Definitely NOT the job for me!

Food critics have to work extra hard to do their jobs without packing on the pounds. Gee, that’s too bad.  Free gourmet meals are tough to take.  What a rough job, right?!  Well, actually it is

Granted, “…it’s one thing to get your calories from lobster tails poached in butter or a delicate chocolate soufflé and quite another to get them from sodas and fast-food burgers.”  But calories are still calories, and a critic can consume upwards of 4,000 of ‘em in one sitting if they eat everything they’re served.  Do that on a regular basis, and these critics are going to have trouble fitting through the doors of the next restaurant.

What do these intrepid gastronomic investigators do to keep themselves at a reasonable size and in shape?  For one thing, they eat very lightly when they’re not working.  They also exercise as much as possible.  Even more important, they don’t eat everything they’re given.  

One critic notes, “My saving grace in this profession is that you have to try everything, but you don’t have to finish it. Doggie bags are my lifesaver.”

Actually, that’s not a bad strategy for the rest of us.  Take a few bites and bring the rest home.  Thankfully, we don’t need to do the job to learn the tricks of the trade.