A woman on TikTok revealed the real reason restaurants serve complimentary food like bread or chips and salsa before meals—and no, it's not because they're aware of the joy carbs bring us, sadly.
TikToker @cowgirl.crystal took to the platform to explain how restaurants trick us into ordering more food by bringing us the aforementioned starters beforehand.
The creator began her video by asking:
"Have you ever wondered why restaurants give you a bowl of bread or chips before your dinner?"
She continued, shattering our ideas of these establishments' true intentions:
"It's not because they want you to fill up on their free stuff."
"It is because you will spend more money."
The TikToker elaborated:
"When you sit down, they hand you the menu, they hand you a bowl of bread or some chips and salsa or something, and it's not because they're being generous."
"It is because you will spend more money."
If we're filling up on the free stuff first, how could this possibly be?
Well, @cowgirl.crystal enlightened us.
"When you're looking at that menu, you're eating the bread or the chips, biologically what happens when you eat that bread or those chips, your glucose spikes, so you get really hungry."
"So you ordered the food, then they bring you more bread and more chips, and then they bring you the dessert menu."
We see where this is going, and we've been such fools.
Thankfully, the TikToker offered some advice to keep us from making the same mistakes over and over.
"So, when you go, fill up on fiber first..."
"Get some veggies, some zucchini or some fried pickles are a better start."
"You're getting some fiber."
She finished with a little encouragement, which we could all use at this stage of our new learning.
"You've got this!"
You can watch below.
Several viewers of the video claimed the ploy has a different effect on them.
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A few commented that they believed restaurants offered the complimentary carbs to keep us from noticing how long it takes our orders to come out.
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And some don't care either way.
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Many viewers also appreciated the info.
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Well, now we know. Fill up on fiber first.
We'll do our best...
@jessicachastain/Instagram
