Food value

D.Currie said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the relative value
of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what "value" you're talking
about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it is? Nutrition? Ease of
preparation? Presentation? Trendiness? Allergy/religious/moral values?
Organic only?

I guess this needs an example, so here are a few..

My father was a big opponent to "empty calories" of which soda/cola/pop was
his prime example. With pop, he said you're pretty much buying sugar and
water with very little in the way of nutrition. He thought diet sodas were
even stupider, because you aren't even getting calories for the money.

Dieters might be looking for the most bulk per calorie because they want to
be full, but still lose weight. An athlete might go the other direction,
where calorie intake would have to be higher, so bulky foods might be less
valuable.

Some people are looking for something filling but cheap. So it's bulk per
dollar.

You get the idea.

For me, flavor is a big deal. I don't mind spending my time cooking, if the
result is good. I'm willing to spend a little more to get good ingredients,
but I still shop sales, so money is a factor. I don't see the point in
spending money on food that's filling but not tasty, or just because
something is trendy. Nutrition could be a concern, but we eat a pretty
varied diet, so I'm not too worried.

I'm betting that for many people on this group, flavor ranks pretty high,
but what about the rest of it?

It's all about ingredients around here. Some r.f.cooking favorites are
Velveeta, canned mushroom soup, margarine, ketchup, dry onion soup mix,
jarred mayo, Coca Cola, etc.

Quoted message said:

--
Donna

--Bryan

In article <[email hidden]>,

D.Currie said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the relative value
of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what "value" you're talking
about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it is? Nutrition? Ease of
preparation? Presentation? Trendiness? Allergy/religious/moral values?
Organic only?

Interesting topic, Donna. Yes, I think maybe flavor is important to me,
too, but it really depends on the moment - if I'm in a "I've got to lose
some weight" mode, I am more interestested in what will fill me up than
how it tastes. If I'm asked to bring a particular dish to an event or
occasion, I may be interested in appearance or quality, depending on
what I think the assembled will appreciate.

Sometimes the prettiest tastes like [censored] - I'm thinking about the
shipped-in strawberries I'm buying. Local super has a BOGO on them this
week and I bit. I'll be happy if half of them are edible - more than
half would be better still.
--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 4-11-06, Church review #12
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

D.Currie said:

I'm betting that for many people on this group, flavor ranks pretty high,
but what about the rest of it?

--
Donna

For me its a balance between nutrition, pleasure, variety and the
amount of work involved, pretty much in that order. Cost doesn't enter
into it very much as there's just two of us, we're not big eaters and I
give high priority to the quality of what I put into my body!

D.Currie said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the relative value
of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what "value" you're talking
about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it is? Nutrition? Ease of
preparation? Presentation? Trendiness? Allergy/religious/moral values?
Organic only?

I guess this needs an example, so here are a few..

My father was a big opponent to "empty calories" of which soda/cola/pop was
his prime example. With pop, he said you're pretty much buying sugar and
water with very little in the way of nutrition. He thought diet sodas were
even stupider, because you aren't even getting calories for the money.

I agree with dad.

Quoted message said:

Dieters might be looking for the most bulk per calorie because they want to
be full, but still lose weight. An athlete might go the other direction,
where calorie intake would have to be higher, so bulky foods might be less
valuable.

Some people are looking for something filling but cheap. So it's bulk per
dollar.

You get the idea.

For me, flavor is a big deal. I don't mind spending my time cooking, if the
result is good. I'm willing to spend a little more to get good ingredients,
but I still shop sales, so money is a factor. I don't see the point in
spending money on food that's filling but not tasty, or just because
something is trendy. Nutrition could be a concern, but we eat a pretty
varied diet, so I'm not too worried.

I'm betting that for many people on this group, flavor ranks pretty high,
but what about the rest of it?

Flavor is the main reason I prepare things. I really don't care for
"industrial" food (lots of sugar and salt with little other taste). That
is why you may see me rant about using many bottled or space food
products because I wouldn't bother preparing food with those products
because of the "industrial" result. I also don't blow the budget to make
tasty food.

"Food Snob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the
relative value of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what
"value" you're talking about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it
is? Nutrition? Ease of preparation? Presentation? Trendiness?
Allergy/religious/moral values? Organic only?

Iceberg lettuce is just filler on a sandwich or in salad. It only value is
it makes things chewier. It's hardly nutritious. It's basically no
calories. It does a better job of masking other ingredient flavors. It has
some miniscule amounts of some nutrients. It's certainly not value for your
money, flavor, diet or whatever.

Imho,

Andy

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Food Snob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the
relative value of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what
"value" you're talking about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it
is? Nutrition? Ease of preparation? Presentation? Trendiness?
Allergy/religious/moral values? Organic only?

Iceberg lettuce is just filler on a sandwich or in salad. It only value is
it makes things chewier. It's hardly nutritious. It's basically no
calories. It does a better job of masking other ingredient flavors. It has
some miniscule amounts of some nutrients. It's certainly not value for
your
money, flavor, diet or whatever.

Imho,

Andy

I don't buy it -- but if it is served at a restaurant, I will eat it for
fiber.
Dee Dee

D.Currie said:

Quoted message said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

<snip>

I guess really it is a hierarchy. You can't depend on just one. Unless
someone is wealthy, the budget always has to be part of the equation.
However, I feel with a bit of thought budget need not be an inhibitor on the
other factors. Nutrition is my main focus as I am feeding a growing boy.
As he is a teenager I am also looking for filling healthy snacks! Of course
food must have good flavour or any cooking is for naught. The rest depends
on mood. How much time I wish to spend, am I in a celebratory state of
mind, company coming, tired etc.

Debbie

(Email account is valid but one I do not check. To email use above
name dot neill at sympatico dot ca)

Dee Randall said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Food Snob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

> I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the
> relative value of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what
> "value" you're talking about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it
> is? Nutrition? Ease of preparation? Presentation? Trendiness?
> Allergy/religious/moral values? Organic only?

Iceberg lettuce is just filler on a sandwich or in salad. It only value is
it makes things chewier. It's hardly nutritious. It's basically no
calories. It does a better job of masking other ingredient flavors. It has
some miniscule amounts of some nutrients. It's certainly not value for
your money, flavor, diet or whatever.

Imho,

Andy

I don't buy it -- but if it is served at a restaurant, I will eat it for
fiber.

It isn't even really big on fiber. What Iceberg is is enjoyable. I
love Iceberg with home-grown tomatoes and crispy bacon.

Quoted message said:

Dee Dee

--Bryan

Food Snob said:

Quoted message said:

I don't buy it -- but if it is served at a restaurant, I will eat it for
fiber.

It isn't even really big on fiber. What Iceberg is is enjoyable. I
love Iceberg with home-grown tomatoes and crispy bacon.

What iceberg is is something that needs something else to go with it to be at all
enjoyable. Personally, I don't have much use for any kind of lettuce but I can
choke down Iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, thinly sliced carrots,
croutons, some nice salad dressing. It's a nice garnish to a sandwich, preferably
with some mayo , dar I say, Miracle Whip. But Iceberg lettuce straight up? No
thanks.

D.Currie said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

My father was a big opponent to "empty calories" of which soda/cola/pop was
his prime example. With pop, he said you're pretty much buying sugar and
water with very little in the way of nutrition. He thought diet sodas were
even stupider, because you aren't even getting calories for the money.

I agree. Add to that the acidity of the drinks and it can cause many
problems for what ? Do you think it actually tastes that good ? I'd
rather have juice, milk, wine, or beer.

Quoted message said:

Dieters might be looking for the most bulk per calorie because they want to
be full, but still lose weight. An athlete might go the other direction,
where calorie intake would have to be higher, so bulky foods might be less
valuable.

For me, it has to be a combination of bulk and flavor. Either one is
easy, but diet food that fills you and and tastes good, that is far
more difficult. Also, it has been difficult to find foods that are high
in protein that aren't expensive (chicken breast and fresh fish),
loaded with fat (mmmm, bacon), or difficult to prepare (beans, which
are over salted in a can, and annoying to soak). Diet versions are
often not the solution. It seems they think you are either on a low fat
or a low carb diet. Very little else seems to be taken into
consideration. Often the box it comes in has more nutritional value.

Quoted message said:

Some people are looking for something filling but cheap. So it's bulk per
dollar.

I like to save a buck when possible, but not at a huge expense to
quality. Better yet, find higher quality stuff for less than the major
brand [censored]. Ethnic stores and brands often allow this.

Quoted message said:

You get the idea.

For me, flavor is a big deal. I don't mind spending my time cooking, if the
result is good. I'm willing to spend a little more to get good ingredients,
but I still shop sales, so money is a factor. I don't see the point in
spending money on food that's filling but not tasty, or just because
something is trendy. Nutrition could be a concern, but we eat a pretty
varied diet, so I'm not too worried.

Nutrition has become a larger concern for me recently, but flavor is
still very important. Also, I don't want to eat boring food. I'd rather
risk over cooking a shark steak on the grill than have hotdogs. That
said, every once in a while a home grilled burger hits the spot in a
way no fast food place can ever hope.

Summer is here, and grilling is more of a concern. I'll keep the house
cool and grill some fish, zuchini (slice lengthwise), sweet potatoes
(microwave a few minutes first, or they take forever), and stuffed
peppers.

Quoted message said:

I'm betting that for many people on this group, flavor ranks pretty high,
but what about the rest of it?

I think freshness and quality count quite a bit, and they both affect
flavor.

Dean G.

In article said:

"Food Snob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the
relative value of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what
"value" you're talking about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it
is? Nutrition? Ease of preparation? Presentation? Trendiness?
Allergy/religious/moral values? Organic only?

Iceberg lettuce is just filler on a sandwich or in salad. It only value is
it makes things chewier. It's hardly nutritious. It's basically no
calories. It does a better job of masking other ingredient flavors. It has
some miniscule amounts of some nutrients. It's certainly not value for your
money, flavor, diet or whatever.

Didn't we already go through this? Several times? With *real* numbers,
not just your "fluff" words?

Next you are going to try and claim that potatoes are just empty
calories.

--
Dan Abel
[email hidden]
Petaluma, California, USA

In article <[email hidden]>,

Food Snob said:

It isn't even really big on fiber.

So post some numbers. How much is "big"?

How does it compare to a food that really *IS* big?

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

--
Dan Abel
[email hidden]
Petaluma, California, USA

In article <[email hidden]>,

D.Currie said:

Here's something to consider...how do you value food?

I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the relative value
of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what "value" you're talking
about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it is? Nutrition? Ease of
preparation? Presentation? Trendiness? Allergy/religious/moral values?
Organic only?

Flavor and price hang in a pretty delicate balance in our budget.
Although I am willing to pay a little more for better ingredients
(especially when grown/raised/produced by local farmers), there is a
limit to what we can afford. So, I'd say price first, then flavor very
tightly second.

Nutritive value is important, but unless you're living on iceberg
lettuce, I don't think it's as huge a deal as people make it. You eat a
variety of things and some of them have more and some have less
nutritive value. Just make sure you don't regularly eat dinners of ring
dings and valium and all should be well.

As for ease of preparation, I keep a range of things in the house,
both simple and more complicated to prepare. Depends on the meal, the
time constraints, etc.

I prefer nice presentation, but it's not part of how I choose food,
unless there's a really uggy looking sample versus the nicer looking
ones. This is something that I do as or after I'm cooking and while I
serve/plate.

Filling is similar. We have a large family made up of a hard working
man, and growing boys and a little daughter who eats as much or more
than I do. Filling is important, but I think about it in terms of how I
put the meal together rather than when I purchase food.

Don't care at all about trendiness except how it sometimes raises the
price of things I like, or conversely makes them more readily available.

Except for my strange allergy to abalone, we have no food allergies
in our home, or among our close acquaintance (well, that's not true, but
the kid with the terrible allergies is basically allergic to food, so
his parents always bring his own food).

Our religious tradition has fast days and abstinence days, but
nothing is strictly prohibited or proscribed. So, I plan meatless
meals, or rid the house of most fats and sweets, or make meals for the
kids while we adults are fasting, and that's about it.

Organic, if we raise it, and when we buy it from local farmers. This
is tied in with my first point. I don't go out of my way to buy it, but
if it is available from local producers at the same or better prices
than the grocery, or if we raise it ourselves, or if it is a variety
that is just not available in the standard market, we'll get it.
Otherwise, it's whatever is on sale. 🙂

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dean G. said:

I agree. Add to that the acidity of the drinks and it can cause many
problems for what ? Do you think it actually tastes that good ? I'd
rather have juice, milk, wine, or beer.

I actually do enjoy a soda every now and then. Not all the time, and
we rarely have it in our home, but I do like them. It's not something I
crave, and often they are just too sweet, but a Pepsi with a wedge of
lemon in it, or a Cherry Coke, or Sprite/7-Up straight or mixed with
juice is quite nice on occasion. Mostly, we drink water and milk.
Coffee and tea, and occasionally wine or mixed drinks.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Ranee Mueller said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dean G. said:

I agree. Add to that the acidity of the drinks and it can cause many
problems for what ? Do you think it actually tastes that good ? I'd
rather have juice, milk, wine, or beer.

I actually do enjoy a soda every now and then. Not all the time, and
we rarely have it in our home, but I do like them.

I understand the occasional drink, but drinking a 6 or 12 pack a day is
ridiculous. I'd get sick of that much of anything.

Dean G.

Dave Smith said:

What iceberg is is something that needs something else to go with it to be at all
enjoyable.

Not necessarily. I seem to have a real craving for it, lately. Had a
large salad (i/b lettuce only w/ dressing) of it last night and a
couple nights ago I tore off a large chunk and ate it plain. I'd
rather eat iceburg than some of the lawn clippings being sold at
insane prices. Better yet, combine the two.

nb

"Dean G." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ranee Mueller said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dean G. said:

I agree. Add to that the acidity of the drinks and it can cause many
problems for what ? Do you think it actually tastes that good ? I'd
rather have juice, milk, wine, or beer.

I actually do enjoy a soda every now and then. Not all the time, and
we rarely have it in our home, but I do like them.

I understand the occasional drink, but drinking a 6 or 12 pack a day is
ridiculous. I'd get sick of that much of anything.

Dean G.

As a teenager, I liked pop, but nowadays, it's maybe one can a week at a
meeting I go to. And if I remember to bring something else to the meeting, I
have that instead. I have a few cans in the fridge, but they've been there
since last summer. Sometimes on a hot summer day, an ice cold soda is good,
or as a mixer for a drink. I'll drink it more often when I'm out than when
I'm home, though.

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Food Snob said:

Quoted message said:

I don't buy it -- but if it is served at a restaurant, I will eat it
for
fiber.

It isn't even really big on fiber. What Iceberg is is enjoyable. I
love Iceberg with home-grown tomatoes and crispy bacon.

What iceberg is is something that needs something else to go with it to be
at all
enjoyable. Personally, I don't have much use for any kind of lettuce but I
can
choke down Iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, thinly sliced
carrots,
croutons, some nice salad dressing. It's a nice garnish to a sandwich,
preferably
with some mayo , dar I say, Miracle Whip. But Iceberg lettuce straight up?
No
thanks.

Iceberg lettuce is like the white bread of the vegetable world. I like the
crunch it has, and I like it on certain sandwiches because of the crunch. I
like it in some salads, because it lets the other ingredients shine.

Donna

"Dee Randall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Food Snob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

> I started thinking about this when someone was discussing the
> relative value of iceberg lettuce. I mean, it all depends on what
> "value" you're talking about. Money? Calories? Flavor? How filling it
> is? Nutrition? Ease of preparation? Presentation? Trendiness?
> Allergy/religious/moral values? Organic only?

Iceberg lettuce is just filler on a sandwich or in salad. It only value
is
it makes things chewier. It's hardly nutritious. It's basically no
calories. It does a better job of masking other ingredient flavors. It
has
some miniscule amounts of some nutrients. It's certainly not value for
your
money, flavor, diet or whatever.

I like the crunch. For dieters, I think the appeal is that it takes a while
to eat, so it slows down the process, and it's somewhat filling. Or if you
eat enough, you get tired of chewing. I certainly wouldn't rate iceberg
lettuce as my favorite food, but it has its uses.

My DH used to say that they serve salads at restaurants so you have
something to do during that awkward phase of a first date.

Donna