The following is a quote from Robert Farrar Capon’s The Supper of the Lamb. He is talking about butter, but really any good and healthy food that we often think is cost-prohibitive would make the same point.
“Don’t tell me it is expensive. We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for spending. No doubt you sincerely believe that there is margarine in your refrigerator because it is more economical than butter. But you are wrong. Look in your bread drawer. How many boxes of cute snack crackers are there? How many packages of commercial cookies reeking of imitation vanilla badly masked with oil of coconut? How many presweetened breakfast cereals? Tell me now that you bought margarine because you couldn’t afford butter. You see–you can’t. You bought the bread drawer goodies because you were conned into them; you omitted the butter because you were conned out of it. The world has slipped you a culinary diagram instead of food. It counts on your palate being not only wooden, but buried under ten coats of synthetic varnish as well. Therefore, next time you go to check out of the supermarket, simply put back one box of crackers, circle round the dairy case again, swap your margarine for a pound of butter and walk up to the checker with your head held high, like the last of the big spenders. This is no time for cost-counters. It is a time to be very rich or very poor–or both at once.”
I pondered this when I last thought I couldn’t afford fresh fish. My friend thought of this (after I shared it) when she was going to pass on the fresh fruit but had diet soda and juice in the cart.
Ouch.
Comment by stephanie — February 22, 2007 @ 8:35 am
Regardless of cost, one friend of mine refuses to eat margarine because he says it’s only 2 steps away from being plastic. After switching a couple of years ago, I can’t bring myself to buy margarine… or soda pop… or other nutritionally barren things like that.
Interestingly, our food budget increased when we first started trying to buy more healthy &/or organic choices. But, since joining OWOA and making a conscious effort to control portion size, our food budget has gone down.
Comment by Anita — February 22, 2007 @ 8:37 am
Me likee that quote.
Comment by blestwithsons — February 22, 2007 @ 8:55 am
Amen! Junk is never a “good deal” no matter how cheap it is!
Fish question–do any of you know anything about fish containing mercury? I have heard differing “reports” like all fish is bad because it has mercury or only get certain types…
Comment by Brandi — February 22, 2007 @ 9:19 am
Hmmm. Here is all I could find so far. And that only addresses canned fish. I wonder about fresh?
Comment by blestwithsons — February 22, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Ah… here’s another article about fish and mercury with a little more detail.
Comment by blestwithsons — February 22, 2007 @ 9:29 am
That is a good point!
Comment by Blair — February 22, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
Well, if you consider the cost of eating poorly, as well…more doctor bills, higher insurance, possible multiple purchases of airline tickets
, it really is cheaper to eat well!
I like real butter myself!
My mother always used it and we grew up in the healthiest family in existence! No frying foods, no snack foods in the house(like chips, sodas, snack cakes), lots of fresh fruits and veggies.
Comment by Bethany — February 22, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
I also think that I’m saving money now since I’m eating out a lot less. Just having food in the house to cook (tonight: vacuum-packed, frozen, wild-caught salmon; yum!) makes such a difference. It’s a time/money investment up front, but it’s worth it (and cheaper) in the long run.
I also like real butter. But then again, I have issues with sugar substitutes, too.
Comment by Anne — February 22, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
I despise sugar substitutes! I’d personally just rather not have sugar at all than use horrid sugar substitutes! Ew!
Comment by Bethany — February 22, 2007 @ 8:39 pm
Yes I bought sugar substitutes for the first time for south beach and have used it a bit but the jar is still over half full.(4 months now) I think my inclination is to use the real stuff most of the time but not too much of it. Really I dont think we do puddings or cakes much at all now. My husband has some things which he can have and I cook things like stewed apple occasionally and might have some but might not
And I consciouly put less sugar in it as I know he will have it with ice cream so won’t notice. I have actually trined him to like less sugar thanhe did. He used to put it on grapefruit and melon but doesn;t any more.
Comment by Elly — February 23, 2007 @ 3:51 am
It is interesting that when you go healthy your food bill goes up. But ours came back down with the more “real food” cooking I did. I am a big butter fan. I like it if I can pronounce it. Besides I figure if I can’t pronounce it (and was first created in a lab) it may not be the best thing for my body. AND prepackaged foods cost so much more. It takes more time for me to make real food but then I get to spend time with my family in the kitchen.
Comment by natasha25461 — February 23, 2007 @ 4:46 am