Eating food should be simple, right? Whether you’re using a fork, spoon, chopsticks, or just your hands, the main objective is to always get whatever delicious thing is in front of you inside your mouth. But what if you found out that your intuition, everything you’ve ever been told, and even the serving suggestions were totally wrong? The internet can be a wonderful place until it blows your mind. This all might be a little hard to swallow, but trust us because from here on in, you’re guaranteed to a life of efficient eating.
So whether you need to peel it, dip it, wrap it, or fork it (that will make more sense later), we have the lowdown on all the foods you’re eating wrong — and how to get it right!
Strawberries
Summer is here and there’s nothing more satisfying when the temperatures are rising than some fresh fruit.
But whether you’re eating a bunch strawberries, adding them to a smoothie, or spicing up a salad, those pesky little stems always prove to be a problem. If you cut the green bits off, it’s more than likely you’ll lose a lot of the delicious parts you want. According to Foodbeast, the solution was in the name all along. All you need to do is grab a straw and push it straight through the middle of the bottom of the strawberry, and voila! Stems are gone and you have plenty of fruit left to eat.
Oreos
You can’t even trust advertisements when it comes to eating Oreos the right way.
We’ve been conditioned to twist it, lick it, and then dunk it, but it turns out there’s a better way to eat Oreos. It does involve you opening your cutlery draw first, though. Diply recently shared this handy trick to avoid getting your fingers all milky after all that dunking. Just stick the cookies on a fork and dip them in. Clean, satisfying, and delicious.
Tacos
Tacos are great until you lose all the fillings after your second bite.
So next time, to prevent that from happening, fold a piece of lettuce around the taco. According to Buzzfeed, it’s not only nutritious, but when that shell breaks, your tasty contents won’t be going anywhere but inside your belly. Or, you can take a page from your favorite taco places, which likely put a bit of foil or wax paper around the taco so nothing spills. However, lettuce is definitely the environmentally friendly way to go.
Hotdogs
The inconspicuous hot dog seems pretty simple to eat.
Except sometimes they can be unevenly cooked, and if you get one straight off the grill, it can burn your mouth. To avoid all the guessing involved, Diply suggests you get a knife and cut the hotdogs into a spiral before cooking. Not only will it cook evenly — it will also cook so much quicker and cool down faster. Thus, your mouth will be saved from any painful burning!
Eggs
There are few things in life more difficult than peeling a boiled egg.
If that sounds like an exaggeration, then you’ve never experienced the pain of seeing a beautiful soft yolk ruined by your own pesky nails. Skip the tedious peeling by boiling your eggs with a teaspoon of baking soda. Buzzfeed recommends that once it’s ready to come out of the pot, crack a quarter size hole at each end, blow on it, and your egg should magically pop right out.
Oranges
You don’t ever have to struggle with oranges again, because we have two ways to keep you pith-free!
If you have access to a fridge, Buzzfeed suggests popping this vitamin C-packed bundle of goodness in the freezer around 15 minutes before you plan to eat it. It doesn’t just stiffen the surrounding skin, but also helps with removing the pith. Otherwise, try slicing off each end, then cutting vertically into the orange. All you have left to do after that is roll the fruit out to reveal juicy wedges that are super easy to eat.
Toast
I know what you’re thinking: “How can someone eat toast all wrong?” But this way isn’t just right, it’s better.
There isn’t much to this trick — just turn your piece of toast upside down as you take a bite. According to Buzzfeed, your tastebuds will first come in contact with whatever you’ve spread on your bread and everything will taste a little more exciting. And there are a few other foods that are better the other way around (stay tuned).
Burgers
Do you ever sink your teeth into a big, meaty burger only for the bun to fall apart before you get to the end?
That’s because you’re eating it wrong. Turning your burger upside-down might seem a bit weird at first, but the thicker bun is usually set on top, and it’s a lot better for soaking up all those juices the thinner, bottom layer can’t handle. Being a good manager means knowing how to delegate tasks and quite frankly, top bun deserves to be on the bottom — it’s got all the right credentials for the job!
Chinese Takeaway
Those little boxes that your lo mein comes delivered in aren’t just handy for storing in the fridge.
According to Diply, if you pop out the sides, the box will unfold, turning it into a plate. In other words, you won’t have to do all those extra dishes, saving you precious water and dish soap. Goodbye cleaning up, hello birdseye view of yummy food. (Note: according to Business Insider, when it comes to recycling these containers, you can separate the clean parts from the soiled parts and recycle the former.)
Cupcakes
Icing is delicious, but when piped on a cupcake it can get everywhere; on your nose, chin, and even your eyebrows (hey, no judgement!).
If you’re like most people who worry about eating a cupcake in public, here’s your saving grace. Minq suggests that it’s as easy as twisting the top away from the bottom, halving the cupcake, and turning it into a sandwich. Frosting in the middle means no messy icing on your nose and impressing everyone with your quick skills.
Chicken Wings
We’ve all been there.
You’re eating a chicken wing when all the sudden, you have to stop because the rest of the meat is sandwiched between the bones. However, according to Food24, the solution is simple. All you have to do is pull the cartilage off at the widest part of the wing, twist it, and then remove the small bones. You can also do the same thing with the large bone.
