Eat well for less - series 4

PasturesNew

I "took a special trip out" today, to a big supermarket....what I thought was my favourite - and I discovered that it's got no food!

There were thousands of packaged products, but I struggled to find food. Things I expected to find simply weren't there. Shelves were, instead, filled with "trendy food" + all that "free from/gluten free/taste free" stuff....

Too much choice - and nothing you want/need. Also, bizarrely, I found they'd split up what they had so you had to hunt for it. In particular I'd looked online for scones - and I had on my list "pack of 10 scones for 49p". I found scones - lots of scones ... all a LOT pricier. These were all on a long carousel shelving unit .... and as I looked around the other side, there were more scones, hidden at the bottom of the far end of the other side (a long way from the first scones)...so I looked there. Not a single packet of the scones I'd seen online.

Most people would have just grabbed any one of the pretty packages of scones available .... I was after the cheapo ones and walked out with 0 scones.

People are "engineered" and psychologically profiled to buy what THEY want you to buy ...and force you to really hunt for things if you make a list.

I only had about 12 items on the list, I was in that shop nearly 1½ hours trying to find everything.... I still came away without 2-3 items on the list ... and I had to traipse half way back along the shop to put back something I'd picked up in error because they'd separated similar items.

I was very confused/lost. I was looking for squash and thought I'd found it, loaded up 2 bottles and realised it was juice. So put it back. Then I realised I was in the juice aisle, so found juice and chose 3 bottles. 5 aisles further along I found juice... hang on, what's this...? I was in long life juice now, I realised I'd picked up "fresh juice" and this aisle was cheaper, so I chose again, then had to go back the 5 aisles to return the bottles I'd picked up in error.

Too much choice - of all the wrong stuff.... all over the place....

lessonlearned

PN. Too much choice ....:rotfl:

I agree - that's why I rarely go to the big 4 nowadays and stick with the discounters. It just takes too long to find what I want.

Smaller shops, simply laid out. I usually get everything I want and can be in an out in no time, unless there are long queues at the checkout of course.

Last nights programme was bitter sweet. I won't spoil it For you but it's well worth watching.

Nice family and it does make you count your blessings.

Pollycat

lessonlearned wrote: »

PN. Too much choice ....:rotfl:

I agree - that's why I rarely go to the big 4 nowadays and stick with the discounters. It just takes too long to find what I want.

Smaller shops, simply laid out. I usually get everything I want and can be in an out in no time, unless there are long queues at the checkout of course.

Last nights programme was bitter sweet. I won't spoil it For you but it's well worth watching.

Nice family and it does make you count your blessings.

They were a nice family, I thought the girls were lovely.

The ratatouille lasagne looked very tasty and I've copied the recipe from the BBC website.
I think I might put aubergine in it too.

When I did Slimming World many years ago, they recommended low fat cottage cheese as a topping instead of bechamel sauce.

GreenQueen

PasturesNew wrote: »

I "took a special trip out" today, to a big supermarket....what I thought was my favourite - and I discovered that it's got no food!

Have noticed this a lot recently, e.g. you can get dozens of different packets of cous cous with different artificial flavours, but struggle to find a pack of plain cous cous to cook yourself with real spices, herbs and vegetables. Looking at the size of the packets, I assume that is because they make so much more profit on the adulterated versions.

GQ

[Deleted User]

GreenQueen wrote: »

Have noticed this a lot recently, e.g. you can get dozens of different packets of cous cous with different artificial flavours, but struggle to find a pack of plain cous cous to cook yourself with real spices, herbs and vegetables. Looking at the size of the packets, I assume that is because they make so much more profit on the adulterated versions.

GQ

I have noticed the same GreenQueen! I am sure the prices of plain couscous and other grains have gone up lots too! Another bugbear is the fruit and veg in supermarkets. I try to buy seasonal and do not have space to grow my own. The fruit and veg is often tasteless and goes soft/ mouldy very quickly these days! And why do they feel the need to put them all in plastic bags/ tubs? I am sure paper bags and cardboard trays would be much cheaper, not to mention they can be recycled.

joedenise

That ratatouille lasagne looked really good and will add that onto my reportoire! Even DH said it looked good which is saying something because whenever I make anything veggie he always asks where the meat is or something like "are we having that with lamb chops/steak/pork steaks - take your pick!

Glad to hear the recipe is on the website - not all the recipes seem to be.

Denise

catkins

I wish they would show properly what the substitute items are. Sometimes I manage to see but other times, despite rewinding several times, I just can't make the name on the product out.

I too hate food waste. If people want to spend £500 a week on food and can afford to then fine but don't throw loads of it away. I rarely throw anything away and get really angry with myself on the odd occasion I do. Even veg peelings get used for soup in my house.

I agree with the poster that said about supermarkets not selling "proper food". I don't want ready this and ready that but the supermarkets are full of them.

I wanted some rice the other day and the shelves were full of packs of instant rice with various things added. There was barely any packs of just rice to cook yourself. I did manage to get brown rice but also wanted red which they didn't have.

I am always amazed at the microwave or boil in the bag rice - as I said shelf upon shelf full. That and all the jars of pasta sauces.

esmy

I make a version of the ratatouille lasagne regularly and it goes down well with meat eaters and veggies alike, similar to the recipe online but with real onions, aubergines, courgettes and peppers, blobs of light cream cheese in place of sauce and a yoghurt and egg topping. That's tomorrow's tea sorted, then!

JIL

The substitutions that they say they will keep are all from different supermarkets, there's Asda, lidl, waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons, aldi as well as stuff from the local butchers.
How are they going to swap, if they now have to go round all these different places?

The latest family seemed lovely, they all are really. But I was astonished when we saw the stores of all the dried goods they had. I think we on this board could have cut their shopping down even further by using up most of their stores.

gonebust

That last programme was hard to watch

Great to see the picky kids realising that veggies aren't always horrible and that a different way of cooking them can make them yummy

The swaps do my head in as well. For me I don't have that range of supermarkets,so my choice has to be between the ones on offer. So if I don't like Tesco own brand or lidls, I'm kind of scunnard

What I did like was they were more realistic about costings admitting the meal was so cheap and the family already had most of the ingredients in stock

I think what really stood out was the need to menu plan and to write a list


I liked also how they showed how one meal can be made to suit the family, with those liking things spicier etc just adding at the end. That curry, whilst wouldn't be my taste at least got eaten by everyone. It's like how I cook a curry, mild enough for the wimp in the family but tasty enough to satisfy a serious curry addict