Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

hbr.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 157 posts

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#141

Post by chrisco255 »

whitebread wrote: post #75
chrisco255 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Butter and salt are not bad for you.

No food is good or bad, it’s just food. Dose makes the poison, yada yada. Please stop moralizing food choices. Is butter a calorie heavy food that is being overused in restaurants, leading to overeating? I’d say yes. Does that make butter “bad?” I’d say no, still just a food item. It’s amoral. Sodium is an even trickier thing, as overeating isn’t really a calorie thing but can have other adverse impacts.

Putting a little butter on your veggies isn't going to harm anything. Putting butter on some bread and downing 1000 calories of bread or potatoes...that's a different story, but it's not the butter that's causing the overconsumption...it's the carbs.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#142

Post by petra »

Animats wrote: post #122
petra wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. The real question is: why aren't we seeing products yet ?

One company has a patent monopoly, they're not a big company, and they're not licensing it to a big company. You have to use their equipment. Their last news update was in 2018, a bad sign. Amazon Fresh was talking about it last year, but didn't go that route. Amazon/Whole Foods has been fooling around with meal kits, but meal kits turned out to be a dud business.[1] What people in the US seem to want is ready to eat…

>> they're not a big company, and they're not licensing it to a big company. You have to use their equipment.

We're talking about 915 Labs , right ?

So where's the problem - just buy the system from them - as long as they price it fairly.

Heck it's even better - they have a monopoly on a key technology - they are an ideal partner/acquisition for someone who wants to roughly own the food business.

Also there's micvac, which does have some similar , microwave based food packaging technology, and they sell products in Sweden, South Africa, and probably Asia. And i believe they have US patents.

>> What people in the US seem to want is ready to eat delivery.

That's true for affluent customers. You can't beat the restaurant delivery brand, quality and selection.

But what about non-wealthy people - if it's cheap enough, chilled meals may be a better solution for them. But i'm not from the US so maybe i'm mistaken.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#143

Post by empath75 »

clSTophEjUdRanu wrote: post #56
spamizbad wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Already done (several times) and on the startup scrap heap.

What? There are already services that go around, pick up laundry, wash the stuff, and return it folded. It's expensive but this is not a new business.

I’d think the Uber version would be your neighbor coming around to do your laundry.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#144

Post by rayhendricks »

CommieBobDole wrote: post #46
impendia wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who doesn't enjoy cooking all that much, I've noticed this too and been distressed by it. Restaurants, almost uniformly, serve unhealthy food. There are exceptions to this, but they don't seem to be all that popular. When I go out to eat with friends I am often stuck eating something heavier and less healthy than I would like. Is there some good reason for this?

Yes; restaurants, especially nice restaurants, are in the business of selling food which people eat primarily for pleasure, not for nutrition. It's an indulgence, not sustenance. Even those restaurants who want to appeal to a 'healthy eating' audience find that their less healthy items sell better; considering the difficulty of succeeding or even surviving in the restaurant business, they start to emphasize those ite…

Healthy meals do not have to be flavorless. Of course if they are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator then the menu will maybe start to look like McDonald’s, but even somewhere like chipotle you can buy a salad without the extra cheese and chips.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#145

Post by illegalsmile »

JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #59
rovr138 wrote: post #6

I like cooking but end up with a bunch of things to clean if I get creative.

Clean as you go. Plan your tasks before you begin cooking. If you spend 30 minutes cooking, you'll have maybe a handful of 2-3 minute breaks between steps.

That works as does the concept of mise en place for any meal that requires prep work even in a home kitchen. Have everything ready to go and clean as you go.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#146

Post by detaro »

me_me_me wrote: post #125
dexwiz wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Traditional American cooking seems to be a Protein + 2 sides. On the surface most vegetarian options become 1) replace meat with tofu or 2) a salad. Both of which get boring very quickly. For vegetarian dishes it’s helpful to look at non European cuisines. Curries and soups both have a huge variety and don’t require a meat to be complete. Chickpeas also make a great protein substitute besides Tofu. Dumplings are othe…

>Finally, cooking with spices makes vegetables much more varied. Americans seem to think spices and rubs are only for meat and vegetables need to be plain. A well spiced vegetable dish is delicious. No, you are wrong. And that a pitfall that for some reason a lot of people fall into. ALL dishes need spices to make food taste better. All meat is seasoned when cooked. Why people cook vegies without seasoning and compla…

You say "No, you are wrong" and then repeat the exact message of their comment?

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#147

Post by albertsondev »

JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #106
dreamcompiler wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, to name just two, are outstanding when cooked this way.

If you want to bring your brussels sprouts to the next level, add bacon and maple syrup.

Or saute them with a bit of butter, garlic, and balsamic.

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#148

Post by TurkishPoptart »

dexwiz wrote: post #36
sonofaplum wrote: post #24

I've been seeing a nutritionist to try to help with weight loss and his emphasis has been on a healthy plate, which is a plate that is half vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter starch or grains. Even at nice restaurants, it is extremely difficult to order meals that fit these proportions, and, as you move down the quick service spectrum it gets harder and harder. By the time you arrive at fast food, its difficult…

Traditional American cooking seems to be a Protein + 2 sides. On the surface most vegetarian options become 1) replace meat with tofu or 2) a salad. Both of which get boring very quickly. For vegetarian dishes it’s helpful to look at non European cuisines. Curries and soups both have a huge variety and don’t require a meat to be complete. Chickpeas also make a great protein substitute besides Tofu. Dumplings are othe…

The Instant Pot has been a godsend for me when it comes to making Indian dishes. Especially Chana Masala. Provided you have a pound of dried chickpeas (~$2-$3 a pound), some lemon, onion masala, and a few spices stashed away, it's really easy to make over and over. I can recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Instant-Pot%C2%AE-Cookbook-Tra...

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#149

Post by TurkishPoptart »

JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #106
dreamcompiler wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, to name just two, are outstanding when cooked this way.

If you want to bring your brussels sprouts to the next level, add bacon and maple syrup.

or a little maple syrup plus goat cheese bits!

Re: Grocery Industry Confronts a Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking (2017)

#150

Post by TurkishPoptart »

copperx wrote: post #108
war1025 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along this same line, something I've been extremely surprised by every time I visit someone in the hospital is how unhealthy hospital dining options are.

What's even more depressing is that hospital meals are designed for healthy people. Most people recovering from a gastrointestinal disease or chemotherapy find most food unpalatable, and hospital food seems like straight up garbage to them. For example, there are few to no "light" tasting options. Everything is seasoned restaurant-style (pedal to the metal in the flavor department). Hospital food ought to have a blan…

Hospitals are such stressful places to be in that they seem mandated to provide "comfort food" all around.
Post reply on HN