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I don't think anyone would argue that lack of nutrition and obesity are problems in America. I don't think anyone would argue that a lot of people are in debt. You didn't ask about any of that. You asked how we cook.
What does this have to do with the topic?
So you see no correlation between those obesity/nutrition/debt rates and the fact that more and more families no longer eat home-cooked meals.
Nothing. Nada. OK.
Also, the opera and ballet thing was in response to an earlier post of Zimbo who was arguing how happy she is due to time allocated during the day for the aforementioned, as opposed to how unhappy I must be for having to chop carrots instead of going to the opera.
Cooking from scratch is ALWAYS less expensive than eating the same thing (same ingredients) made from pre-cut/processed ingredients or readily bought. You need to make sure you compare apples with apples.
I'm going to disagree with this. Now when I cook from scratch though, I guess I don't compare apples to apples - because I don't use the same ingredients that are in processed stuff. I use better, high quality ingredients. I am a label reader and a lot of the time, store brands are cheaper for a reason - they have extra "stuff" in them. Usually ones you can't pronounce.
So for me, cooking from scratch is much more expensive.
I've also learned that sometimes cooking certain things from scratch is not worth the time it takes - in other words, my time is more valuable. For example, I recently made my own tortillas, then cut them up, seasoned them and baked them to make a "chip" for dipping (in the hummus I make from scratch). End conclusion was it took way too much time. I'm better off finding some sort of whole grain, no preservatives cracker in the health food aisle.
That's your theory. It's been brought to your attention over and over that cooking from scratch is not always the economical route. Whether you buy processed or whether you buy raw ingredients, it's expensive. Regardless. I know a lot of the things I make from scratch cost more than a $7.99 store bought pizza.
No kidding. Crappy, unhealthy, store-bought pizza STILL less expensive than some recipes cooked at home with quality ingredients.
JJ, I think you nailed it. I think the OP, perhaps accidentally, painted SAHMs with a broad brush, and included us all in what is actually a very small group of wealthy families. However, several insults were thrown out, not at all accidentally, regarding how we may spend our time during the day. One would think that it would be justified to complain about the mom that JJ described. That mom spends her time on herself, not on her house or with her kids. The OP doesn't seem to think spending time on activities with the kids is worthwhile. I don't really see how that is on topic at all, and I don't see how anyone could possibly fault a parent for taking their kid to the park or a museum.
My question is: do you think the REAL government-issues statistics reflecting the debt problems and the obesity and cancer rates problems have NOTHING, absolutely nothing to do with my anecdotal observations?
Namely, that fewer and fewer people eat home-cooked meals and more and more eat processed, ready-made meals? Or alternatively, healthy and very expensive - in the case of those who are "deeply concerned about the nutritional well-being of their families?".
It couldn't possibly have to do with any of that.
Now...assuming I am talking the garbage you think I am talking, then why is the food industry (ready-made, pre-packed) doing so well? Do they all serve the households with full-time working-moms? Considering a significant chunk of the women-with-children population stays at home (it's at least 40%)...this would be quite surprising.
I missed this bit, but let me try and answer it -
I believe that a large percentage of people that buy processed foods are not by choice SAHM's, but moms from lower income neighborhoods that have little to no access to a car or a grocery store, working families that are too exhausted after working all day to cook from scratch, single parent households, some of the generational poor who have been brought up on fast food and cheap crap, and some SAHM's who are affluent and/or hate cooking.
I actually highly doubt that the large majority of parents who CHOOSE to stay at home to look after the children, who aren't on some form of food stamps or other assistance, don't cook for their families. I highly doubt that there's a particularly large percentage of those SAHP's.
So for me, cooking from scratch is much more expensive.
I've also learned that sometimes cooking certain things from scratch is not worth the time it takes - in other words, my time is more valuable. For example, I recently made my own tortillas, then cut them up, seasoned them and baked them to make a "chip" for dipping (in the hummus I make from scratch). End conclusion was it took way too much time. I'm better off finding some sort of whole grain, no preservatives cracker in the health food aisle.
Cooking from scratch can be much more expensive depending with what you compare it to, and what you want to it.
It is YOU who decides how far you want to go with your recipe, how expensive you want the meal to be, etc.
So you decide on a super-gourmet recipe to be made at home from top-notch ingredients from Whole Foods ...then you compare it with a .99 c burger from McDonalds...then you feel like you demonstrated how cooking from scratch CAN be more expensive than store-bought.
OMG...I am so outta here. Should have been long time ago.
Oh, one more question: do you guys go to the opera and ballet during school hours? 'Cause we kind of pick evenings and/or week-ends for that. And if there's no school involved, do your below-5 children enjoy that jazz?
I'm highly disappointed at such pedestrian sarcasm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by syracusa
Also, the opera and ballet thing was in response to an earlier post of Zimbo who was arguing how happy she is due to time allocated during the day for the aforementioned, as opposed to how unhappy I must be for having to chop carrots instead of going to the opera.
Even more disappointed at such moribund comprehension. Tut tut!
Quote:
Originally Posted by syracusa
OMG...I am so outta here. Should have been long time ago.
Cooking from scratch can be much more expensive depending with what you compare it to, and what you want to it.
It is YOU who decides how far you want to go with your recipe, how expensive you want the meal to be, etc.
So you decide on a super-gourmet recipe to be made at home from top-notch ingredients from Whole Foods ...then you compare it with a .99 c burger from McDonalds...then you feel like you demonstrated how cooking from scratch CAN be more expensive than store-bought.
OMG...I am so outta here. Should have been long time ago.
Huh? How did I compare that to a burger from McDonald's? YOU are the one on here saying SAHM's who don't cook from scratch are wasting money. I'm just disagreeing with you that cooking from scratch is cheaper. I personally feel that if you are buying ingredients that are BETTER than what you'd find in processed food then most likely you spending more.
I used to buy a lot of store brands, then decided to read labels. That's all. If you don't agree fine. But don't put words in my mouth. I don't shop at Whole Foods, I shop at King Soopers, I wasn't making a "gourmet meal" - geez. Have you ever made hummus? It's incredibly nutritious and takes about 5 minutes to make.
So you see no correlation between those obesity/nutrition/debt rates and the fact that more and more families no longer eat home-cooked meals.
Nothing. Nada. OK.
Also, the opera and ballet thing was in response to an earlier post of Zimbo who was arguing how happy she is due to time allocated during the day for the aforementioned, as opposed to how unhappy I must be for having to chop carrots instead of going to the opera.
I didn't say that, but you only just now asked that. All you asked is how we cook and if we work. Then you proceeded to tell us we spend too much time catering to our kids and not enough time cooking for them. For one thing, the argument could have been largely avoided, if you had specified from the beginning, your definition of cooking from scratch. I think almost all of us would have fallen under your definition.
2 problems -
1) We manage to cook balanced meals AND take our kids places that you find unnecessary.
2) Cooking from scratch is not less expensive.
Now, you said nutritionally precut veggies "count" as ok. But then you also said the cost adds up, thus I'm not trying hard enough to save money. I don't know what your point is anymore. It seems to have changed.
I don't recall anyone saying they take their kids to the opera or the ballet. Parks, museums, the zoo, yes. How anyone can find fault with that, I'll never understand.
I believe that a large percentage of people that buy processed foods are not by choice SAHM's, but moms from lower income neighborhoods that have little to no access to a car or a grocery store, working families that are too exhausted after working all day to cook from scratch, single parent households, some of the generational poor who have been brought up on fast food and cheap crap, and some SAHM's who are affluent and/or hate cooking.
I actually highly doubt that the large majority of parents who CHOOSE to stay at home to look after the children, who aren't on some form of food stamps or other assistance, don't cook for their families. I highly doubt that there's a particularly large percentage of those SAHP's.
yes, this.
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