Having just lived in Asia for a few years, I was in a country where people never cooked meals. They only ate out. I would say the food was slightly healthier than fast food in the US but it still consisted of a lot of oils, fried foods, high carbs, etc. There didn't seem to be a perception there that it was unhealthy to eat out. It just made sense. Food was affordable and you saved hours every day not having to cook, clean, and grocery shop.

There seems to be a general perception in the US that eating out all the time is unhealthy, but compared to what? Are people actually out there cooking healthy home cooked meals every night? I feel like most people who cook at home rely on a ton of ultra processed foods and quick meals like frozen pizzas. It seems a lot more healthy to go to Chipotle and get a rice, bean, and chicken bowl (which consists of no ultraprocessed foods).

Now obviously if you eat out at a place like McDonalds every night and order an extra large fry and extra large coke, sure I can see the argument that you will most likely eat healthier at home. But there are healthier options than McDonalds that you can eat at nowadays.