We are two weeks into the new year...how are those resolutions going?
I bought a condo last year and one of my first “resolutions” then was to stop spending so much money on eating out (I did that a LOT). That was partly
a commitment to healthier living and partly a commitment to reduce my spending.
Conventional wisdom holds that cooking for yourself at home is much less
expensive than eating out. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal shows the cost gap might not be as big as we think. (The BMJ
study is interesting, if dense...here’s a briefer, easier to read summary from
Runner’s World magazine’s Australia
edition.) The variables can make a big difference in calculating costs:
are you comparing the expense of groceries and time for just one meal for one
person or taking into account that purchasing ingredients to cook at home
usually yields several meals? Are you really going to buy the $20 an ounce flavored oil used by the restaurant or are you more likely to buy something similar but much less expensive? Also, this study assumes direct
comparison in terms of what is included in a meal, as in recreating a
restaurant version of steak and potatoes in your own home. The reality
for millions in the United
States is that even creating that same meal
from fresh ingredients is too expensive or time consuming. It is faster and
easier to reach for the box of “instant scalloped potatoes” on the grocery
shelf than it is to buy the fresh potatoes and do the work ourselves. The
trade-off in food quality and nutritional value is enormous, though. This post comparing eating out vs. eating in addresses some of those variables.
If you want some extra incentive to change eating habits, check out a few books or documentaries about the food industry and processed foods. Having read quite a few of these books and seen several of the documentaries, I can tell you that they have definitely influenced the way I shop for food and eat. I “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store and make an effort to get to a local farmer’s market whenever I can. I also pay attention to the “small print” on packaging. It can be
surprising how many foods are “flavored with” things rather than containing the
real thing itself (juices are a notorious example). Remember the
documentary Super-size Me? In case you don’t, Morgan Spurlock ate
nothing but fast food for 30 days. The changes to his body in that short a
period of time are incredible...and not in a good way. The shock factor made it
memorable and I think it heralded a new wave of interest in and investigation
of the food industry and American eating habits. Many high school students in Montgomery County have chosen Fast Food Nation as
part of their summer reading. (You’ll never think of chicken nuggets the same
way again.) Here are some other suggestions for reading and viewing:
Full disclosure: reading some parts of these books may have the opposite effect of what the author intends. The chapter in Salt Sugar Fat about how manufacturers scientifically calculate the perfect “mouth feel” of their foods had me salivating for my favorite crunchy, salty junk foods. And yes, I indulged myself that week even though I knew exactly how that wicked deliciousness was calculated to create an addiction. The good news is that I managed to stop after a handful (or two).
Tina
Labels: Holidays
Full disclosure: reading some parts of these books may have the opposite effect of what the author intends. The chapter in Salt Sugar Fat about how manufacturers scientifically calculate the perfect “mouth feel” of their foods had me salivating for my favorite crunchy, salty junk foods. And yes, I indulged myself that week even though I knew exactly how that wicked deliciousness was calculated to create an addiction. The good news is that I managed to stop after a handful (or two).