Can't believe the "food" you can buy now

Becles

My children kept pestering me for Dairylea Lunchables because "everyone else has them" :rolleyes:

I took them to the supermarket and they worked out the cost of 2 Lunchables. Then we went round and priced up a block of cheese, some ham and a packet of crackers. They soon worked that if they bought the bits seperately for a similar amount of money, they would be able to make 3-4 days worth of Lunchables at home. I also explained that the ingredients would be much better for them and taste nicer too.

I think the prices of "kids food" is ridiculous compared to regular brands and it's usually inferior quality ingredients in it. Things like TV characters on youghurts really wind me up and they are there purely for pester power.

Trow

My kids love cheese strings - I have NO idea why. Mind you, OH loves dairylea slices, and I can't figure that one out either. They do get them occasionally, but only if they are on offer.

OH though is incredibly lazy when it comes to food. He has told me in the past he would be quite happy with a mars bar and packet of crisps for dinner! So I suppose slicing cheese must seem like a real chore....

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here I think is pre-grated cheese... WHY???

The supermarkets have a LOT to answer for. People didn't realise they 'needed' it until supermarkets went out of their way to devise ways to get more money for the same produce.

sparklewing

Hi just been reading through and thought i would let you know:


YOU CAN BUY FROZEN CHEESE ON TOAST!!!!
MCAINS MICRO TOASTIE

to be found on shelf beside micro pizza, micro chips and micro nuggets

Simba_25

What a great thread! It has certainly got me thinking. I must confess i do buy some 'ready' packet things like pancake mix and cake mixes I have also got some aunt bessies roast potatoes in the freezer......and pies

I am slowly trying to change my habits and make things from scratch tho, but if im honest its a struggle as my parents have always bough convienience food so cooking doesnt come natural to me at all...... and i am the worlds messiest cook! lol which dont help as i hate washing up :eek:

which brings me onto a new thread......

Bargainloverbec

I have lost half a stone without even trying since I stopped buying convenience food! It's probably partly because I'm not eating all the added salt and sugar, but also because in the time it would take me to bake something my desire to raid the fridge has normally gone away. My 'convenience' food now is a piece of fruit if I'm really desperate for something.

My grocery bill for this week was under £10 because I had so many HM meals in the freezer.

chrislee765

honey wrote:

The more pre-packed stuff supermarkets sell the more chance of basic baking skills dying out.

Im 18, and at school never once made pastry. I never buy ready to roll pastry, crumble mix, batter mix etc, 1. Its expensive 2. I know what goes into it when i make it myself.

But yes, everythings now for convenience!

nearlyrich

Sorry if I offended anyone who buys ice cubes for parties, I just live too far away from the supermarket to get them home as cubes....cold water anyone? especially in summer!!

calleyw

nearlyrich wrote:

Sorry if I offended anyone who buys ice cubes for parties, I just live too far away from the supermarket to get them home as cubes....cold water anyone? especially in summer!!

Nah you didn't offend me. Just explaining why they very occasionally have a place in my life.

I don't much ready made food unless you count quorn sausages and fillets. LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Yours

Calley

skintchick

My boss and a colleague buy slices of apple, pre-cut, in a plastic bag every day! It says on the packet 'ready to eat' - since when was an apple NOT ready to eat?!?!?!?

When I asked why they didn't just buy an apple, they said it was 'easier'. Easier than what? We send a minion out to the supermarket for us anyway! All they have to do is eat it!

*sighs*

Bogof_Babe

I would just say that none of these replies seem to come from anyone who is half of a two full-time working partnership. And I only saw one reference to vegetarian food (someone mentioned Quorn sausages).

While I would never ever dream of buying frozen mash or ready grated cheese, when we were both at work and coming home shattered every night, we did rely quite a lot on chilled ready meals, like Sainsbury's delicious spinach and ricotta lasagne, and several others that I can't actually recall just now.

When you've been out of the house between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m., and have walked home for a couple of miles, believe me all you want to do is bung something in the oven or microwave. If I were to start making a veggie lasagne at that time (even if I had the energy) it would not be ready until bedtime, and as for the washing up...:eek: .

Incidentally, there was plenty to serve two of us in those lasagnes, with broccoli and oven chips.

My parents (87 & 90) are prime candidates for the 99p all-in-one meals, and in fact for the last two Christmases we have had Birds Eye turkey platters, plus a few extra roasties (frozen), veg and mash. This is because rather than leave them alone on Christmas day, I spend lunchtime with them, taking the meals up with me, while DH spends it with his widowed dad and his sister, doing much the same.

My parents' main criteria at their age is "anything that doesn't involve a lot of fuss".

So - horses for courses?