Are healthier foods more expensive?

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 03:19:27 GMT

Make of this what you will

www.youtube.com/watch

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Suzanne Kelly — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 00:54:16 GMT

I've actually consumed one of these, bought it one evening when I ended up having to eat dinner at 10pm and couldn't be a**ed to cook. It was revolting and bore no resemblance at all to an omelette, spanish or otherwise. Bleurgh.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 15:50:02 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"]A traditional English omelette with the centre a little bit runny must be eaten straight away, but a slow cooked Spanish omelette (or tortilla as it is sometimes known) is just as good cold the next day.[/quote]

Hmmph.

OK.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Thomas Johnson — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:49:17 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]

I found this in Tesco's website.

When I was a student, I volunteered to taste omelettes that were planned to be pre-packed and sold in supermarkets. So it's nothing new.

[/quote]

That's not an omelette, whatever the label says.

An omelette, like scrambled egg, has to be eaten as soon as it is cooked.

[/quote]

A traditional English omelette with the centre a little bit runny must be eaten straight away, but a slow cooked Spanish omelette (or tortilla as it is sometimes known) is just as good cold the next day.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

bob lehner — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:14:16 GMT

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]Properly prepared nettle soup is delicious. Really delicious.[/quote]

Yes - I probably should have washed the cow piss off the nettles first.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Dagmar Steele — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:11:19 GMT

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]Properly prepared nettle soup is delicious. Really delicious.

[/quote] It is, one of my Irish friends does a wonderful version! I am a hopeless cook though. Despite this fact I did a very quick stir fry for lunch today. Chinese noodles cooked in four minutes. Veggies fried in some oil throw noodles in plus some spices. Done in under 10 minutes and very yummy!

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:34:45 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]

I found this in Tesco's website.

When I was a student, I volunteered to taste omelettes that were planned to be pre-packed and sold in supermarkets. So it's nothing new.

[/quote]

That's not an omelette, whatever the label says.

An omelette, like scrambled egg, has to be eaten as soon as it is cooked.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Mark Holmes — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:26:39 GMT

Properly prepared nettle soup is delicious. Really delicious.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Robert Jenkins — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:19:28 GMT

I guess that comes under the heading of experimental domestic science rather than cooking. Research is essential to progress.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

bob lehner — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:04:38 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]. My wife banned me from the kitchen after the 'exploding birthday cake' fiasco. (not a joke!)[/quote]

Mine banned me after the exploding nettle soup fiasco.

We were living in France and had a more than flourishing nettle problem on our land. I read somewhere that the French make nettle soup - tasty, nutritious and cheap - so I thought I would give it a go.

First harvest your nettles (ouch), then strip leaves off stalks (ouch again). Then boil up in a very large saucepan. Then macerate the resulting gunge to transform into a nice thick soup. So I stuck some sort of super hi-speed electrical whizzer device into the v. large saucepan of green goo - result - entire kitchen ceiling coated with glutinous mess.

Her indoors not happy......

(And the residue tasted absolutely vile).

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Thomas Johnson — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:09:25 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]

My Nephew about 2 years ago for a GCSE project, weighed rump steaks bought at different shops before and after cooking. Although the local farm shop cost more it worked out the cheapest in terms of £ per kg cooked weight. Supermarket meat contains more water and losses more weight when cooked. Interesting, but no surprise. Tasted a whole lot better too.

[/quote]

Supermarked meat isn't hung for long enough before selling, as that would cost the supermarket money. The meat from the farm shop or butcher will have dried out more before selling, the muscle fibres will have started to break down, so it doesn't lose as much weight when cooked and is more tender.

I usually finish work at 7pm, so I'm home by 7.15pm. I enjoy cooking when I get home, it helps me to relax, so despite the fact that my wife doesn't work I cook when I get home and will usually have a meal cooked from scratch by 8pm. We keep a few home-cooked meals in the freezer so if I'm late home we can heat one of those in the microwave.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:48:40 GMT

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]My tip - bolognese replace 50% of mince with grated carrot. You cannot tell, in fact I would argue the carrot one is better

[/quote]

My mother actually replaced all the mince with grated carrot for her vegetarian chili - in fact she was nearly DQ'd from a chili contest because the judges were adamant that her chili wasn't vegetarian!

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Francisco Gomez — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:31:22 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

Last time I was in Tesco they had a family sized lasagne for either £2 or £3. To make one that size I'd use that value of mince.

[/quote]

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Francisco Gomez — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:29:21 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]

I don't understand why folk say they can't finish work at 7pm and then cook a meal?

[/quote]

ok, let's say I'm too lazy and I'm trying to divert the reasons rather than accept that it is my own fault

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:20:30 GMT

It doesn't count as a meal if there is no meat

We eat a lot of wild rabbit (free), pheasant (also free), vension (bought at game dealer price and butcher myself), bought a fat pig off a local farmer etc.

Meat doesn't have to be expensive.

We had chickens and will get some more. By the time you cost in their food etc you don't save much but the eggs are so much better.

We grow veg, but by the time you cost in the plants, fertilizer, netting, compost etc etc it's cheaper to buy them, but far more satisfying and tastier to grow your own. I do think it is fallacy you save money.

Last time I was in Tesco they had a family sized lasagne for either £2 or £3. To make one that size I'd use that value of mince.

Fresh fruit and veg is expensive and does spoil.

We eat quite a lot of pasta, frozen veg (better nutrition than fresh in many cases), curries, spag bol, chops, sausages etc. Proper food made in less than 30 minutes.

May occasionally buy a ready made pizza, but don't buy traditional ready meals.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Mark Holmes — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 09:51:09 GMT

My tip - bolognese replace 50% of mince with grated carrot. You cannot tell, in fact I would argue the carrot one is better

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 09:46:56 GMT

[quote user="Sylvia Wilson"]

[quote user="Claire Fisher"]

Preprepared food in general is expensive - if you can cook and don't eat meat healthy food can be very cheap.

[/quote]

IF you can cook, there's the rub.

[/quote]

For me, it's a fairly major rub - my cooking is well known among my family. "What he cooks won't kill you - but you wish it would!"

(I follow directions, but it never really ends up like it's supposed to. My wife banned me from the kitchen after the 'exploding birthday cake' fiasco. (not a joke!)

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Clive Ansell — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 09:02:00 GMT

I don't understand why folk say they can't finish work at 7pm and then cook a meal? I can grill or pan fry some meat, or steam some fish, and steam boil potatoes and steam veg and have it on the plate within 20 minutes.

One of my regular practices is a longer commute and usual runs over too, so I think ahead and make Bolognese, chilli con carne, curry, or stew in a slow cooker that will last 3 or 4 days. I never eat ready meals, rarely skip evening meal, and probably have a take away once a month.

It is possible to eat at a reasonable cost and eat well, just need to be selective where you shop and what you buy. Meat and fish are not cheap so I have cut down on portion size, and in stews, Bolognese etc I use half meat and half beans or pulses.

My local farm shop is cheaper than supermarkets for in season local fruit and veg, and most of it is grown on there own farm or within a 5 mile radius. Their pork and chicken is slightly cheaper too, although their beef and lamb is slightly dearer. Their venison is off their own estate and is to die for.

I make my own bread in a bread maker and a medium sized decent loaf works out at less than £1 including the electricity to cook it. I am working away from home this week, and have called at a Sainsbury's on route this morning to stock up, where a granary loaf was £1.70. Once you've made your own it is never as nice.

link to great flour

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Francisco Gomez — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 07:06:51 GMT

I found this in Tesco's website.

When I was a student, I volunteered to taste omelettes that were planned to be pre-packed and sold in supermarkets. So it's nothing new.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 01:47:14 GMT

There's no such thing as a ready-made omelette (whatever the label might say) . That's as ridiculous as ready-made scrambled egg.

(What a thought )

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Francisco Gomez — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 20:15:15 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

Looking at the quantity of ingredients, I'd assume that fed at least 2 people though so no more than £2 each!

[/quote]

Yep, you're right. But the one at the shop was similar and was cheaper.

Good job I didn't buy these

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 20:03:43 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]

Girlfriend says you're all wrong and agrees that healthier foods are more expensive (she can't vote, she's a vet nurse).

When I asked to give an example she said:

'The omelette you just made cost you more than £10 and you had to cook it, there was one in Tesco already made for about a quarter of the price, but with preservatives, etc.'

*edit* it didn't cost me £10, she's exaggerating ...

Just made the calculations: 5 potatoes, 6 eggs, 2 peppers, 1 onion... Came to about £4[/quote]

Looking at the quantity of ingredients, I'd assume that fed at least 2 people though so no more than £2 each!

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Robert Jenkins — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 19:49:08 GMT

+1 but difficult to achieve with a 7-8pm finish on the windowcil of the flat over the surgery. Herbs do ok though

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Marie Kubiak — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 19:21:11 GMT

Grow your own! Much cheaper and a constant supply of fresh good quality veg and no packaging waste. I'm no proper gardened but manage to grow all our own potatoes, onions and salads in a couple of raised beds at home and have an allotment for everything else. We end up with way more veg than we can eat. Plus being on good terms with local gamekeepers means we very rarely need to do more than a 10minute trip round the supermarket each week. And it has the added bonus of getting us out the house and doing something completely separate to work so very good for winding down on a summers evening after consults.

Re: Are healthier foods more expensive?

Sylvia Wilson — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 18:42:06 GMT

+1 for the slow cooker.

I also batch cook chilis, curries, etc and freeze portions when I have time, so I have my own, properly-cooked 'ready meals' that can be re-heated very quickly