Restaurant critics appear to have the best job in journalism, a few nights a week on someone else害羞草研究所檚 dime.

But restaurant critic Pete Wells had painted a more complicated picture. In a recent column, Wells announced he害羞草研究所檚 leaving the beat because the constant eating has led to and other health problems.

害羞草研究所淚ntellectually, it was still really stimulating, but my body started to rebel and say, 害羞草研究所楨nough is enough,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Wells told The Associated Press. 害羞草研究所淚 just had to come face to face with the reality that I can害羞草研究所檛 metabolize food the way I used to, I can害羞草研究所檛 metabolize alcohol the way I used to and I just don害羞草研究所檛 need to eat as much as I did even 10 years ago.害羞草研究所�

To write a review, usually make two or three visits to a restaurant and bring a handful of dining companions so they can taste as many dishes as possible. If has a special focus on wine or cocktails or desserts, they try those, too.

害羞草研究所淵ou have to sample the full range of the menu,害羞草研究所� said Ligaya Figueras, the senior food editor and lead dining critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 害羞草研究所淚f I really felt like a salad today, I can害羞草研究所檛 just have the salad.害羞草研究所�

Special features, like lists of the best places to get pizzas or hamburgers, may have critics eating the same fare for weeks. MacKenzie Chung Fegan, a restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, sampled all over the city for a story about a restaurant that specialized in the dish.

害羞草研究所淭here was a two-week period where I was eating more duck than anyone害羞草研究所檚 doctor would advise,害羞草研究所� Fegan said.

All that restaurant eating can take a toll. In a 2020 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found that 50% of meals at full-service U.S. restaurants 害羞草研究所� and 70% of those at 害羞草研究所� were of poor nutritional quality, according to American Heart Association guidelines. Less than 1% were of ideal quality.

Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and Tufts professor who was one of the study害羞草研究所檚 authors, said restaurant meals tend to be lower than ideal in whole grains and legumes, modestly lower in fruits and vegetables, and modestly and saturated fat.

For the period the study examined, between 2003 and 2016, the nutritional quality of food in grocery stores improved, Mozaffarian said. But restaurants didn害羞草研究所檛 make similar changes, he said.

害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 tell you how many restaurants I go to and on every person害羞草研究所檚 plate there are French fries,害羞草研究所� Mozaffarian said. 害羞草研究所淭here are not an equal and diverse array of healthy and unhealthy menu choices.害羞草研究所�

To be fair, Fegan said, diners are looking for something delicious when they go out to eat, 害羞草研究所渁nd a lot of times that means something with fat and sodium.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f I害羞草研究所檓 looking at the menu thinking, 害羞草研究所榃hat is the most exciting thing on this menu?,害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 probably not a side of broccoli rabe,害羞草研究所� she said.

Figueras deals with the challenge in several ways. On the nights she害羞草研究所檚 not dining out, she says she is 害羞草研究所渉ypervigilant害羞草研究所� and eats mostly vegetables. She plays tennis and walks her dog to stay in shape. And when she害羞草研究所檚 heading to a restaurant, she eats fruit or another healthy snack so she won害羞草研究所檛 arrive hungry.

害羞草研究所淓verything tastes good when you害羞草研究所檙e starving,害羞草研究所� she said.

Lyndsay Green, the dining and restaurants critic at the Detroit Free Press, also tries to eat healthy on her days off, getting most of her food from a . Green says she thinks menus are getting healthier. Many chefs are offering gluten-free or vegan options, she said, and are getting more creative with their .

Green thinks restaurant critics can help readers by being open about their own needs. A pregnant critic, for example, could write up a restaurant guide for other expectant parents.

害羞草研究所淣early everyone has health concerns and dietary standards, so I think it can also be our job to talk about that in our work,害羞草研究所� she said.

Wells isn害羞草研究所檛 the only restaurant critic to make a change in recent years. Adam Platt stopped covering restaurants for New York magazine in 2022, also citing the toll on his health. Wyatt Williams stopped covering restaurants for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2019, saying he had simply lost his appetite.

Fegan and Wells both noted that to have more longevity in the business. Mimi Sheraton, a former restaurant critic for The New York Times, died last year at age 97 after a six-decade career in food.

害羞草研究所淚 think if you are socialized as a woman in America, you害羞草研究所檝e already spent a lot of your time thinking about portion and weight and control,害羞草研究所� Fegan said.

Wells will file a few more reviews before stepping down in early August. He will remain with the Times. Times food writers Melissa Clark and Priya Krishna will step in as restaurant critics on an interim basis, the newspaper said.

Wells said he will continue to go to restaurants and maybe even enjoy them more now that he害羞草研究所檚 not distracted by work. He said he will be sorry to lose touch with New York害羞草研究所檚 seemingly infinite restaurant scene, but glad to find more balance in his own life.

害羞草研究所淓ating out constantly, you lose touch with your own normal appetite,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 know anymore what was normal for me.害羞草研究所�