Stretching Dollars
The Today Show recently asked the question, “Is the recession making you fat?”
Because of the economic times, psychiatrist Gail Saltz said people eat more comfort foods – high in sugar, carbohydrates and fat. But the host of the segment, Al Roker, pushed further, asking Today Show contributor and nutritionist Joy Bauer if eating healthy is too expensive in a bad economy.
“There is some validity to that, when you think about it, because fresh produce and lean meats are more expensive than less expensive fare,” she said. “But, if you strategize, you can eat well in an affordable way.”
Some of her tips included eating at home instead of eating out at restaurants, especially for quick meals, and brown-bagging work lunches. She also told viewers to buy produce in bulk and then individualize the meals, adding a variety of fresh produce while bringing down the per-meal cost. Saltz and Bauer also recommended having healthful snacks on hand, such as fresh fruits or vegetables, so that when the urge to snack comes, consumers don’t have to resort to junk food.
The advice is good – consumers can have better-for-you choices and cut back on expensive, empty calories. But Bauer continued her line of thought on her Today Show column on the NBC Web site. In it, she recommends consumers stay away from expensive fresh produce, and specifically fresh-cut produce. While she recognized the convenience factor, she cautioned shoppers to carefully weigh the trade-off in cost. As an alternative, she recommends buying whole produce and cutting it at home, or buying frozen fruit and vegetables.
Consumers who take her advice may cut back some on their bills – and that is increasingly important as the American public cuts back on almost every area of spending – but people who do will miss out on some of the great fresh-cut items on the market today.
Sure, a shopper can buy whole lettuce and chop it up, but it doesn’t offer half the variety found in most salad mixes. There’s also more waste and a lot more time needed to prepare – and for those of use who make one salad at a time it’s not worth the hassle to chop up lettuce for a salad. The same is true for fruit – a fruit salad mix will offer more fruit with a lot less waste for just a little bit more than buying all the whole fruit – and maybe less by the pound when waste is considered.
Fresh-cut has taken a hit along with most other businesses in this recession, but people always need to eat, and the fresh-cut industry still has a lot to offer to consumers. Offering value along with a healthful, quality product is a sure way to attract customers looking to stretch their grocery dollars.
