's only for 9 months, people, it's not for the rest of your life!

[Anonymous]

I won't eat at buffets or from salad bars, whether or not I'm pregnant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I won't eat at buffets or from salad bars, whether or not I'm pregnant.

Same here! they are just gross!

[Anonymous]

I eat a salad pretty much every day in summer.

Salad bars in general gross me out, less for the listeria risk than the sneezing or whatever else they're exposed to. I would just order a salad in a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

If I eat from salad bars or buffets, I try my best to go super early -- before it's been sitting out too long or been touched by too many people. This is when pregnant or not.

Because that dude you just saw pick his nose in the car next to you and the lady you saw leave the bathroom without washing her hands are probably also eating at the buffet/salad bar, too...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not avoid raw fruit and vegetables. The paranoia is getting out of control, IMO.

+1000000. If you live by the same logic that causes you to avoid all salads unless you've washed them yourself, you probably shouldn't bother leaving the house.

this is not true! I go out to eat once a week, at least! There are so many other things to choose from off the menu! And there is nothing wrong with washing and eating your own veggies and fruits at home for 9 months just to be safe. It's only for 9 months, people, it's not for the rest of your life!

And is 9 months that you are denying your growing baby healthy fruits and vegetables!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not avoid raw fruit and vegetables. The paranoia is getting out of control, IMO.

+1000000. If you live by the same logic that causes you to avoid all salads unless you've washed them yourself, you probably shouldn't bother leaving the house.

this is not true! I go out to eat once a week, at least! There are so many other things to choose from off the menu! And there is nothing wrong with washing and eating your own veggies and fruits at home for 9 months just to be safe. It's only for 9 months, people, it's not for the rest of your life!

I agree. Avoiding a salad bar doesn't equal avoiding raw fruit and veggies. And I do think that salad bars are inherently unsanitary. I do eat there when I'm not pregnant, but when I'm pregnant - no way. That said, I envy people who can be so relaxed and not worry.

[Anonymous]

Buffets are not gross. Of course I hope everyone washes their hands and that disgusting things do not happen. For my own precaution while there, I do avoid touching my face and use hand sanitizer when I feel I need to. Have never become sick from going to buffets.