Observing Middle Aged Americans Purchasing Food.

[purbeast0]

So much this. Not to mention the post-meal cleanup...

Grilling FTW! There is hardly any cleanup.

When I'm not grilling, cleanup takes about 2-3 minutes.

Aw you poor little snowflakes that must be so tough.

This again goes back to people just being lazy fucks.

My healthy meals/dinners take me a total of like 10-15 minutes of "work" to prepare, cook, and then eat. Yes that time also includes eating the meal.

 

[mindless1]

This is just factually wrong.

And most people who aren't "eating healthy" aren't living off of 25 cents ramen noodles for every meal, eating for less than $1/day. They are doing it in a realistic way where they are just buying fast food and eating out all the time, and buying stuff that is preprocessed and easy to heat up, which is not 3x cheaper than eating healthy.

This is a topic about people at grocery stores. That makes it backwards to assume they're the population eating out more. Many processed foods are much cheaper per calorie than whole fruits and vegetables. Whether they "need" all those calories or not is a separate mental health issue.

Grilling is far more cleanup for me than cooking indoors. I don't leave my grill grate nasty so there's brushing and steel wool to scour it, there's the runoff from basting that creates a toxic sludge in the grill bottom and its drain pan.

You must fix very simplistic meals if cleanup takes only 2-3 minutes, perhaps live alone? I can wash a stew or chili pot in a minute but any multi-course meal takes much longer to clean up though I usually do much of that while cooking instead of afterwards.

My healthy meals/dinners take me a total of like 10-15 minutes of "work" to prepare, cook, and then eat. Yes that time also includes eating the meal.

That is virtually impossible. It's so far fetched that I don't think you cook at all. There are plenty of meals that might take less than 1/2 hour to prepare and cook, but including eating and cleanup, no way that's 15 minutes total for healthy meals.

 

[snoopy7548]

If you're shopping at Whole Foods, eating healthy will cost an arm and a leg. If you're shopping at a normal supermarket, eating healthy doesn't need to be expensive. You can buy enough green beans and red potatoes for a large meal for the cost of a bag of frozen fries. Those people you see with shopping carts loaded with food also most likely go out for dinner at least twice a week, and probably don't bring leftovers to work for lunch. The average American wastes an enormous amount of food.

There's also the long-term ramifications of eating garbage. Sure, maybe you save $10/week by eating fast food every day, but you will be paying for it with health issues years down the road. Compound this by people being lazy and never going to the gym, and you're completely screwing your future self.

I buy only fresh fruits and vegetables (this includes green leaf lettuce, which actually has some nutritional value), chicken, pork, eggs, milk, yogurt, and bread if I need it. I usually have red meat on the weekends. There's also butter, oil, and all the other smaller stuff like nuts, chips, deli cheese, and ice cream, but I only need to buy those maybe every few weeks or once a month. My weekly grocery bill is usually around $40-60, depending on what I have in stock, without using coupons.

My breakfast three times a week is steel-cut oatmeal with some honey, blueberries, banana slices, and a handful of walnuts. The cost of this is cheaper than any breakfast sandwich you might get at DD and orders of magnitude more healthy. The other two days I have an English muffin with a slice of cheese and an egg, also with a handful of walnuts. Ditto on being healthy.

Cooking, if you know what you're doing, is easy. The problem is most people are just lazy and have no idea how to prep efficiently. It shouldn't take more than an hour to cook a full, healthy meal, with a main dish and two sides, cleaning as you go. I like to plan my meals so that I only spend maybe 30 minutes cooking on a weeknight, and I always have leftovers for lunch (though I don't have for lunch what I had the night before - I rotate a bit).

As purbeast said, grilling is even easier. You have what, a couple of dishes you can throw in the dishwasher? I brush the grates immediately after cooking and it only takes about 20 seconds. I can cook a full pork tenderloin with asaparagus and mashed or grilled potatoes in 30 minutes - most of that time is spent waiting for the grill to heat up and letting the tenderloin cook/rest, and I make enough for three meals. Total cost is less than $10, or $3.33/meal.

I'm a single guy who is at work 11 hours each day (one of those hours is spent in the gym) and lives alone in a house. I tend to sit down for dinner, whether it's leftovers or something I just cooked, by 7:10p.m. every night. I guess having kids would make it more difficult, but if you're married there's no excuse.

 

[purbeast0]

That is virtually impossible. It's so far fetched that I don't think you cook at all. There are plenty of meals that might take less than 1/2 hour to prepare and cook, but including eating and cleanup, no way that's 15 minutes total for healthy meals.

LOL I do it pretty much 5x a week at night.

Last night I cooked 2 porkloins on the skillet. Total cooking time was 3 minutes - 90 seconds on each side.

While it was heating up I seasoned it and while cooking i made a salad on the side with spinach, tomatoes, goat cheese, and a little dressing.

After 6 minutes it was all cooked and I ate everything in about 5 minutes.

Then I took about 2 minutes to rinse the skilled out and put my dishes into the dishwasher.

So it was about 13 minutes from me going into the kitchen until me leaving it with a stomach full of food.

Other times it takes a couple minutes to prepare chicken and you put it in the oven or on the grill and set it and forget it then come back when it's time to flip or take it out.

Also, cleaning a grill takes about 5-10 seconds with a brush. Yes, a whole 10 seconds. That is so much time I know for you little snowflakes.

 

[mindless1]

^ Set a stopwatch next time because your estimates are likely way off the mark. It isn't even healthy to eat fast enough to get done in that amount of time, and fast cooked (carcinogenic overheated fat in order to get them cooked in only 3 minutes) porkloins aren't healthy either, nor is grilling that fast.

Your nasty grill grates are carcinogenic too.

If this were a race about how to cut corners to spend minimal time on meals you might win, but this isn't that topic and your haste is in itself causing unhealthy meals.

 

[purbeast0]

^ Set a stopwatch next time because your estimates are likely way off the mark. It isn't even healthy to eat fast enough to get done in that amount of time, and fast cooked (carcinogenic overheated fat in order to get them cooked in only 3 minutes) porkloins aren't healthy either, nor is grilling that fast.

Your nasty grill grates are carcinogenic too.

If this were a race about how to cut corners to spend minimal time on meals you might win, but this isn't that topic and your haste is in itself causing unhealthy meals.

I do set a timer when I cook, that is how I know how long to cook them.

Also, eating fat is not unhealthy. Neither is pork. And it will be a pork chop or a thin cut loin depending what they have fresh when I shop that week.

Every time I grill, BEFORE I grill, I heat it up to over 500 degrees and scrape it at that time, just like the instructions said to do. My grill grates are spotless before I cook on them.

 

[Ichinisan]

When did spending time in life's necessitys become inconvenient?

When far more convenient options became available. Wasting water and soap washing dishes isn't nearly as much a concern as the wasted time. It's not even worth my time to be paid to wash dishes, so it's definitely not worth my time to do it for free. I don't understand why people place so little value on their time.

 

[purbeast0]

When far more convenient options became available. Wasting water and soap washing dishes isn't nearly as much a concern as the wasted time. It's not even worth my time to be paid to wash dishes, so it's definitely not worth my time to do it for free. I don't understand why people place so little value on their time.

Except that is a terrible analogy.

You are comparing apples to oranges.

Whether you wash dishes by hand or a machine, it's the same end product, clean dishes.

Whether you cook a healthy meals at home or buy a Big Mac combo at McDonalds, the end product is vastly different with your health.

 

[Ichinisan]

Except that is a terrible analogy.

I made no analogy.

You are comparing apples to oranges.

Whether you wash dishes by hand or a machine, it's the same end product, clean dishes.

Who said anything about a machine? A sandwich from Arby's doesn't leave me with any dishes to deal with. No loading. No unloading. No water. No soap.

Whether you cook a healthy meals at home or buy a Big Mac combo at McDonalds, the end product is vastly different with your health.

Nearly all home-made burgers are far bigger portions and worse for your health than just getting the tiny hamburger / cheeseburger from McD's. Concerns of "processing" go out the window when you make a giant greasy home-made burger and add way more cheese and mayo than the one from the fast food place. The extra lettuce and greens don't do much to balance that.

I get the fish sandwich when I'm at McDonalds and maybe the yogurt parfait (it has been a while, actually). I'm usually getting food for my brother and I use a buy-1-get-1-free coupon or mobile app deal. No soda. I almost never pay full-price for anything fast-food. In the morning, I get a fruit & maple oatmeal.

I prefer Arby's. Either a plain roast beef sandwich (I bring almost half the beef back home to my cat) or a "roast turkey ranch & bacon market fresh sandwich" with mayo instead of ranch (just my taste preference). I usually split that with my brother since it's already sliced in half. Again, my cat usually gets some of the turkey. Unfortunately there aren't as many discounts for the market fresh sandwiches, but it's still far better than shopping for those ingredients, preparing them daily, trying to make sure none of the ingredients go bad before they're used up, and cleaning up after preparation. At home, I wouldn't even have all the ingredients pulled out in the amount of time it would take for me to receive and finish my sandwich from Arby's. Also I usually order the side salad and I eat it with no dressing.

My other routine is a Chick-fil-A sandwich, side salad with no dressing, and an iced tea with 4 squeezed lemon slices. My cat never gets any of that.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

When far more convenient options became available. Wasting water and soap washing dishes isn't nearly as much a concern as the wasted time. It's not even worth my time to be paid to wash dishes, so it's definitely not worth my time to do it for free. I don't understand why people place so little value on their time.

Dishes aren't a necessity of life, food is. However, cleaning up after yourself is a moral imperative you lazy scut. Couching it in terms of "best use of time" is disingenuous at best and "my shit doesn't stink" at worst.

 

[Ichinisan]

Dishes aren't a necessity of life, food is.

Can't disagree with that.

However, cleaning up after yourself is a moral imperative you lazy scut.

Can't disagree with this either. Make a mess, clean it up. Avoid making messes when possible.

Couching it in terms of "best use of time" is disingenuous at best and "my shit doesn't stink" at worst.

Ha ha ha! Coming from you food snobs, that's RICH!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Having a better educated palate makes me a good snob? And, what does this so called snobbery have to do with you putting convenience ahead of the important parts of life?

 

[mindless1]

I do set a timer when I cook, that is how I know how long to cook them.

No, set a timer that includes ALL aspects of your food prep, cooking, cleaning, etc. It's very easy to just conveniently omit things that must be done in order to fabricate an argument.

Also, eating fat is not unhealthy. Neither is pork. And it will be a pork chop or a thin cut loin depending what they have fresh when I shop that week.

Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet, but a lot of saturated fat cooked at very high temperatures to get it cooked that quickly, is not.

Every time I grill, BEFORE I grill, I heat it up to over 500 degrees and scrape it at that time, just like the instructions said to do. My grill grates are spotless before I cook on them.

Not at all spotless, you just created loose carcinogenic particles that will be on your food. This also takes time to do, or does getting the grill fired up, scraping it, getting the food put out there, not count as time spent because it doesn't suit your argument?

You're not even supposed to take meat direct from the fridge and put onto a grill, should let it get closer to room temperature.

There is this thing called science which determines how cooking methods produce carcinogens instead of relying on the insistence of individuals.

 

[Ichinisan]

Having a better educated palate makes me a good snob? And, what does this so called snobbery have to do with you putting convenience ahead of the important parts of life?

Why is it important to make messes so that you have to clean them up? Please be clear.

I choose to avoid making messes whenever possible.

I also enjoy the occasional grilled salmon platter from Captain D's. I get it with coleslaw and broccoli (always waaaay over-cooked, unfortunately).

When I do prepare something at home, it is usually salad (spring mix with shredded cheese, cherry / grape tomatoes, and no dressing). Very little cleanup. I can usually get by with just rinsing my bowl (in scalding hot water). Even that is a problem because I cannot use the fresh salad ingredients quickly enough before they go bad, even if I prepare HUGE bowls for myself.

 

[purbeast0]

I said time doing "work" when cooking/prepping. Sitting your fat ass on a couch while your oven cooks chicken for an hour isn't included in the time. I'm talking about actually "doing" stuff. There is no need to sit there and watch food while it cooks in an oven/grill.

The same goes for grilling. It takes 2 seconds to turn it on then I go inside and do something else while it heats up for 15 minutes.

Then I put chicken on it that takes about 15 seconds and I walk away for 15 minutes.

Then I come back in 15 minutes and flip it which takes about 15 more seconds.

15 minutes later I come out and it's done. Takes a minute to get the food off and shut down the grill.

I never said anything about putting food on the grill straight out of the fridge, not sure wtf you even brought that up.

And there is no need for me to set a timer for anything other than the time cooking, I know about exactly how long it takes me to prep, make, and eat my meals. I've been doing it for years.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Why is it important to make messes so that you have to clean them up? Please be clear.

I also enjoy the occasional grilled salmon platter from Captain D's. I get it with coleslaw and steamed broccoli.

You seem to be running in circles.

 

[Ichinisan]

You seem to be running in circles.

Doing great, thanks. I'm very happy and I enjoy my healthy diet.

 

[Ichinisan]

I said time doing "work" when cooking/prepping. Sitting your fat ass on a couch while your oven cooks chicken for an hour isn't included in the time. I'm talking about actually "doing" stuff. There is no need to sit there and watch food while it cooks in an oven/grill.

The same goes for grilling. It takes 2 seconds to turn it on then I go inside and do something else while it heats up for 15 minutes.

Then I put chicken on it that takes about 15 seconds and I walk away for 15 minutes.

Then I come back in 15 minutes and flip it which takes about 15 more seconds.

15 minutes later I come out and it's done. Takes a minute to get the food off and shut down the grill.

I never said anything about putting food on the grill straight out of the fridge, not sure wtf you even brought that up.

And there is no need for me to set a timer for anything other than the time cooking, I know about exactly how long it takes me to prep, make, and eat my meals. I've been doing it for years.

Regardless of how much down time you have while cooking, you still need to allocate the full amount of time and there are many things you cannot do during that period. If you can't drop what you're doing on a whim and leave, your time is restricted. If the down time is truly free time, I have a lot more options than watching TV (like getting into the car and driving off).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Doing great, thanks. I'm very happy and I enjoy my healthy diet.

May you live long enough to understand what is valuable in life.

 

[purbeast0]

Regardless of how much down time you have while cooking, you still need to allocate the full amount of time and there are many things you cannot do during that period. If you can't drop what you're doing on a whim and leave, your time is restricted. If the down time is truly free time, I have a lot more options than watching TV (like getting into the car and driving off).

If you are worried about driving off, user an Instant Pot then. You can leave just fine while it's cooking. I do it all the time.

But most people aren't out and about when they get home from work. Most people are home for the rest of the night so it's not an issue.

If you count putting something in the oven for 70 minutes actual 70 minutes of "cooking work" then whatever. But I get a lot done like take a shower, give my kid a bath, play video games, watch tv, do some programming, etc.

But you guys can keep living in this pretend world you live in to try and prove points. I'll stick to actual reality.

 

[mindless1]

^ I thought a bit more about your record breaking meal prep/cook/eat total.

You must hate what you cook.

Me, there's no way I'd be in a rush to scarf down food that fast unless I was starving.

I'd only try to swallow it all as fast as possible if it were bad, instead of savoring it for at least a few minutes longer.

Now don't try to tell me you have more important things to do because with your AT post count, you clearly do not have more important things to do.

Cooking and gulping down food as fast as possible might be a sign of an internet addiction but it is not something anyone should strive for.

If you don't value food, it's like not valuing air, or sex, or any other enjoyment in life.

If something else matters more to you, you are entitled to make that choice, but the rest of us prefer eating food that is good enough that we're not gulping it down as fast as possible just to get that over with. If it's good food the last thing most want is to try to shorten the experience as much as possible.

Suit yourself, in no way would I ever get more enjoyment out of internet posting over a delicious meal that's done right and not carcinogenic.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Suit yourself, in no way would I ever get more enjoyment out of internet posting over a delicious meal that's done right and not carcinogenic.

LOL... but... but... someone might be WRONG on the INTERNET! Must get back to POSTING! (Yeah, I have Internet Addiction too.)

 

[purbeast0]

Eh, I've always been a fast eater. It's nothing more than that. Since I was a kid I was the first one to get up from the table.

Also I never said I "like" to cook did I. I said I'm not a lazy fuck who makes excuses as to why I can't prepare meals and that it doesn't have to take long.

Now you are claiming you have to take X amount of time to make something taste good? And now post count has to do with how much time it takes to cook?

Jesus christ you are all over the place.

 

[mike8675309]

So is butter good or bad this week? How about eggs? Red wine? Coffee? Medical "science" changes the standard of what is healthy every 3-4 years....

It would seem that way if you get all your science from television, magazines, and blogs. The reality is that science has proven that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol are bad for overall cardiovascular health. The problem is that there is way too much money behind the status quo for our food systems, and the only way they can make sure that the status quo stays in effect is by creating confusion. Because if there is confusion, the sheep will just throw up their arms and say "it all changes every 3-4 years so why bother listening to anyone".

 

[RPD]

This is such bullshit.

Everyone has the means to eat healthy. It's not expensive. That is a huge misconception.

You could cook a healthy meal consisting of chicken and a salad for 3-4 people for the price of one value meal at McDonalds.

People are just lazy as shit and don't want to do it, because they are lazy as shit.

Exactly. I mentioned to my wife months ago, while making my eggs in cup, which includes 2-3 eggs, olive oil, baby spinach, mushrooms, tri-tip/beef left over or just pre-cooked bacon from Costco, salt/pepper and finished with cheese on top (eggs/protein and olive oil start, microwave 1min, mix in spinach&mushrooms salt/pepper, 1 more minute, mix again more salt/pepper and 30s-1min and add cheese) how much more effort goes into that vs. pouring a bowl of cereal. I can't believe for DECADES I thought a bowl of cereal was "healthy". But after doing my eggs in a cup for 2+ years it's just second nature now.