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

Curry_Queen

Can anyone actually tell me the difference between blancmange and the powdered custards you can buy?

I've always thought they were more or less the same thing, barring different flavours, as they certainly have the same texture and are made in exactly the same way too

Trow

Its always (thick) custard that we use for a trifle, never heard of blancmange being used before...

squeaky

The link tells it all, really. Must just be different flavourings added.

Blancmange

Liney_2

What about bags of ready prepared lettuce? Why not but a whole fresh one? Much cheaper, more of it and none of those preserving chemicals added to the bags.

competitionscafe

Liney wrote:

What about bags of ready prepared lettuce? Why not but a whole fresh one? Much cheaper, more of it and none of those preserving chemicals added to the bags.

Not to mention the chlorine solution it's washed in which is 20 times stronger than your local swimming pool!

"ready-to-eat bagged salad has been washed in a solution of chlorine twenty times stronger than that of a swimming pool; that the processing destroys the vitamin content; that in one government study 13.5% of bagged salads were found to contain E coli bacteria"
Source: Not on the Label: What Really Goes into the Food on Your Plate
by Felicity Lawrence http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0141015667

starlite_2

I must admit I thoughtlessly caned loads of money on packaged caesar salads. They are my main pregnancy craving, and I thought it would cost just the same to buy ingredients seperately. Then I thought again, and realised I was paying £1.99 for less than 1/4 of a lettuce, 10 croutons, a dribble of dressing and some below par parmesan shavings.
I bought a wedge of parmesan from our italian deli which cost me £1.25 and has lasted two months, learnt how to make croutons (which also saves on wasted thrown away bread) and got a few botttles of dressing on bogof.

starlite_2

ooh..and should add I got a telling off from my midwife ater admitting to eating prepackaged salads..she said they are a huge no no in pregnancy, worse than sushi in her opinion!?
madness..

Liney_2

starlite wrote:

ooh..and should add I got a telling off from my midwife ater admitting to eating prepackaged salads..she said they are a huge no no in pregnancy, worse than sushi in her opinion!?
madness..

I remember getting told that too, I always try and steer clear of prepackaged salads now

starlite_2

hehe..not quite so 'easy' if you spend the next two days on the loo eh?

JessicaFishy

oh, all these foods get to me too. My annoyance is pasta sauces. Just get a tin of tomatoes for 18p from tescos, add some garlic, spices, onion.... tastes far better and for a fraction of the price..