Daily Preparedness

In today’s culinary world of fast-food, prepared foods, ‘take it and make it’ nearly prepared foods and the explosion in frozen dinners, it is easy to become totally reliant on food that is prepared by others. Not only are prepared and restaurant meals higher in sodium, fat, sugar and calories, they are a steady drain on your budget. In an age when we are seeing grocery bills climb daily, it is not only frugal but nearly mandatory to re-examine the cost vs. benefit of the way many of us prepare our meals. And as our economy declines, we may all be faced to return to the ways of our mothers and learn to cook!

Researchers at Arizona State University compared the hourly rate we as consumers are affectively paying for many ‘convenience’ food. They purchased food in the non-shredded, cubed, etc. form and then calculated how long it took to prepare the food into its ‘convenient’ state. This calculation was then translated into an hourly wage that you, the consumer, are paying someone else to perform a simple task. For instance, shredded cheese costs you over $49 an hour as vs. buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. Cheese sticks? More than $43 an hour! In addition to paying someone else an exorbitant rate for a simplistic task, these ‘conveniences’ usually utilize the lowest possible grade of the product, then add coatings, inhibitors and other ingredients to extend their life and usability. The researchers also found that many ‘convenience’ foods such as pre-chopped, frozen, throw in the pan entrees save very little time (as little as 10 minute), while adding tremendously to the over-abundance of sodium, fat and sugars.

Even if you are willing to trade dollars and health concerns for the ‘value’ of convenience, you should still acquire the ability to easily prepare a wide variety of foods that result in a nutritious, wholesome and affordable meal for yourself and your family. Many adults today are lacking in these basic skills and that lack of education hampers one’s ability to not only live providently but to survive a wide variety of emergencies.

If you fall into the ‘heat and toss’ category, consider beginning now to learn the fine art of food preparation. You need not achieve the status of gourmet cook, but simply learn how to easily and economically prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner from fresh ingredients. At least once a week, prepare each of these meals using no pre-packaged/half-prepared foods, raw ingredients including a variety of meats and vegetables, a carbohydrate such as rice, potatoes or pasta, and fruit. In a huge hurry? Scrambled eggs, toast and fresh fruit should take no more than 10 minutes to prepare and serve. No time to clean up? Use a nonstick pan that is dishwasher safe and paper plates. You will be eating a meal that is nutritious (more so if you omit some of the yolks), cheap, fast and much healthier for you than a trip through the drive thru! If you are running out the door, slap the eggs on the bread (or a tortilla), wrap it in foil and eat as you walk to the car.

Don’t have a clue what to cook or how to cook it? Check out your local library for standard cookbooks such as The Joy of Cooking, which teaches everything from how to boil an egg to making creme brulee. The editions published during WWII include dealing with limited quantities of common items such as meat, flour and sugar. Some of their recipes, tips, techniques are available online at www.thejoykitchen.com.

Your first attempts at true ‘from scratch’ cooking may seem cumbersome and frustrating. Cooking, like any skill, requires practice and repetition to achieve ease and consistency. Keep trying, keep experimenting and don’t hesitate to ask for advice!

For experienced cooks, refresh your skills in a new area. Try cooking with food storage items, making your own yogurt or cooking meatless for a week.

Any skill you develop that provides your family with more economical, health-conscious food is one to treasure!