| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Behemoth |
Unhealthy store offers criticisedhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4468688.stmUnhealthy store offers criticised Supermarkets are more likely to promote unhealthy foods than fresh produce, the National Consumer Council has found. Its survey of 2,346 price deals at nine supermarket chains found none met the NCC's target of offering 33% of promotions on fruit and vegetables. But the NCC praised retailers for reducing displays of "unhealthy" snacks at checkouts and said they had made progress on its best practice targets. The consumer watchdog rated the Co-op top in its health responsibility index |
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| Lozzie |
Is this because the supermarkets make more money from selling unhealthy food than they do from the fresh raw stuff? | ||
| Bernie66 |
anything "prepared or processed"has a higher margin in terms of profit so probably yes, also the supplier will tend to be big enough to offset some of the "loss" from the offer. | ||
| cab |
The trouble with special offers on packaged, processed, pre-made food is that the food is still more expensive than food you've prepared your self, it is still less healthy than food you've made yourself, and it still mostly tastes crap.
Buy three processed meals for a fiver? No thanks, I'll make five of my own meals that are better in all respects for less than that. |
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| Lozzie |
What you say is such basic common sense Cab, but people just don't seem to believe it.
Is it simply that people are too lazy to prepare and cook food? Me, I'm considering trying once-a-month cooking as my next experiment. Requires a lot of pre-planning, but isn't that half the fun of these things?  
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| Penny |
What a fantastic idea lozzie, I do quite a few meals at a time usually, but what a challenge to do a whole month!! That's really inspired me now - right, lists of meals that can be long term stored/frozen..... |
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| Jonnyboy |
Generally I think that people are cooking less and less, whilst watching more and more cookery programmes. These ready meals give the impression that your having the same great stuff that Jamie or Nigella cooks but it's all a huge sham. | ||
| Behemoth |
While out shopping with the MIL in a big Tescos I stopped by the ready meal counter a had a look. They had two slow cooked lamb shanks in a rich red wine and veg sauce with a big dollop of mash. All for £6 and ready in 40mins. Mash aside the shanks and sauce looked appealing and there wasn't much in the ingredients that i wouldn't have put there, a few E numbers that I didn't recognise but they might be common enough. And I heard a voice...come to the dark side...... | ||
| mark |
Good on the co-op! A shame more peole aren't aware of their ethical stance...
mark |
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| Lozzie |
Behemoth you must resist! 
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| Jonnyboy |
Two large lamb shanks from my butcher - £2.50. that leaves a fair bit for a few veg and a slug of wine. |
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| wellington womble |
On the other hand, I made burgers yesterday, and bought processed cheese for himself to have on his. Not only were they only 25% cheese (surely rather unfair to call them cheese or even cheese flavoured!) but they were also 4% salt. AND had a list of unpronoucable ingredients as long as your arm.
Needless to say, he woke up in the night with a raging thirst! This has happened before with burgers too (there isn't a lot of salt, and almost no processed (by other people, anyway!) food in our diet - its obviously a shock to the system!) Bet the lamb shanks didn't come from a local small producer, and you could cook them yourself and bung them in the freezer, without even thinking about an e number! |
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| Lyds |
Good on the co-op! A shame more peole aren't aware of their ethical stance...
mark Too right Mark - if you go to the Corporate Critic website youwill find that the Co-op are the only supermarket with a good ethiscore - 14 out of 15. All the rest are very low - around the 4 mark. If I must use a supermarket, and sometimes I must, I try to use the Co-op. Their own brand tea, coffee and chocolate is fair trade. You dont need a "loyalty card" to get the 2 for 1 offers and you can join for £1 which makes you a shareholder. http://www.nocards.org/ is a good place to find out about the myths of the loyalty card or http://www.amadorbooks.com/nocards.htm. 
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| bagpuss |
Loyatly cards are indeed a very clever marketing scheme which allows supermarkets or other retailers to track your purchases but I can't think of any instore offeres like 2 for 1s which are only availible to card holders? |
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| katie |
Somerfield has a scheme by which only 'loyalty card' holders are eligible for special offers like 3 for 2 etc. I'd have thought it would lead to a lot of aggro at the tills when people who don't realise how it works demand their special offers but must admit have never seen any rioting! | ||
| Lyds |
I have seen people get a little shirty at the Somerfield checkout when they cant have the 2 for 1 offers BUT, the till person justs signs them up there and then (you should see the queue), and hey presto- another signed up loyalty cardholder
A free people does not need i/d papers to buy bread.
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| Lyds |
I have seen people get a little shirty at the Somerfield checkout when they cant have the 2 for 1 offers BUT, the till person justs signs them up there and then (you should see the queue), and hey presto- another signed up loyalty cardholder
A free people does not need i/d papers to buy bread.
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| Welsh Girls Allotment |
although this a very old post I've just found it, I made a scene at Somerfield in Somerset, Burnham I think it was, I selected loads of buy one get one free's, got to to the till and was told I needed a card, she wanted to sign me up told checkout operator that there was no mention on the shelves that you needed a card to qualify for the offers and that I was not going to give her my name address DOB etc just to get free bread butter and pop, she looked at me as if I was crazy, I emptied the bags (to the shame of my husband  ) and went to walk off, store manager came and said I could have a holiday card which did not require personal information and I could upgrade if I changed my mind - hey presto problem solved but you could see from the faces of the people around me they thought I was a crazy Welsh person who shouldn't be allowed out 
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| cab |
Well, you may be a crazy welsh person, but I think that you were absolutely right to make a tiny scene there
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