ronnie_suburban wrote: margarine, light, low-fat or reduced-calorie versions of anything.

=R=

I can agree with this, including skim and 2 % milk

Mr. Belvedere (uppity British $%&@)

Along the lunchables subject, things like calorie proportioned cookie packaging and individually packaged sliced fruit really should be illegal. Seriously, if you can't control your self with a full open box of oreos, you might want to stay out of supermarkets to begin with.

And if you don't have time to slice an apple, you really oughta realign your life. I've got the same opinion about those minute rice packages that really only take a minute and cost as much as a pound of real rice.

On the other hand, I would argue that Mountain Dew is a staple. And while I never buy them, I often wish I had a bag of frozen chicken breasts around when I'm out of meat. Smoothered in something, they're not so bad.

But back to the subject line - canned corn beef hash - I have more fear of it than being waterboarded.

This one came up at lunch: chicken fingers. The bane of any parent trying to introduce your kids to interesting food, because first you must avoid the well-meaning attempts of the restaurant to make your kids eat the blandest, lamest straight out of a bag convenience (for them) food-like item there is.

jesteinf wrote:Oh, and also this week's episode of The Biggest Loser (a show that I usually enjoy) that had one of the trainers extolling the virtues of a frozen bag of vegetables.

Better frozen vegetables than all the restuarant meals you get with NO vegetables.

kiplog wrote:Along the lunchables subject, things like calorie proportioned cookie packaging... Seriously, if you can't control your self with a full open box of oreos, you might want to stay out of supermarkets to begin with.

Disagreement here. Portion control is important, and most of us, let's face it, are simply too weak to stop eating cookies when we should. I think downsizing packaging, and plates, and many other things, is a good idea. Sure, we should all be strong enough to say No when we've had enough, but most of us aren't.

jlawrence01 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:Oh, and also this week's episode of The Biggest Loser (a show that I usually enjoy) that had one of the trainers extolling the virtues of a frozen bag of vegetables.

Better frozen vegetables than all the restuarant meals you get with NO vegetables.

Oh that is true. It's just that they were being presented that really bothered me ("hey, who has time for fresh vegetables, just use these!"). In any event, it's still way better than the crap some of these people used to eat.

Kraft Mac n Cheese (or any version of boxed mac n cheese really...I think the Annie's Organic stuff actually annoys me more...at least Kraft doesn't pretend to be healthy). My daughter loves this stuff and gets quite irate when I say we're having mac n cheese for dinner and she finds out that I'm planning to make a bechamel and bake it.

We let her pick dinner once a week and close to half the time that's what she wants...drives me crazy. But still, she's only 4, there's still hope.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Partially-hydrogenated anything, high fructose corn syrup, margarine, light, low-fat or reduced-calorie versions of anything, artificial sweeteners.

I don't know. Some of the products that aren't non-fat but just reduced fat, like Hellman's Light, light sour cream, light cream cheese, 1% milk, 2% Fage yogurt seem pretty good to me. I don't generally have a taste for things that are really high in fat though. Light cheese is pretty bad and I always have some regular cheese around, but I also have some light Jarlsberg that is fine for a sandwich. You really won't eat or drink anything that's reduced fat at all?

What the heck. I might as well go all the way and admit that I'm addicted to Skinny Cow ice cream bars. Low fat, reduced calories, and high-fructose corn syrup!

mrbarolo wrote:Then again, there are the ones that just make me laugh, like the "microwave ready!" baked potatos next to the (one assumes) unready potatos. The apparent difference being that the "ready" ones cost much more and have been individually shrink-wrapped in plastic that you have to peel off first, whereas the "unready" ones are naked. So, as best I can see, the "microwave ready" product would actually take you 10 seconds longer to get started on than the regular.

These wrapped potatoes have always mystified me, too. They look really strange and unappealing shrink-wrapped in plastic. I wonder if they actually sell.

mrbarolo wrote:Then again, there are the ones that just make me laugh, like the "microwave ready!" baked potatos next to the (one assumes) unready potatos. The apparent difference being that the "ready" ones cost much more and have been individually shrink-wrapped in plastic that you have to peel off first, whereas the "unready" ones are naked. So, as best I can see, the "microwave ready" product would actually take you 10 seconds longer to get started on than the regular.

I always just assumed you were supposed to microwave them IN the shrink-wrap and that maybe it somehow reduced the cooking times or something. Guess it never occurred to me that they would shrink-wrap them if it served absolutely no purpose.

eli wrote:Kraft Mac n Cheese

I wouldn't eat it, but the eighteen-year-old boy who lives with us loves the stuff, he can make it himself, and bought in bulk from Costco, pretty cheap, so this stuff, too, is more friend than enemy to me.

eli wrote:I always just assumed you were supposed to microwave them IN the shrink-wrap and that maybe it somehow reduced the cooking times or something. Guess it never occurred to me that they would shrink-wrap them if it served absolutely no purpose.

That's exactly what you're supposed to do with them. However, the directions fail to mention that, once they come out of the microwave, peeling the plastic off without scalding yourself is a bit of challenge.

My wife likes to buy these, and I like to make fun of her for buying them, because one shrink-wrapped potato costs as much as a whole bag of good, old-fashioned, non-individually-wrapped potatoes.

I put my vote in for low-fat cheese, especially the pre-shredded stuff. It tastes bland, and doesn't melt no matter how hard you try...it's reminiscent of plastic that way.

Another thought: My mortal enemy, my nemesis, is probably sour cream.
It's bound to be the death of me.

Yes, I adore butter, bacon (except on other meats), nuts, chocolate, cheese -- all the basic fat groups -- but sour cream is the irresistible.

Baked potatoes, potato pancakes, on all kinds of Mexican antojitos, stirred into goulash or paprikash or stroganoff, a dolllop with smoked salmon, a base for a salad dressing... whether it's crema or creme fraiche or Dean's, it's all good.

And as it oozes straight into my coronary arteries, every time I eat it I know I'm doomed.

Grits- very interesting. I just had this convo with my sister. Her husband is grossly overweight. i like high fat foods, could skip all sugar (give me chips),but I've cut out fat where
I can . There isnt one low fat thing in her house. Or anything with protein or fiber, which is why I am always hungry when I'm there, For me, i can live with low fat foods(not fat free). Low fat mayo with olive oil, low fat sour cream, I'm also ok with skinny cow. Let's be honest, the flavor is lacking, but, for 100 calories, It does the trick in a non offensive way.

My mortal enemy is jarred spaghetti sauce. (sugar....blech)

Hellodali wrote:An easy one - Sandra Lee
Who it seems has a magazine out now. I flipped through the "premiere" issue at a book store and I thought every page was an advertisement because every single friggin recipe had at least one brand name convenience product as an ingredient.

Plus once on her show she sprinkled sesame seeds on pita bread and called in naan.

Also, I'm not a parent so I may not truly appreciate some of the convenience foods out there for kids - but Lunchables? How much time does it take to just put some crackers lunch meat, cheese and some treat in individual bags Or what I really don't get is those crustless frozen sandwiches - the peanut butter and jelly ones. I can't imagine a thawed frozen sandwich being in any way appealing. And again, how much time could you actually be saving from slapping PB&J on two slices of bread?

Those frozen sandwiches come in handy if you are doing a long bike ride and have to carry your nutrition on the bike. They are the perfect size, the way they are designed keeps the PB and J inside the bread which cuts down on the mess and bugs, and the fact that they start frozen means that they are not likely to be a melted, gooey mess when you want to eat them. I eat a ton of those things during the summer.

Those frozen sandwiches come in handy if you are doing a long bike ride and have to carry your nutrition on the bike. They are the perfect size, the way they are designed keeps the PB and J inside the bread which cuts down on the mess and bugs, and the fact that they start frozen means that they are not likely to be a melted, gooey mess when you want to eat them. I eat a ton of those things during the summer.

Well now that sounds like a reasonable use for them. I'm an occasional distance biker myself and rely mainly on nuts and fruits and energy bars for sustenance (or on a pit stop some where). But my guess is that most of these frozen crustless sandwiches get used by folks who are willing to pay more for something they can make just as fast.

offal... specifically organ meats - found to be repositories of various enviromental toxins.


now if i could get rid of this craving i've had over the coupla years for any form of liver pate spread over a good rye, topped with a juicy slice of tomato and onion....

Instant Mashed Potatoes.

My boyfriend's family eats these instead of real mashed potatoes and it drives me crazy. Last Easter, I made real mashed potatoes for dinner for them and they were perfect- just the right consistency, garlic, mustard, saltiness....and they didn't seem to notice the difference

That was when I decided I'm not wasting my time making "real" food for them. I'll just stop at Trader Joe's on the way to their house.

I'm just going to pre-emptively declare that Bagel-fuls are my mortal enemy.

nicinchic wrote:I'm also ok with skinny cow. Let's be honest, the flavor is lacking, but, for 100 calories, It does the trick in a non offensive way.

My mortal enemy is jarred spaghetti sauce. (sugar....blech)

I actually like the Skinny Cow sandwiches because the ice-cream-like product inside (can't quite call it ice cream) reminds me of soft serve. I love soft serve ice cream, full-fat ice cream, gelato, sorbet, you name it. Ice cream is a big weakness for me so having a substitute like Skinny Cow around is helpful. As far as sorbets (another good substitute), I check the label now to make sure they are made with sugar and not high fructose corn syrup. I try not to look at the Skinny Cow label.

I've still got jarred spaghetti sauce. I'm going to start checking the labels on them...maybe that will finally wean me away from them. It's just so convenient to open up a jar after a long day at work. So begins the slide into the abyss....

abe_froeman wrote:I'm just going to pre-emptively declare that Bagel-fuls are my mortal enemy.

I'm not much of a snacker so I don't know what Bagel-fuls are, but this reminds me of something I'm sure there's some agreement on: cakey, bread-y "bagels." Sadly, at least where I've worked, most people didn't even understand that these weren't proper bagels but only bread shaped sort of like a bagel. (At least I guess that's how they are made.) These just irritate me so much.

Bottled tomato sauce. No need for that. Just saute some garlic, etc., add tomatoes and voila. Much better than bottled. Much.

Seriously, if you can't control your self with a full open box of oreos, you might want to stay out of supermarkets to begin with.

lol, you have more self-control than most people I know. personally, I deal with this by not buying oreos at all, but really, an open bag of oreos is a dangerous thing. Having said that, I do share a hatred of overly-processed convenience foods sold under the guise of a healthy alternative.

My mortal enemy is the raw tomato. I despise them with the heat of a thousand suns. I know many people who feel similarly. In spite of this, they are EVERYWHERE, and half the time, restaurants don't bother to list them on the menu, so I don't think to ask them to hold them. Being a watery, runny, seedy mess, once they're on my food, it's all I can taste.

Canned mushrooms.

Kennyz wrote:Canned mushrooms.

You beat me to it.

Non-thin-mint Girl Scout Cookies.

Miracle Whip.

Processed American cheese.

Hosts/hostesses who show you to a crappy table when there are less crappy ones still unoccupied.

Miracle whip
ragu, cant believe its still around and still bought
any kind of frozen "authenthic" italian meals
and as other have said those lunchables i was never allowed to eat those as a kid and thanks mom and dad for looking out for me.
frozen chicken/ turkey pot pies

Non-dairy creamer (liquid or powder).

I can't count the number of times when I've been offered a cup of coffee and, longing for a good cup, have said yes only to discover that there was nothing but non-dairy creamer and fake sweeteners to put in it. Blech. Not only does the stuff coat my tongue with an oily film, it also gives me an upset stomach. Horrible.

As for the low-fat and non-fat items: whenever I am tempted to purchase something from this category, I check the ingredients to see what they have used to replace the flavor or texture normally provided by fat. Almost always, the answer is: corn syrup. Low-fat mayo, for instance, has less fat but a lot more sugar. How is that good for my health?

MariaTheresa wrote:Non-dairy creamer (liquid or powder).

Many of the powder varieties are good for starting fires. They smell a bit like marshmallows when burnt.

gtomaras wrote:

MariaTheresa wrote:Non-dairy creamer (liquid or powder).

Many of the powder varieties are good for starting fires. They smell a bit like marshmallows when burnt.

Is this true? It's flammable?

I HATE non-dairy creamer, and I'll add UHT creamer to the list, both are unfortunately becoming airplane staples, especially on regional jets.