What Has Happened to the Supermarket?

[Ms Brooks]

I live in a food snob part of the country. Folks here take food seriously in an organic, grass fed, free range kind of way. But for all the devotion to how the food is grown, I am seeing more and more supermarkets being converted to fast-food havens. In my local supermarkets more floor space is devoted to take-away food than vegetables, and more and more vegetables and fruits are in plastic packaging. I guess the plastic boxes are easier to stack, but the food rots faster because it is so densely packed. Moreover, I don't understand why buying flour in the bulk bins is more expensive than buying five pounds of packaged flour.

 

I go to the store and I find it hard to shop. Are supermarkets becoming fast food markets now? 

[JFSinIL]

They are catering now to the needs of the two-income, busy family, that is more apt to go to the market rather than KFC (etc) if they can grab prepared food.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah there is a ton of to go foods now at most of my local markets.  Probably a lot of people don't have the time and energy to cook so that's probably appealing to them. 

 

One thing I'm seeing a lot of is cut up vegetables.  You can now buy pretty much any vegetable already cut up and packed on a foam tray covered in plastic wrap. 

 

I have mixed feelings about the produce in packaging.  In a way I like it because I feel like less hands have been on it (and I tend to put the stuff in a bag anyway unless it has a thick skin).  But yeah it's very wasteful.  i can throw several types of those bags in the recycling bucket though.

 

I almost never buy stuff from the bulk bins.  I often wonder if it has been properly rotated and how long it has been sitting there.  The only thing it's good for is if you really just want a very small amount of something for a recipe. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

They are catering now to the needs of the two-income, busy family, that is more apt to go to the market rather than KFC (etc) if they can grab prepared food.

 

They tend to charge less too. 

[EmilyGF]

Higher profit margin on the prepared foods. And if it is there, people will buy it even if they wouldn't make a separate stop for it.

 

Hey, if you can have a razor thin margin on a banana or a nice fat margin on prepared/prepackaged food, what would you take?

 

Stick to the outer aisles...

 

Emily

[redsquirrel]

Prepared meals are certainly the fastest growing part of the food business, and I don't blame supermarkets for wanting in on that business. Watch the Netflix documentary by Michael Pollan called "Cooked"

 

And it's not just 'two income' families. There are an awful lot of one income single parent families where the only adult in the house doesn't have a lot of time to cook.  Heck, we are single income, two adults and we do our fair share of grabbing already cooked food from the store.

 

And it's not just 'fast food' but also making half the meal and buying half. So, you buy a roasted chicken, but make the side dish and the salad, that sort of thing. 

 

And supermarkets have been in the business of making prepared food for quite a while.  Bread, pasta, tomato paste, apple sauce, are all 'prepared foods'.  Heck, even milk is a prepared food.

 

But, the Pollan documentary was really good.  My kids loved it, and they are not fans of documentaries. But they are fans of eating, lol.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Higher profit margin on the prepared foods. And if it is there, people will buy it even if they wouldn't make a separate stop for it.

 

Hey, if you can have a razor thin margin on a banana or a nice fat margin on prepared/prepackaged food, what would you take?

 

Stick to the outer aisles...

 

Emily

 

Oh well here they put all the prepared foods in the outer aisles!  LOL

[MotherGoose]

I haven't noticed that where I live, in general. Although there is a healthy deli business. I just returned from Italy, and after shopping in several grocery stores there, I'm so envious of the Italians. There are no take away meals: evidently if you want something quick you eat out in a real restaurant. ETA actually I don't think there are quick meals in Italy. Maybe you grab a panni from the train station ? There are very few processed foods, a tiny soda aisle of 1 liter drinks, a tiny snack aisle with a few brands, and the candy section is almost entirely chocolate. But the produce section overflows with fresh vegetables, and the meat section has anything you can imagine, including pigs, chickens, and fish still in possession of their eyes! I want an Italian grocery in my town. A real one, not an Italian-American one.

Edited May 19, 2016 by MotherGoose

[Bluegoat]

I think it has a lot to do with time crunch as well.  People want healthy food, but they have little time to cook.  So they get recipes for 15 min meals or whatever and use veg and even meat that is already prepped.

 

I think it makes total sense if you get home from work and need the kids in bed in an hour. 

 

I kind of hate the waste with the packaging though. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Prepared meals are certainly the fastest growing part of the food business, and I don't blame supermarkets for wanting in on that business. Watch the Netflix documentary by Michael Pollan called "Cooked"

 

And it's not just 'two income' families. There are an awful lot of one income single parent families where the only adult in the house doesn't have a lot of time to cook.  Heck, we are single income, two adults and we do our fair share of grabbing already cooked food from the store.

 

And it's not just 'fast food' but also making half the meal and buying half. So, you buy a roasted chicken, but make the side dish and the salad, that sort of thing. 

 

And supermarkets have been in the business of making prepared food for quite a while.  Bread, pasta, tomato paste, apple sauce, are all 'prepared foods'.  Heck, even milk is a prepared food.

 

But, the Pollan documentary was really good.  My kids loved it, and they are not fans of documentaries. But they are fans of eating, lol.

 

Oh yeah I love to cook and cook pretty much every day, but sometimes even I grab some of that stuff.  Some days I don't have the time or the energy or I just want someone else to cook.  It's also less expensive than restaurants. 

[redsquirrel]

Oh well here they put all the prepared foods in the outer aisles!  LOL

 

Ours as well! That is where they put all the goodies!

 

One thing I have noticed, I also live in a very 'foodie' area, with a huge farmers market and local meats available etc.  The local Wegmans has expanded their selection of local organic produce. Our growing season is short, being in the NE, but every summer they have more and more locally supplied produce. It flies off the shelves, so people do buy it. 

 

I suspect around here that it is the humongous college student population that is buying the prepared food. We have two colleges in town, one very big. So that means lots and lots and lots of young people, both undergrad and graduate aged, who don't have much time to cook. It is half the population of the county. And most of them are single, or single-ish, and they don't want to cook for just one person.

 

And DH knows a lot of older married couples at work who no longer cook much. Their kids grow up and move out and the parents seem to go out to eat or buy premade stuff at the store.  DH has co-workers who seem to go out to eat almost every single night. Their kids are grown and they can afford it, so whatever. But, can you imagine!? I find it sort of scandalizing, lol

[Arcadia]

Prepared food is handy for impromptu block parties and for class parties. My kitchen is nut contaminated and meat contaminated. I find it convenient though costly to just buy nut-free or vegan or gluten-free pre-packaged food for a potluck party/gathering.

 

My kids like TJ's burritos and sushi, and my hubby would rather they eat that than fast food in between outsourced classes.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ours as well! That is where they put all the goodies!

 

One thing I have noticed, I also live in a very 'foodie' area, with a huge farmers market and local meats available etc.  The local Wegmans has expanded their selection of local organic produce. Our growing season is short, being in the NE, but every summer they have more and more locally supplied produce. It flies off the shelves, so people do buy it. 

 

I suspect around here that it is the humongous college student population that is buying the prepared food. We have two colleges in town, one very big. So that means lots and lots and lots of young people, both undergrad and graduate aged, who don't have much time to cook. It is half the population of the county. And most of them are single, or single-ish, and they don't want to cook for just one person.

 

And DH knows a lot of older married couples at work who no longer cook much. Their kids grow up and move out and the parents seem to go out to eat or buy premade stuff at the store.  DH has co-workers who seem to go out to eat almost every single night. Their kids are grown and they can afford it, so whatever. But, can you imagine!? I find it sort of scandalizing, lol

 

Yeah our stores now carry local stuff too.  They put a sign in front of it to say which farm it came from.  Our farmer's markets aren't really that good and very expensive. 

 

But holy hell I cannot go to the grocery store hungry.  That is dangerous. 

 

If it was just me, I'd probably buy a lot of the prepared stuff.  It's kinda tough cooking for one.  I mean not difficult in terms of the process, but difficult to buy small quantities and be able to use everything up. 

[LucyStoner]

The margin they make on prepared food is higher and draws people in to buy the other stuff they need like cat food and bandaids. They have an incentive to increase their margins because the profit in the grocery business is already razor thin. Also, here they are competing against popular and expanding grocery delivery. They need something that will get people in the door.

 

It also allows those who pride themselves on not eating fast food to maintain their self identify as fresh, healthy food eaters despite the fact that Whole Foods pizza isn't really anymore healthy than other pizza.

Edited May 19, 2016 by LucyStoner

[aggie96]

Our new grocery store has a BAR in it!  An actual bar complete with a bartender and 2 drink limit.  Not sure what to think about that!   :huh:

 

I don't have a problem with serving alcohol or anything, but I can't wrap my head around grabbing a drink at the bar, then shopping, then needing to pee before I could check out.   :laugh:

 

ETA:  There is a huge prepared meal section as well.  I guess we can grab a meal and drink.

Edited May 19, 2016 by aggie96

[SparklyUnicorn]

Our new grocery store has a BAR in it!  An actual bar complete with a bartender and 2 drink limit.  Not sure what to think about that!   :huh:

 

I don't have a problem with serving alcohol or anything, but I can't wrap my head around grabbing a drink at the bar, then shopping, then needing to pee before I could check out.   :laugh:

 

We have one like that too. 

 

It basically has several mini restaurants in it including a bar.  You can also fill up bottles of special beers to take home.

 

It's like a day out going there.  LOL 

[mamiof5]

Yeah, probably just convenience. I often wonder how much of this food goes to waste though? Our grocery store often has stuff (salads, dips etc) on clearance, and sometimes it doesn't look very fresh :(

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah, probably just convenience. I often wonder how much of this food goes to waste though? Our grocery store often has stuff (salads, dips etc) on clearance, and sometimes it doesn't look very fresh :(

 

I do wonder how much stuff they end up throwing out. 

 

There is now a local store that sells ugly produce.  They charge 30% less for it.  There is nothing wrong with it, it's just ugly. 

[FaithManor]

My problem is the packaging. 13 norh atlantic sperm whales beached themselves in Europe and post mortems showed their stomachs completely clogged with plastic.

 

Something seriously needs to be done about the plastic disaster.

[melbotoast]

My book club just read The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. The premise is that people don't really know how to cook anymore. It was a really interesting read.

[MotherGoose]

My problem is the packaging. 13 norh atlantic sperm whales beached themselves in Europe and post mortems showed their stomachs completely clogged with plastic.

 

Something seriously needs to be done about the plastic disaster.

Italy seems to be making a start towards it: they charge 14 cents Euro for a grocery bag, and its biodegradable. I don't think there needs to be some government intervention, but I wish more grocery stores would adopt those policies. Aldi seems to be doing well with it.

[Farrar]

I've started getting the precut veggies sometimes. At some point, I priced them and some were cheaper, which really shocked me. So now if I only need a little bit of something, I check. The other thing I've noticed is how some of the veggies only come in the precut, overpackaged section. So, if I want something that isn't just onions, potatoes, peppers, etc. then sometimes prepackaged is the only option.

[vonfirmath]

My book club just read The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. The premise is that people don't really know how to cook anymore. It was a really interesting read.

 

THat was a good book.

Though I saw it as more of a teaching the basics of cooking in an entertaining way. (And really, telling how the author taught others how to cook since it didn't really go into details)

 

And btw, I'd agree with this assessment. I don't really know how to cook and learned some things from this book. About finding out what you like, etc. Not that I've used any of it.

[bolt.]

I think it also (in addition to the already-mentioned factors) has to do with a shifting perception that basically amounts to "good people don't buy fast food" and "it's even better to avoid shelf-stable 'prepared' foods" -- which reduces/eliminates the two primary sources of convenience meals. There are now a very limited number of ways one can feed themselves (especially with kids) and still feel good about it.

 

However the situations which have always caused people to reach for box-and-sauce or drive-thru sources for meals haven't decreased. The new market for "fresh unprocessed" convenience food.

 

My grocer has a huge variety of cold tray meals that are equivalent to TV dinners in format, but are made "fresh in store" and contain things like quinoa pilaf. It's the same target market, people just prefer the outside aisles and an appearance of non-processed-ness now. Grocers meet demands that exist.

[Jane in NC]

This food snob is not particularly interested in the prepared/semi-prepared food in the supermarket.  I went to a farmer's market yesterday where I spent $25 on a basket of produce.  It was not in plastic nor chopped for me.

 

A few months ago, I did a tour of a grocery and produce distribution hub with some farmers.  (I am not a farmer but am an advocate for my local farmers.) The produce manager at the regional grocery commented on how produce items must look good and therein lies in the problem.  Pretty apples don't necessarily taste good. I think a lot of people are disconnected from the food supply (farmers, butchers, etc.) even while pretending they are connected. 

 

The traditional grocery does not fulfill my needs since I prefer to buy local.  I buy fish from a fishmonger (I have two excellent ones nearby but then I am a coastal person). I prefer to buy whole chickens from a young farmer I know but I'll confess that chicken thighs or chicken sausages are a convenience that I also buy--usually from the grocery.  There is a food co-op in a nearby city that does have bins with a good rotation rate.  I buy grains, beans, etc. there. 

 

My shopping takes more time than many people might want to give but the local thing is a priority for me.  I understand if it is not for other people though.

 

And frankly I don't want to buy small quantities of green beans in little plastic bags or a tray of mini cukes.  I agree with those who Faith who noted on the quantity of plastic used in food packaging!

[Ravin]

Our new grocery store has a BAR in it!  An actual bar complete with a bartender and 2 drink limit.  Not sure what to think about that!   :huh:

 

I don't have a problem with serving alcohol or anything, but I can't wrap my head around grabbing a drink at the bar, then shopping, then needing to pee before I could check out.   :laugh:

 

ETA:  There is a huge prepared meal section as well.  I guess we can grab a meal and drink.

 

This is brilliant, actually. From the shopper viewpoint, you can have your drink, and by the time you are done walking around shopping, you're probably good to go for the drive home.

 

From the store viewpoint, customers who imbibe will have lowered ability to resist impulse purchases. It's brilliant.

[Bluegoat]

Ours as well! That is where they put all the goodies!

 

One thing I have noticed, I also live in a very 'foodie' area, with a huge farmers market and local meats available etc.  The local Wegmans has expanded their selection of local organic produce. Our growing season is short, being in the NE, but every summer they have more and more locally supplied produce. It flies off the shelves, so people do buy it. 

 

I suspect around here that it is the humongous college student population that is buying the prepared food. We have two colleges in town, one very big. So that means lots and lots and lots of young people, both undergrad and graduate aged, who don't have much time to cook. It is half the population of the county. And most of them are single, or single-ish, and they don't want to cook for just one person.

 

And DH knows a lot of older married couples at work who no longer cook much. Their kids grow up and move out and the parents seem to go out to eat or buy premade stuff at the store.  DH has co-workers who seem to go out to eat almost every single night. Their kids are grown and they can afford it, so whatever. But, can you imagine!? I find it sort of scandalizing, lol

 

My province has a ton of farmer's markets.  They are really popular here, even in rural areas.  The gocery stores are competing with them somewhat, but they are especially competing with places like Walmart or other discount chains, which are open similar hours and also carry non-grocery products and such..  So one of the ways for the traditional grocers to compete is to offer higher end stuff and service, and to appeal to people who don't want to shop at Walmart.

 

In fact I know someone who worked at a party for the management and execs of one of the two big supermarket chains here, and what they are apparently doing is trying to position themselves similarly to something like Waitrose in the UK (so, higher end products and clientel but still fairly attainable price wise and in terms of having plenty of stores open a lot of hours.)

[SparklyUnicorn]

This is brilliant, actually. From the shopper viewpoint, you can have your drink, and by the time you are done walking around shopping, you're probably good to go for the drive home.

 

From the store viewpoint, customers who imbibe will have lowered ability to resist impulse purchases. It's brilliant.

 

Kind of reminds me of a commercial for a local jewelry store that says they want to make buying jewelry an experience so they serve you a glass of wine.  Yeah...sure..."experience". 

 

LOL 

[Georgiana Daniels]

My book club just read The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. The premise is that people don't really know how to cook anymore. It was a really interesting read.

I was just going to say that I think there's a whole generation that doesn't know how to cook.

 

I've seen expanded delis around here too, and it's a nice option when I don't have time to cook. Ok, I never have TIME to cook, but you know what I mean. It does help me to pretend we are making a healthy choice, though it's really not.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Hey I went to culinary school.  I know how to cook.  LOL

 

Ok, but seriously, I'm not quite sure I buy that 100%.  Because at the same time there are tons and tons and tons of cooking blogs, shows, meetup groups, etc. Cooking is even a sport (Chopped, etc.). 

[Tap]

For me, sometimes buying prepared means that there is less waste and due to that, it really doesn't cost as much as you would think.  The trick is only buying exactly what you need. 

 

I can buy a serving of pasta salad for one person, a serving of rice salad for another, and a salad bar for another.

I can buy a premade chicken to share, and a nice warm crusty bread.

I can add some fresh fruit from the fruit bar, or simple veggies to eat raw or simply saute when I get home.

 

I can have a 'real food-fast' dinner for everyone for $20.  Zero waste and no clean up.  We eat at home so there is no tip or $3 drinks and the containers are often reusable and always recyclable (not ideal, but better than the garbage).   It supports the local business and employees who are paid a fair wage for what they do.   

 

One one family member likes pasta salad, so when I make it for her, she has to eat it all or I throw it away.  Same for my rice salad.  Baking fresh bread takes hours that I am not home.  and the salad bar means that everyone gets the little treats like a spoon of peas and shredded carrots, that I am not going to prep at home.

 

I work 40+ hours a week, am raising a special needs child and have a teenager with a health problem.  Having an evening when I don't have to cook or clean up, all for $20 for 5 people, is golden to me. 

[Georgiana Daniels]

I agree that there are more ways to learn how to cook now more than ever so there are no excuses not to. But, if you didn't grow up with someone who cooks, your habits of grab-n-go are ingrained.

[kiana]

Hey I went to culinary school.  I know how to cook.  LOL

 

Ok, but seriously, I'm not quite sure I buy that 100%.  Because at the same time there are tons and tons and tons of cooking blogs, shows, meetup groups, etc. Cooking is even a sport (Chopped, etc.). 

 

Well yeah. Among people who are interested in cooking there is plenty of knowledge, probably more knowledge of esoteric techniques than ever before. Among people who lack the cultural background and whose parents raised them on fast food and prepackaged food (my mother fostered one girl who had never seen a fork before, because her mother did only prepackaged finger food -- the girl was in kindy!), there is an utter lack of any kind of knowledge beyond possible use of a microwave.

 

[Tap]

I agree that there are more ways to learn how to cook now more than ever so there are no excuses not to. But, if you didn't grow up with someone who cooks, your habits of grab-n-go are ingrained.

Sure maybe there are no excuses, but it isn't easy for everyone. And not everyone has time to cook. There are a lot factors, that people who are good cooking and planning, take for granted.

Chemistry, planning, shopping, storing, combining flavors, spices, and muti tasking are a few.  Then you add in preferences, religious views, dietary restrictions, and budget and it does get complicated. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Tap

[Jane in NC]

Admittedly I did my share of grab and go back when my son was younger and played sports. Families with multiple children each of whom have different sports, scouts and 4-H schedules may compromise with convenience to avoid the fast food pick up lane. Bags of "baby" carrots and cubes of cheese looked like a good dinner some nights when we hopped from thing to thing.

[Tap]

I was just going to say that I think there's a whole generation that doesn't know how to cook.

 

I've seen expanded delis around here too, and it's a nice option when I don't have time to cook. Ok, I never have TIME to cook, but you know what I mean. It does help me to pretend we are making a healthy choice, though it's really not.

I know so many women who don't know how to cook.  The most common reason is an at home mom....who made home cooked meals, ran the house and didn't like the kids underfoot.

 

I have one friend who was raised on a working farm, and she knew a lot about farm animals. Her dad taught her all of that.  But, she had to call her mom the first week of college and ask her how to start a clothes washer, because she had never, in 18 years, done a single load of laundry.  Cooking was the same. She knew how to open a yogurt or get a cheese stick, but aside from that her mom did it all.  My friend has a doctorate degree but she has very, very little cooking knowledge.  

 

Then she married a man who loved to cook, so she still didn't learn.  Until they divorced and at 35yo she had to finally learn the basics.  She did a lot of 'phone a friend' and videos but even now, she will eat raw (nuts/seeds/ etc) most of the time just to avoid cooking. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Tap

[poppy]

Wegmans is at least 1/3 prepared foods plus seating here.

 

I watch Chopped and Masterchef. I have subscribed to a food magazine or two. Doesn't mean I can cook. I also watch Project Runway and got fashion magazines. I can't even thread a sewing machine. I watch Survivor. I can make a fire but there is no way I'd be ok on that cup of rice a day diet they do. I'd be too grumpy.

 

Where was I?

 

I can cook like 5 things total for my half gluten free half vegetarian family. I do it because kids should have fresh veggies in front of them every day. But I don't enjoy it.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Sure maybe there are no excuses, but it isn't easy for everyone. And no everyone has time to cook. There are a lot factors that people who are good cooking and planning take for granted.

Chemistry, planning, shopping, storing, combining flavors, spices, and muti tasking.  Then you add in preferences, religious views, dietary restrictions, and budget and it does get complicated. 

 

Exactly! And this is where I fall....didn't learn when I was young and have no time now. It really IS something I should be making a good attempt at, for the health of the family. Being married to a Schwans man made it easy to be lax. Not that we eat it all the time, but enough that I don't cook from scratch.

[Meriwether]

I think it also (in addition to the already-mentioned factors) has to do with a shifting perception that basically amounts to "good people don't buy fast food" and "it's even better to avoid shelf-stable 'prepared' foods" -- which reduces/eliminates the two primary sources of convenience meals. There are now a very limited number of ways one can feed themselves (especially with kids) and still feel good about it.

 

This is me...

Admittedly I did my share of grab and go back when my son was younger and played sports. Families with multiple children each of whom have different sports, scouts and 4-H schedules may compromise with convenience to avoid the fast food pick up lane. Bags of "baby" carrots and cubes of cheese looked like a good dinner some nights when we hopped from thing to thing.

because of this.

 

I feel better about a rotisserie chicken with a side of veggies than McDonalds. With all the kids' activities (18+ hours/week including three nights where my older kids do not get home until 9:00 pm), evening meals are often sketchy. I'm actually pretty certain we've had cheese and carrots for a meal before. We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, beef and pork from my parents and sister, etc.

[theelfqueen]

My son used to work at Whole Foods in produce. Here's what I learned - to maintain claims of selling organic food -- the organic produce must be kept strictly separate from the conventionally grown produce in the same store. This means if someone grabs a conventional apple and then puts it 'back' in the organic apples -- the organic apples are now 'contaminated.'

This is one of the big reasons so much of the produce is packaged as it is -- a bag of organic grapes that is sealed can maintain its organic claims with less contamination worries. At the time (a few years back) Target grocery was considered a big, safe organic seller because they maintained this system by carrying packaged organics.

 

Whether any of this is true or relevant I don't know, but that's what I was told and how he was trained.

[eternalsummer]

At my Whole Foods the bins of organic apples are right next to the bins of non-organic apples and the way you tell the difference is that the non=organic ones are usually waxed (and super shiny) while the organic ones are not :)

 

I love prepared foods at the Whole Foods.  It's like paying someone else to cook for me, but without the yuck of fast food (much of which we can't eat anyway).  Sushi, sauteed vegetables, salad bar, cooked rice, fish, noodles, etc.  

 

And... now I'm hungry.

[Farrar]

I definitely feel zero guilt about a rotisserie chicken. I mean, they can cook it better than me anyway. It's healthy. It's versatile. I don't think it's so much more packaging.

 

When they're cutting my veggies or cheese or something... meh. I go by price. I can cut it myself, but, like I said above, sometimes it's actually cheaper precut, which, yeah, weird, but okay. I don't like the extra packing, but sometimes there's no choice. I can't eat regular cucumbers very often - they give me uncomfortable gas. So I buy the Persian ones, which are always in the tray and saran wrapped. I wish it were otherwise, but I don't know what else to do. Everyone sells them that way.

[QueenCat]

I was just going to say that I think there's a whole generation that doesn't know how to cook.

 

I've seen expanded delis around here too, and it's a nice option when I don't have time to cook. Ok, I never have TIME to cook, but you know what I mean. It does help me to pretend we are making a healthy choice, though it's really not.

 

I haven't seen you here in a while....... either we're looking at different threads or you've been gone. Good to see you!

[gypsymama]

I like the foods for convenience at times also. The rotisserie chicken makes an appearance at my house every soccer season ;) . I definitely like that the deli foods give me something quick to feed the kids that isn't fast food or who-knows-what-is-in-that-box. I do try to keep my own "homemade convenience" foods ready to go like soups in the freezer, bags of precooked shredded chicken, servings of precooked beans, etc. This keeps our costs down and gives me options to have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less without needing to worry about things like did I soak the beans or thaw the chicken ahead of time. 

 

I definitely agree that lots of people don't know how to cook though! My own mother lives off of fast food. Thinking back I don't know how we survived because I don't recall her cooking much during my childhood. My sister agrees that she can't remember either although my sister never learned to cook because I cook for her and still do. I actually made homemade "hamburger helper" tonight as my sister called it. My oldest looked at her funny and asked what that meant. My sister said these kids couldn't have survived our childhood home LOL

[Guest]

 

I find it hard to shop. Are supermarkets becoming fast food markets now? 

OP, would it be possible for you to switch to a farmstand or farmer's market for produce? It's definitely cheaper than yupscale supermarkets that way.

 

If you have storage space, you might be able to get a 25 or 40 lb sack of flour (and/or rice, oatmeal, beans, cornmeal, etc.)every x months instead of a five pound sack every x days or weeks.

 

Rarely used lightweight items such as pectin for canning can be ordered online through Amazon or eBay.

 

I belong to a fruit co-op that only happens twice a year, but we get enough apricots, peaches, tomatoes, apples, and pears to can, freeze, dry, etc. to make it to the next year.

 

Supermarket trips once or twice a month aren't so bad with lists like "Cat food, cinnamon, toilet paper, lightbulbs".

Edited May 20, 2016 by Guest

[Audrey]

I've noticed that, too.  I'm not a fan. :glare:  

 

 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Audrey

[shanvan]

Our new grocery store has a BAR in it!  An actual bar complete with a bartender and 2 drink limit.  Not sure what to think about that!   :huh:

 

I don't have a problem with serving alcohol or anything, but I can't wrap my head around grabbing a drink at the bar, then shopping, then needing to pee before I could check out.   :laugh:

 

ETA:  There is a huge prepared meal section as well.  I guess we can grab a meal and drink.

 

It makes total sense to give people a drink before they shop.  I probably wouldn't be so upset about breaking the budget if I had a drink first.

[J-rap]

I don't see that where I live.

 

[Ms Brooks]

Well yeah. Among people who are interested in cooking there is plenty of knowledge, probably more knowledge of esoteric techniques than ever before. Among people who lack the cultural background and whose parents raised them on fast food and prepackaged food (my mother fostered one girl who had never seen a fork before, because her mother did only prepackaged finger food -- the girl was in kindy!), there is an utter lack of any kind of knowledge beyond possible use of a microwave.

 

 

Oh My! Not seen a fork? 

[Tsuga]

They are catering now to the needs of the two-income, busy family, that is more apt to go to the market rather than KFC (etc) if they can grab prepared food.

 

Yes.

 

I don't have time to power wash veggies. We are exactly this market. We can cook and we DO cook--twice a week or so from scratch. We sift flour. We make pasta. We marinate the meat, we chop our own onions.

 

But not every night. So that means a good 70% of the time we use canned soup and romaine that has been pre-washed and Caesar dressing, or a prepared fillet of salmon, some frozen packaged veggies from the deli, and dried pasta. It's just not going to happen that we cook everything from scratch every day or even most days.

 

We feel bad about the plastic but we do recycle...

 

With our two incomes we are able to buy a home in an area where kids can attend good schools and ride bicycles and we can both bike or bus to work. It's kind of a paradise. But the sacrifice is in time, so I earn a salary.

 

Based on other threads of people's fear of crime, etc. I feel justified in working so we can continue to afford to live where we live. But yes, absolutely, it's a time-suck and we are the ones who buy the pre-chopped onions and jalapeños. I love it. It's like having a mother in law at home all the time to prepare food, except I pay a fraction more for food and MIL has her own place. Woohoo.