Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein, rav of Ramat Elchonon neighborhood of Bnei Braq, does not like the trend of the cholent shops people go to on Thursday nights to sit and enjoy some chulent... in Hebrew they are called Cholentiyot or Chontiyot.

Rav Zilbershtein really has two problems with the Thursday night cholent places, and they are not what I expected before reading the details.

Rav Zilbershtein was asked by some yeshiva bochurim about the appropriateness of going out for cholent on a Thursday night considering that cholent is a food that was specifically invented for the purpose of being eaten on Shabbos. Also, the cholent is not being eaten as preparation for shabbos, to make sure the cholent is good for Shabbos like people who taste a bit on Friday, but to enjoy a good dish on Thursday night, and now some have extended it and are opening earlier on Thursdays and even earlier in the week to serve cholent. And they put up big pots of cholent, not to sell cholent for shabbos but to eat during the week. So the question asked is if eating a shabbos food like cholent during the week is ok or if it is a problem and some sort of slight to Shabbos...

Rav Zilbershtein went through the potential issues and sources showing that it is important and preferred to designate a food to be special for Shabbos and one should not eat such foods during the week so as to properly honor the Shabbos with these designated foods.

Rav Zilbershtein mentioned people who had special foods for Shabbos and refused to eat them during the week, like the Arizal who wouldnt eat kugel during the week, and the Baal ShemTov who wouldnt eat "tzibbel" during the week, and the Chasam Sofer who wouldnt eat tzimmes during the week. And regarding cholent specifically which was actually invented to be specifically a shabbos food, for sure should be kept for Shabbos.

Rav Zilbershtein added that cholent is really not a healthy food and rabbonim over the years considwered that perhaps it should not be eaten but concluded that eating it on Shabbos is ok because Shabbos adds special bracha to the Shabbos food and provides protection from the unhealthy aspect of it. That bracha and protection only happens on Shabos, but if you eat cholent during the week, or other unhealthy foods, you are not protected and your health will be affected.

To conclude, Rav Zilbershtein pasked not to eat cholent during the week because:

1. it is important to keep the food designated for Shabbos enjoyment

2. it is unhealthy to eat cholent during the week because it does not get the protection awarded on Shabbos.

source: Hamechadesh

what if you dont usually eat cholent on Shabbos? Ok, you'll have to contend with the halacha about eating hot foods on Shabbos (which cholent was meant to satisfy), but you can eat other hot foods. If you designate a different food for Shabbos instead of cholent can you then eat cholent during the week? it might be unhealthy but is it really worse than ice cream or skittles or chocolate cake or fried foods, especially if only eating one portion once a week or once every few weeks?