Think Somebody Took a Bite Out of Your Takeout Order? 28% of the Time You May Be Right

There are nights when takeout is definitely called for. Days when you get home and there is nothing in the fridge besides condiments and a carton of oat milk, family movie nights when the only dinner everyone can agree on is a large pizza from the place down the street, when a craving for that very specific grain bowl from your favorite vegan place hits. These are the nights when only delivery will do.

But just in case you order in on the reg, there's a little something you might want to be aware of. Just a minor detail, really. Okay, here it goes: Roughly one quarter of the time you place an order through an app, someone might be sneaking a bite of your food, according to survey conducted by foodservice distributor US Foods. Of the 497 people surveyed who have worked as a food deliverer (for apps such as UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates), 28 percent admitted to "taking food" en route.

Gross? Um, yeah. But the number actually shows some willpower: deliverers said they're tempted by the food they're delivering 54 percent of the time. Before you lose your cool, remember that customers aren't perfect either. We're not excusing the consumption of a few french fries from your order, but when it comes to tipping, 60 percent of deliverers said customers either didn't tip or didn't tip enough.

The survey also addressed the concerns of 1,518 American adults who have used food delivery apps, and they're no fools: 21 suspected that someone might have tampered with their food prior to delivery, and 17 percent reported consistent dissatisfaction with the freshness of takeout meals.

Does this mean you should never ever order takeout? Of course not. Takeout is definitely getting healthier. But if you're ordering something you could easily make yourself in about 25 minutes—aka the time it take to actually get your food—you might want to just save a few bucks. And hey, if a few bites go missing on your way from the kitchen to the dining room, at least you know it's you doing it.

Now that you're inspired to cook more, check out these meals that can be made in less than 10 minutes. And join Well+Good's Cook With Us Facebook group for more recipe ideas and cooking hacks.