Killer (Organic) Tomatoes From Outer Space

I'm delinquent, I know. Deal with it.

Check out this article from MSN. Read it and then read my rant below.

Point 1: The first guy cited in the article made it seem like making a meal of organic, farmer's market veggies was more expensive than eating out. Um, what type of veggies are you buying here? Mutant veggies that will clean and cook themselves? Do your taxes? You can buy a lb of squash, an onion, and garlic, even the organic stuff, for less than $5 at my farmer's market, toss with some olive oil, cheese, and pasta and you have a meal for 6 that costs less than $8. (Or you can grow a vegetable garden and end up paying even less than that!)

But there are two other errors in this comparison-1) assuming that a farmer's market is the cheapest place to get vegetables and 2) buying only organic vegetables.

Don't get me wrong, I love farmer's markets and frequent them often. But I know that they are either the same price or even more than my local supermarket. Yet, I continue to frequent them to support my local farmers.

Now, I also don't buy into this organic craze. Women's Health did a great article on whether organic fruits and vegetables were worth it. They determined that anything with a soft skin that could easily absorb pesticides and chemicals (think berries) should be purchased organically. Anything with a hard skin or shell (acorn squash, bananas) wasn't worth the organic price. This makes total sense, but admittedly I still don't bother with organic. I haven't determined that it is worth the price overall.

Point 2: People don't have time. Yes, we are all strapped for time. My commute takes me anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours each way. Yet, when I get home, I make a point to cook dinner. One, because I enjoy it immensely. It's how I transition from my work day to being at home. Two, because once you familiarize yourself with cooking, it doesn't take much thought nor much time.

The other problem I have for this is that adults, on average, watch 29-34 hours of television per week. My average? About 7-10 per week. So maybe if we get our asses off the couch, we will have time to cook more, eh?

Truly, there are some people who don't have time during the week to cook. This is where a handy dandy invention I call a "freezer" comes into play. Cook on weekends and freeze into dinner portions. Pull out a portion each night before you go to bed and pop into the microwave when you come home. Within two minutes, you have a healthy and hot dish to enjoy. Think about it-this is faster than waiting in line for even some of the quickest fast food joints.

Which brings me to another point: Dude, restaurant food is generally NOT healthy. Many dishes at sit down places are upwards into 1000 calories (average adult needs only 2000 calories per day). So even if you could successfully argue with me that eating out is cheaper, I would counter that the long-term impact on your health may cost more in the long run. Diabetes, heart disease, etc....

Point 3: The article claims grocery store prices are too high. I'll touch on just a few quick points here because I plan on expanding later. The example cited was chicken wings for $8. I'm guessing they were bought preseasoned. Let's see-I can buy a package of chicken wings for $5-$6. I need to season them, but I have all of the seasoning stuff at home. So my cost would be $6 to feed a family of 4. That is the same cost as an appetizer of chicken wings at a restaurant, but with more food.

But here's another problem-chicken wings have little meat on them-you are paying more for bone than meat. So maybe the problem is that you are making the wrong choices in what you buy. I can get boneless chicken breasts for 1.79 per lb and season them to taste like buffalo chicken wings. So for $3 and a side of veggies, you can have a healthier and more complete meal for less. Show me a restaurant where you can feed a family of four a healthy meal for $4.

Look, this is not to say to not eat out. I admit, I LOVE eating out. But I don't do it because its cheaper-to me, its a treat. As such, I try to limit my culinary excursions to once a week. So I'm not saying to give it up entirely. I am saying that if you think you are strapped for time or its you think eating out is cheaper, you may want to reexamine your lifestyle.

Strategies to lower your food bill:
-Learn how to cook. Especially quick easy meals. As much as she irritates me, Rachael Ray is great for this.
-Buy nutritious foods that are worth the money. If you stick to the nutritional guidelines (lean meats, low fat cheeses, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits) you will find your food bill drops too.
-If you do eat out, opt for something you can split with someone else or take home for leftovers. Most pasta dishes can be divided into at least three servings. I find that when my husband and I order Chinese, we have lunches for the next two days (in addition to dinner that night).