Comments on: The Fat of the Land http://gravitonic.com/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land Life, technology, and other good things Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:22:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ryan http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-130 Ryan Tue, 06 Jan 2004 16:25:00 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-130 Where I come from, we call that "flavor," Andrei. :) Where I come from, we call that “flavor,” Andrei. :)

]]> By: Sherlock http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-129 Sherlock Tue, 06 Jan 2004 08:44:41 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-129 Prodigy fan? They sure are taking FOREVER with the lastest album. Prodigy fan? They sure are taking FOREVER with the lastest album.

]]> By: Andrei http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-128 Andrei Tue, 06 Jan 2004 05:44:38 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-128 The problem is that the minutes parts of the cow containing the disease can end up in your ground beef or the T-bone steak, so it's not out of the question. See http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cjd/cjd.htm. The problem is that the minutes parts of the cow containing the disease can end up in your ground beef or the T-bone steak, so it’s not out of the question. See http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cjd/cjd.htm.

]]> By: Sherlock http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-127 Sherlock Tue, 06 Jan 2004 05:10:44 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-127 LOL, mad cow disease. Is there any risk at all there? Isn't it next to impossible to transfer to humans, and only if parts like the brain or spinal column are eaten? LOL, mad cow disease. Is there any risk at all there? Isn’t it next to impossible to transfer to humans, and only if parts like the brain or spinal column are eaten?

]]> By: John Fulwider http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-126 John Fulwider Tue, 06 Jan 2004 03:21:24 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-126 Ryan's right, frozen vegetables are affordable, and convenient for some uses. Bake a bag of California Mix veggies with a couple of Italian dressing-marinated chicken or pork pieces and you have a tasty treat. But frozen veggies just don't cut it for my favorite use -- stir fry. If someone knows some Cooking Kung Fu that will keep frozen veggies crisp in a stir fry, do please share your wisdom. On the fresh vs. processed cost issue Sherlock raises, this is a point on which I've been cogitating for quite some time now. If you'll forgive me for not having a full argument prepared yet, I'll simply respectfully disagree with Sherlock by saying processing does not in all instances increase the dollar cost of food to the consumer. In any situation where a food products manufacturer can buy lots and lots of ingredients at bulk-discount rates, there's a chance a like quantity of processed food will be cheaper than the fresh variety. For example, 10 ounces of frozen snow peas are cheaper at my local no-frills grocery store than 10 ounces of fresh. But they sure don't taste as good in stir fry. Ryan’s right, frozen vegetables are affordable, and convenient for some uses. Bake a bag of California Mix veggies with a couple of Italian dressing-marinated chicken or pork pieces and you have a tasty treat. But frozen veggies just don’t cut it for my favorite use — stir fry. If someone knows some Cooking Kung Fu that will keep frozen veggies crisp in a stir fry, do please share your wisdom.

On the fresh vs. processed cost issue Sherlock raises, this is a point on which I’ve been cogitating for quite some time now. If you’ll forgive me for not having a full argument prepared yet, I’ll simply respectfully disagree with Sherlock by saying processing does not in all instances increase the dollar cost of food to the consumer. In any situation where a food products manufacturer can buy lots and lots of ingredients at bulk-discount rates, there’s a chance a like quantity of processed food will be cheaper than the fresh variety. For example, 10 ounces of frozen snow peas are cheaper at my local no-frills grocery store than 10 ounces of fresh. But they sure don’t taste as good in stir fry.

]]> By: Ryan http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-125 Ryan Tue, 06 Jan 2004 02:49:41 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-125 Gotta be very careful when you talk about starches and sugars as healthy food - this isn't just an "I'm on Atkins, Do As I Say" thing either. You're very correct - pastas, rices, potatoes, et. al. are pretty cheap - it's why they've become a staple of the American diet in the low-fat era of food consumption. Fruits and vegetables CAN be expensive, especially in the northern part of the country where a majority of fresh produce needs to be shipped in. John - frozen vegetables at my local supermarket are incredibly affordable. It may not be the same as eating fresh stuff, but you need the beta carotene and such that a can of Pringles just can't give you. The good news is this - with this mad cow scare going around, and all these countries banning U.S. Beef - you'll be able to get a choice cut sirloin for the same price as chicken breasts. Hooray for Atkins! Gotta be very careful when you talk about starches and sugars as healthy food – this isn’t just an “I’m on Atkins, Do As I Say” thing either. You’re very correct – pastas, rices, potatoes, et. al. are pretty cheap – it’s why they’ve become a staple of the American diet in the low-fat era of food consumption. Fruits and vegetables CAN be expensive, especially in the northern part of the country where a majority of fresh produce needs to be shipped in. John – frozen vegetables at my local supermarket are incredibly affordable. It may not be the same as eating fresh stuff, but you need the beta carotene and such that a can of Pringles just can’t give you.

The good news is this – with this mad cow scare going around, and all these countries banning U.S. Beef – you’ll be able to get a choice cut sirloin for the same price as chicken breasts. Hooray for Atkins!

]]> By: Sherlock http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-124 Sherlock Mon, 05 Jan 2004 23:00:24 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-124 Where I live, healthy food aint expensive. Making rice, pasta, beans, etc. is pennies! And most fruit and veggies aint much either. Lastly, processing INCREASES the cost of food. Where I live, healthy food aint expensive. Making rice, pasta, beans, etc. is pennies! And most fruit and veggies aint much either. Lastly, processing INCREASES the cost of food.

]]> By: Ferg http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-123 Ferg Mon, 05 Jan 2004 22:47:11 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-123 I blame it on modern toilet habits. Few things make my skin crawl as much as people leaving their reading materials behind in the bathroom to share with others. What makes people think I want to leaf through their poo-stained Wall Street Journal anyway? If you spend so much time sitting on the toilet that you think you should read while you're in there, then I have two words of advice: eat fruit. I blame it on modern toilet habits. Few things make my skin crawl as much as people leaving their reading materials behind in the bathroom to share with others. What makes people think I want to leaf through their poo-stained Wall Street Journal anyway?

If you spend so much time sitting on the toilet that you think you should read while you’re in there, then I have two words of advice: eat fruit.

]]> By: John Fulwider http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-122 John Fulwider Mon, 05 Jan 2004 19:22:20 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-122 Agreed -- but add in high-priced fresh food. Imagine a busy mother or father in the middle class or lower faced with preparing dinner for the family after a typically grueling day spent in the Sisyphean struggle against the twin boulders of inflation and taxation. Money's tight. Mom or Dad could: a. Buy a hot and tasty ready-to-eat meal from the 99 Cent Value Menu of his or her choice, which while convenient is laden with fat, calories and possibly teenage acne drippings. Price: Cheap. Time Investment: Little. b. Go to the grocery store and buy one of those "all in one box" complete dinners, which give the illusion of freshness by requiring assembly and cooking but are just as laden with fat and calories. Price: Fairly cheap. Time Investment: Moderate. c. Go to the grocery store and purchase fresh fruits vegetables, meats and grains to make a meal that looks a bit more like the wide end of the USDA's Food Pyramid. Price: Shockingly high. Time Investment: Depends on whether you're Rachael Ray. If you're not, heavy. When two incomes supported operations at One Fulwider Plaza, we used to wonder why our monthly grocery bills regularly topped $400. After one income "just blew away" like Mike Wazowski wishes his paperwork could, we figured it out. No more oranges, apples, grapes, green beans, snow peas, zucchini, squash and salad greens means a grocery bill cut in half. It's all about comparative prices; the processed stuff is cheaper and easier. We've got to make the mortgage, so we've written off the healthy foods we use to enjoy. What choice would you make? Agreed — but add in high-priced fresh food.

Imagine a busy mother or father in the middle class or lower faced with preparing dinner for the family after a typically grueling day spent in the Sisyphean struggle against the twin boulders of inflation and taxation. Money’s tight. Mom or Dad could:

a. Buy a hot and tasty ready-to-eat meal from the 99 Cent Value Menu of his or her choice, which while convenient is laden with fat, calories and possibly teenage acne drippings. Price: Cheap. Time Investment: Little.
b. Go to the grocery store and buy one of those “all in one box” complete dinners, which give the illusion of freshness by requiring assembly and cooking but are just as laden with fat and calories. Price: Fairly cheap. Time Investment: Moderate.
c. Go to the grocery store and purchase fresh fruits vegetables, meats and grains to make a meal that looks a bit more like the wide end of the USDA’s Food Pyramid. Price: Shockingly high. Time Investment: Depends on whether you’re Rachael Ray. If you’re not, heavy.

When two incomes supported operations at One Fulwider Plaza, we used to wonder why our monthly grocery bills regularly topped $400. After one income “just blew away” like Mike Wazowski wishes his paperwork could, we figured it out. No more oranges, apples, grapes, green beans, snow peas, zucchini, squash and salad greens means a grocery bill cut in half.

It’s all about comparative prices; the processed stuff is cheaper and easier. We’ve got to make the mortgage, so we’ve written off the healthy foods we use to enjoy. What choice would you make?

]]> By: Sherlock http://zmievski.org/2004/01/the-fat-of-the-land/comment-page-1#comment-121 Sherlock Mon, 05 Jan 2004 05:21:07 +0000 http://www.gravitonic.com/n/?p=62#comment-121 There's a "floor" to calorie intake as well. If you go below it your body will go into conservation mode and shedding weight will be more difficult. There’s a “floor” to calorie intake as well. If you go below it your body will go into conservation mode and shedding weight will be more difficult.

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