Is it just our mid-Atlantic Safeway Stores that have become giant fast food delis, or is this an epidemic?

I just came back from a humble shopping errand -- picking up cream cheese and cocoa for a mock Danish (my first). There was no cream cheese. There was no cocoa. No, there hadn't been a run on these items, it's just that everything they had was, as they would put it, value added. I.e., processed to the gills.

There was cream cheese and strawberries, and chives, FAT FREE!!!! Probably cream cheese with hog jowls, but no just plain cream cheese. I settled for something that was reduced fat -- 1/3 less fat. Says it's less than one gram of carbs.

I did find cocoa, finally, in the sugar section near cake mixes, up on the top shelf, safely out of the reach of children. On the cocoa aisle -- with coffee and tea -- there was no cocoa. There was sugar free, fat free, sugar and fat free, sugar free with marshmallows, etc etc. Five shelves of it.

growl

I do run these little ideas by the manager occasionally, but they A) do not care and B) would have no power to change it if they did.

Change grocery stores?

I live in Dallas, so we have our pick of super markets. If one store doesn't carry what I am looking for, there are at least 6 within a couple miles that will.

I find that I have stopped shopping at my favorite store due to the fact they carry too many processed foods over fresh or raw products.

Of course, if there were a store that was convenient to me, I'd change. There are two chains in my area, the other is 7 miles on the other side of town, and I don't have a car -- and it's no better.

Isn't it just a sign of our times? I had a neighbor kid in my kitchen last night while I was cooking dinner. He was impressed that I cooked things from scratch...his family buys alot of convenience foods. I make things from scratch because it's healthier, but also it's usually less expensive than already made foods. The grocery stores are only trying to give the customers what they want. We get to vote with our dollar too. The whole world is convinced that low-fat everything is the way to go to lose weight or even just to be healthy. We have all been brainwashed!!!! Thank God for all the folks that have researched and written books and articles to prove otherwise. It has made a real difference in my life. But I still struggle with all the low fat brainwashing I have learned all my life. Don't you feel like your brain has had to do flips to accept that you need to eat fat? I can grasp the low carb thing easier than eating more fat thing. I have been eating "low fat" since I was young. So when I realized I could eat real mayo and real dressing, it was a revelation!!! Look at all that I had been missing for so long!!! Trying to lose weight with all the low fat stuff that was full of sugar, and making me hold onto the fat. I'm glad that I finally figured it out and now I'm worse than a new convert!!! I hope my friends and family don't get sick of my enthusiasm. Victoria

Victoria, very definitely it's a sign of the times. I agree -- it's wonderful to realize you can eat real cheese and real mayonnaise. Now try finding it !!! (I wasn't looking for alternate stores, actually; I meant the post to be about the change in times and wondered if this was a USA phenomenon, or has the rest of the world turned to prepacakged as well.)

The trend to packaged food isn't really new, it's just that the percentage of real food has decreased. When I was a child, my aunt baked cakes "from scratch" -- and, I'm told, the children in my class wouldn't eat them at birthday parties because they were too dry. Voila! Cake mixes with pudding in them. And by the time I was in high school making a cake "from scratch" meant using a cake mix. (not in my home, but in many others)

Alto, I read your note and recognized my mother. The pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving was "home made" because she did not buy it from the store bakery. She did however buy the pie crust in the freezer section and the pumpkin filling came from a can. She put the components together and baked it so it was homemade. 10 years ago, she would have started with crust from scratch and cooked the pumpkin filling herself.

Sounds like one heck of an errand... bet you worked up more adrenalin in there than you would on a workout tape

Seriously, Alto: I use the philly light cream cheese, it DOES have less carbs than regular for some reason

Sugar free cocoa is what you want. If you have any kind of bulk store in the area then one called "ruby red' is the best.... added fat!

Nat

P.S. I actually prefer the Mock Danish sans chocolate. With cinnamon and butter it tastes just like soggy french toast.

I'm in D.C. as well and Safeway has never been my favorite, but now I am REALLY mad at them!! I just got back from there, actually, and they had just started carrying Splenda packets and now...no more splenda. No, they weren't out, they just stopped carrying it. And, I got my cottage cheese home and saw that the foil on it was opened...grrr...but on the upside, eggs were buy one get one free. There's no winning. I have to go to Safeway and Fresh Fields to get everything I need, and even then it's a crapshoot. The supermarkets are SO much better back home. Oh well.

As a resident of the "Wet" Coast, I have to say that I'm pretty spoiled.

I heard on the radio the other day that 80% of our population in British Columbia are non-smokers. We also like our food healthy. That means that no only do we have incredible produce sections in our chain stores, organic is readily available as well. Organic produce and organic meat and poultry. We also favour specialty stores here and have a diverse ethnic population. You name it, there is a store here that has it.

You know, if you think about it, your body deserves the finest fuel you can get for it. That's why we are doing the LC thing! It's said that we take better care of our cars than we do of our bodies. I think of it as an investment in my future. I'm going to be 52 in two weeks and I intend to be a slim vibrant 75 year old who is still living life to the fullest. I need to take good care of my "vehicle" now so that it will pay me back in the future!

Anyway...I'm am going to HAVE TO try the Mock Danish. I have never been a sweet stuff kind of person, but I'm intrigued and curious!

alto...I can't wait to hear how you enjoy them!

Marlaine

M, there are some versions in the Mock Danish thread for savoury ones with herbs etc; you might try one of those first. Heck I think I'm gonna try one of those

N

Marlaine, I'm SO envious!

I live in a rural area in Missouri, US, and there IS only one grocery store in my town - no markets, not even a farmer's market any more. And in the town nearby, the stores are the same - I've checked every one of them out.

The produce section is only one isle, and the meat section is just...well...really horrendous. There is very little variety and some pretty shabby cuts of meat. Of course, I don't help any, as I don't eat shellfish, fish without scales, or pork - so it's pretty much beef, chicken, and fish with scales (and the only kinds my store has are orange roughy and whiting).

As far as produce, it's pretty slim, but ah well - better slim than none. You can FORGET about organic here. Even mention it and they're looking at you like you OUGHT to live on the west coast (which apparently most people here think is another planet)

Okay, gripe fest is over - I'm blessed to live in this country where we have an abundance of food, and don't have to wait in line for an hour to get cheese - or just plain starve. Thanks, God, for that reminder.

Sh'ra

Yes! I stalked home. (Couldn't find "stalking" in calories burned lists, but I think it's around the "brisk walking" level )

I was after, and got, Hershey's unsweetened. The only thing my store has in bulk barrels is leftover Hallowe'en candy

I won't even speak to the people on the "Wet Coast" Not fair!!!

Susan, my Safeway had lots of Splenda. (It's processed, they'll stock it.) So maybe that would be worth checking with a manager. I like Fresh Fields, too, but much of their stuff is too expensive. They did discount cards but stopped it a few months ago. My grocery bill is 40% higher when I shop at Fresh Fields. (more growls )

hey alto,
I guess talking to the manager could be good. As for fresh fields, yes it is insanely expensive so I try to go there only occasionally. but they have a nitrate-free turkey bacon that I love SO much, it's one of my low carb staples, so I find myself in there often to get that.
Susan