Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores • Hacker News Board

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#241

Post by IThoughtYouGNU » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:33 AM UTC

5555624 wrote: post #137

88913527 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average grocery store carries 30,000+ items, I don't know how people will find new products in a world (decades from now) where dark grocery shopping is the norm. We all only have vast awareness because we know of the goods by walking the aisles. The web apps for grocery shopping have carousels that might showcase to you two or three new items, but there simply is nothing analogous to aisle walking. You can't eve…

Since December, all of my grocery shopping has been done via Shipt.[0] What is available via the web site and app is fraction of what's available in the store. I've lucked out because they shop at the store I used to shop at; so, I can add a detailed special request. (Instead of just saying "pumpernickel bread," I can add that it's not in the main, prepackaged bread section; but, in the bakery section, on the left si…

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Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#242

Post by hedora » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:39 AM UTC

So, the article claims the average price for a day of nutritious food in the US is $3.

How is that possible? Is anyone here close to spending $21/week for all the food they eat (ignoring luxury items, etc)?

That hasn't been possible for me for at least 20 years, and when travelling to cheaper places (pre covid), it doesn't seem possible there either.

Where are these average food prices?

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#243

Post by watersb » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:40 AM UTC

bombcar wrote: post #173

SoftTalker wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never seen a cheap farmers market. Around here they seem to be exclusively for and patronized by wealthy older people, who don't blink at paying $7 for a head of lettuce.

Actual farmers markets are often designer shops for rich people. If you find actual farms and coops you can get good deals. There’s a local food coop that sells large boxes full of produce for $20 every Thursday - but you don’t get to choose what’s in the box.

Yes! There's a vegetable farmer here, does most of his profit at a farmer's market in a town across the valley, we would buy the box of whatever was left for $20. He would drop it off on his way home. Was a good deal for him, and we got amazing vegetables all summer.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#244

Post by iancmceachern » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:40 AM UTC

DubiousPusher wrote: post #172

I grew up in Montana so I am probably one of the few millennial Americans that probably recalls what life is like before supermarkets. They were just becoming a thing there as I was growing up. (Very, What's Eating Gilbert Grape.) We had an IGA in the small town I grew up in. The fresh food options there were borderline Soviet. We went to a butcher to get our meat when we didn't have meat from hunting. We got produce…

Well said. It's about priorities. My wife and I have found we are more culturally aligned with France and Italy. Focusing in enjoying the simple things in life, like a meal made from a few simple, delicious high quality ingredients.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#245

Post by jandrewrogers » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:41 AM UTC

DubiousPusher wrote: post #172

I grew up in Montana so I am probably one of the few millennial Americans that probably recalls what life is like before supermarkets. They were just becoming a thing there as I was growing up. (Very, What's Eating Gilbert Grape.) We had an IGA in the small town I grew up in. The fresh food options there were borderline Soviet. We went to a butcher to get our meat when we didn't have meat from hunting. We got produce…

American grocery stores have become absolutely amazing in my lifetime, from a pretty poor start (also growing up in the rural west). The diversity of fresh, high quality foods available most of the year is astonishing. And that is just your average suburban supermarket. Bigger cities have an incredible range of boutique food purveyors to meet the demands of every obscure desire or requirement. This is linked back into the agricultural supply chain where farmers will produce bespoke agricultural goods for rare and unusual needs on demand.

The creation of a free trade zone for agriculture from the Arctic to the Antarctic along the American side of the Pacific Rim is a significant contributor. Everything is in season somewhere. I don't know if younger generations appreciate the magnitude of the change in American food markets.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#246

Post by teh_klev » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:41 AM UTC

sdfhdhjdw3 wrote: post #73

fredley wrote: post #32

UK supermarkets are crap, and have got noticeably crapper in recent years. At even large mid-tier supermarkets you will find a paltry range of fruit and veg, and a maeger selection of almost entirely prepackaged meat and fish. I have noticed many things are routinely out of stock and it can be a lottery shopping for a specific recipe. I recently visited Portugal, and in a small city supermarket there was a bakery, me…

I think part of it is that UK standards are lower when it comes to food, yes. I know this might be offensive, but I think there's some truth to it. The reason I think there's truth to it is that it works in the opposite direction too. Standards for food are higher in Italy than in Portugal and guess what? Their grocery stores are better than the Portuguese ones. Comparing meat specifically in Portugal vs UK, it's gen…

> I think part of it is that UK standards are lower when it comes to food

This is patent nonsense. Current UK food standards for the moment are aligned with EU standards despite Brexit.

> Comparing meat specifically in Portugal vs UK, it's generally awful in the UK, but I've never heard anyone there complaining about it. Therefore, the standards must be lower, even if by simple virtue of people not knowing any better.

Yet more nonsense based on absolutely no evidence at all.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#247

Post by iancmceachern » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:41 AM UTC

agildehaus wrote: post #233

Hellion wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why fuck raisins? Earnest question, I always just assumed taking a lot of the moisture out of a grape was bad enough for flavor

They're toxic to dogs and cats, to the point where some animals can die from eating just a few of them. Same with grapes, but from what I understand raisins are worse for a reason that is not currently understood.

I think it's a volume thing. It's the seeds that are toxic to dogs, for the same unit volume yiuncan get more raises and the seeds within in for the same volume of grape.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#248

Post by iancmceachern » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:43 AM UTC

SoftTalker wrote: post #165

photochemsyn wrote: post #99

Farmer's markets are the way to go for produce if you have farms in your area. Some are overpriced and upscale, some are cheaper than your local chain grocery store. You can also buy grains/beans in bulk at lower prices, often direct from farmer's coops, and have it shipped to your door. Get a pressure cooker for beans, a rice cooker, save on the gas prices as they're electric, and use an induction electric stove. If…

I have never seen a cheap farmers market. Around here they seem to be exclusively for and patronized by wealthy older people, who don't blink at paying $7 for a head of lettuce.

I've seen tons. There are many in the Sacramento area where there are tons of farms, you can get produce and other items for pennies on the dollar compared to the grocery store.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#249

Post by bogota » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:43 AM UTC

DubiousPusher wrote: post #172

I grew up in Montana so I am probably one of the few millennial Americans that probably recalls what life is like before supermarkets. They were just becoming a thing there as I was growing up. (Very, What's Eating Gilbert Grape.) We had an IGA in the small town I grew up in. The fresh food options there were borderline Soviet. We went to a butcher to get our meat when we didn't have meat from hunting. We got produce…

There is somewhat of a middle ground. My cart looks very close to yours but I really don’t want to spend the 60 to 90 minutes most good meals take more than once or twice a week.

However you can make lots of good food ahead of time and freeze it. I spend a few hours every Sunday and it makes for quick 30 minute no effort meals for about two weeks.

Re: Americans are poorly served by their grocery stores

#250

Post by iancmceachern » Sat, Jun 04, 2022, 3:44 AM UTC

asiachick wrote: post #236

DubiousPusher wrote: post #172

I grew up in Montana so I am probably one of the few millennial Americans that probably recalls what life is like before supermarkets. They were just becoming a thing there as I was growing up. (Very, What's Eating Gilbert Grape.) We had an IGA in the small town I grew up in. The fresh food options there were borderline Soviet. We went to a butcher to get our meat when we didn't have meat from hunting. We got produce…

I'm sure supermarkets now are better than what you grew up with in Montana but I have the opposite experience. I'm in SF, we supposedly have good produce, farmer's markets, and big supermarkets with lots of selection. But they pale in comparison to what I'm used to from Japan and France. The bread here in SF is horrid and that includes that massively over rated Tartine, not to mention how bad the baked products are a…

Me too. I grew up in Colorado and have spent a lot of time shopping at farmers markets in Sacramento before moving to the bay area. The supermarkets here have great variety, but lousy fresh vegetables amd fruits. Real lousy.