A sign of things to come?
Photo by Steve Schwartz
Food prices are rising worldwide. Locally, Seattle has seen the cost of food rise 4% in 2007 and it’s estimated to rise again 4.5% this year.
Coscto has recently seen an upswing in the sale of food staples such as rice, flour, and cooking oil as people stock up.
Food shortages are growing worldwide. It’s not just the price of a barrel of oil anymore that is pushing prices up. Wheat shortages and the loss of crops worldwide are causing many people to panic.
Are you cutting back on food purchases due to rising prices? Stocking up on pantry items like dried beans and flour? Should we be alarmed?
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I’m not cutting back on food purchases, but I have been significantly changing the kind of food purchases I make, namely sources of protein. I have been increasingly relying on eggs (sorry, I don’t care for tofu all that much) in place of meat as the main source of protein for a meal. I’m still spending a ton on groceries, but that’s because I try to buy local, organic produce and have lots of vegetable-centric meals.
By the way wesa, I have recently found your food blog and love it! Following along on True Foods as well (saw you hang out there)…I am getting more inspired each day!
Tofu (and soy products in general) does not appeal to everyone. I personally like firm and extra firm tofu, but the "mouth feel" of soft tofu is a big turn off to me. *shudders*
My husband and I are cutting back a bit on food purchases but for reasons other than the ones I listed above. We still spend more for food than the average American for the reasons you cited: local and organic. By adjusting our diet to be mostly vegetarian (meat is only served a few times a week and more as a side dish and for flavor than as the main portion of the meal), we can cut costs.
Thanks for following my food blog and checking out True Foods!
Buying in bulk is too often a pain in the ass, but lately I’ve been buying simpler, easier-to-make sort of foods. Ramen is a good start, of course. Rice is also a good foundation to use with a lot, and it’s dirt-cheap. (And it’s no secret that I suck in the kitchen in the first place anyway.) :P
You haven’t had much reason to learn to cook!
I haven’t cut back on groceries at all, but I’m weird about food anyway. I’ve got stomach issues so sometimes I wish I could just take a pill and be done with food altogether. But then I’ll make a big batch of chicken mole and want to drink a big glass of the mole sauce as I sit and think about when my Abuela and Tia showed me how to make it. I think I like cooking more than actually eating it. I prefer to make interesting food for friends and family and then just eat a small plate in the kitchen and watch everyone enjoy the food. It’s kind of selfish in a way, but I’m kind of a weirdo I guess.
I don’t think that’s weird at all! One of the best parts of cooking, in my opinion, is watching others enjoy the fruits of the labor.
Yet another reason to use birth control. Sheesh people get a TV for your bedroom.
What about birth control and no television? There’s a fairly large percentage of Seattle folks without even one television in their homes you know.
I have cut back my Whole Foods, New Seasons, Farmers’ Markets type purchases and limit myself to what at I can get at the grocery store closest to my home. It makes my sad, but feel I’m being practical. I’m single with no children and have no idea how families can afford to buy local and organic.