Don't be fooled

Yes, even these "food subscriptions" and food fads concern me.
First, how will a subscriber learn where food issues are if additives are hidden? Also I'm curious if there are addictive additives in things like Coke Zero. Why is diet coke available but completely taken over by something that came out around 2016 - and many fiend for it.

Also, I read that Poke Bowls contain MSG, which has glutamate which activates pleasure centers in the brain and actually has addictive properties.

Japanese food while more expensive, seems to be much healthier as long as you stay away from soy sauce, spicy mayo etc. Surprisingly, its best to avoid seaweed salad too as the "dressing"has sugar and MSG. Never had an issue with ginger dressing.



Its the "hidden" things we have to worry about.

princesslily1 wrote: »

Yes, even these "food subscriptions" and food fads concern me.
First, how will a subscriber learn where food issues are if additives are hidden? Also I'm curious if there are addictive additives in things like Coke Zero. Why is diet coke available but completely taken over by something that came out around 2016 - and many fiend for it.

Also, I read that Poke Bowls contain MSG, which has glutamate which activates pleasure centers in the brain and actually has addictive properties.

Japanese food while more expensive, seems to be much healthier as long as you stay away from soy sauce, spicy mayo etc. Surprisingly, its best to avoid seaweed salad too as the "dressing"has sugar and MSG. Never had an issue with ginger dressing.



Its the "hidden" things we have to worry about.

I'm not sure what you mean with food subscriptions, but a good quality soy sauce is no problem. I mean, soy products are eaten by a substantial portion of the world population very regularly. Not sure what spicy mayo is as I barely ever really eat mixed products. If I want ketchap manis I make it myself, if I want more than a very simple sambal oelek I make it myself. Good quality fish sauce (meaning not the odd concoction with lots and lots of ingredients that doesn't taste like fish sauce) is just that and probably not inherently unhealthy. There's lots of things people can make themselves or pimp basic, good quality products, and then they know what's inside. Or they don't care, and I'm sure they'd still survive and grow old.

yirara wrote: »

princesslily1 wrote: »

Yes, even these "food subscriptions" and food fads concern me.
First, how will a subscriber learn where food issues are if additives are hidden? Also I'm curious if there are addictive additives in things like Coke Zero. Why is diet coke available but completely taken over by something that came out around 2016 - and many fiend for it.

Also, I read that Poke Bowls contain MSG, which has glutamate which activates pleasure centers in the brain and actually has addictive properties.

Japanese food while more expensive, seems to be much healthier as long as you stay away from soy sauce, spicy mayo etc. Surprisingly, its best to avoid seaweed salad too as the "dressing"has sugar and MSG. Never had an issue with ginger dressing.



Its the "hidden" things we have to worry about.

I'm not sure what you mean with food subscriptions, but a good quality soy sauce is no problem. I mean, soy products are eaten by a substantial portion of the world population very regularly. Not sure what spicy mayo is as I barely ever really eat mixed products. If I want ketchap manis I make it myself, if I want more than a very simple sambal oelek I make it myself. Good quality fish sauce (meaning not the odd concoction with lots and lots of ingredients that doesn't taste like fish sauce) is just that and probably not inherently unhealthy. There's lots of things people can make themselves or pimp basic, good quality products, and then they know what's inside. Or they don't care, and I'm sure they'd still survive and grow old.

I don't know what a food subscription is either.

Here is a recipe for spicy mayo. https://www.anourishingplate.com/japanese-spicy-mayo/ I don't really like mayo, so see no need for the extra cals, but don't see any issue with the ingredients. I love soy sauce and sriracha.

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

This is the plant in most plant based foods

Retroguy2000 wrote: »

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

This is the plant in most plant based foods

You've got to tell them! We've got to stop them!

There's a local restaurant that has fairly healthy food (wraps, bowls, whole grains, organic, vegan and GF options, and the like). They actually have a menu item called... Yeah. They do.

claireychn074 wrote: »

I am a huge fan of umami and I love seaweed. MSG is not bad for you, and basically just triggers the so-called 5th taste of umami. No idea if it’s addictive but I love a good fermented soy or fish sauce 🤷‍♂️

Was gonna say- Whelp, there goes my whole diet 😆.

cmriverside wrote: »

I need to get out more. I make all my meals at home and I looked at that Soylent Green menu item at $8.50 and thought, "What?! I could make that for less than a dollar."

One thing the pandemic did for me was teach me the value of eating every meal at home. Tastes better, is much cheaper. There is a small issue of having to wash dishes, but that is offset in so many ways, not the least of which is not waiting, not tipping, not having to make small talk, and eating in my pajamas.

I like to cook. For sure I can make loads of food much more frugally than going out. I cringe at putting a whole head of garlic in a batch of something because, oh my gosh, that's maybe 75 cents just for one ingredient. I put it in anyway. I should try to calculate the cost of my meals sometime. Just for fun. Then I can put a jar out in the kitchen, pay myself $15 an hour to cook & wash dishes, and leave myself a nice tip for good service. Then I can use that money to buy all the groceries!

I was really excited when I finally figured out how to make the panko-crust grilled fish they make at a favorite restaurant on the coast. Mine is just as good. I also remember going there one time when they had just found a source for wild spot prawns from British Columbia. I used to SCUBA with the owner. She said they are really good, but I shouldn't order them. She suggested I buy some at their market and cook them at home because "we just saute them and add some white wine; you can do that." She wisely suggested ordering something that was harder to make at home.

Today is Tuesday. I might splurge for a taco. For four bucks, a local shop makes a really good one with a hand-made corn tortilla that's much bigger than a standard street taco. A five dollar bill feeds me and leaves a tip. If I'm feeling like traveling, a town about 20 miles away has a really good taco shop that has four tacos on sale on a rotating basis on Tuesdays for $1.50 each. This summer an intern was working with me on a project, and we were passing through there on the way home. I asked him in the morning what he thought about tacos. He said he was thinking about tacos all day, and when we got back, he was chuffed to get four tacos for eight bucks. There's a sandwich shop in town he likes, and they want $15 or more for a sandwich. College student, so he can't go there often.

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I always think that when people say, "I can cook better tasting food at home", you are going to the wrong restaurants.

I don't eat out often, so when I do, I make sure it's a special treat, and something I would have no chance of making at home. I seek out ethnic foods that I would have no idea how to make or where to find ingredients, or fine dining that uses techniques that I am not trained in or equipment I don't have.

And OF COURSE you can cook any restaurant dish cheaper at home. Restaurants don't charge the cost of the ingredients, obviously. You are paying for all the overhead costs associated with a meal being cooked for you.

I really don't understand all the negativity around restaurant prices. They charge what they have to.

There are for sure some things I can't cook at home as well as some restaurants. For sure a restaurant has to make money, so they have to charge for labor, rent, and the like. If I had gone into the business, I would have been a third-generation restaurateur. Fortunately I saw what my dad and his dad went through with their businesses and avoided it. I worked in plenty of restaurants though.

What's really sad is going to a restaurant that should be good, ordering something that might be difficult to make at home, and have it come out poorly made. I recall going to a local place that was a vegan restaurant that... also served salmon and NY steaks. Yeah. I know. Anyway, they had a nice wood-fired oven. I went with a friend. She wisely ordered the salmon. But since they were a "vegan" place, I got an Indian themed cauliflower dish. It was bland and mushy. Very sad.

They retooled eventually and started making good pizza, but they never were able to get good service.

There's another local place that I've heard very many good things about. It's beyond my price range, so I won't be able to find out. I walked by and looked at the menu. I'm sorry, but twenty bucks for shrimp and grits is usury.

mtaratoot wrote: »

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I always think that when people say, "I can cook better tasting food at home", you are going to the wrong restaurants.

I don't eat out often, so when I do, I make sure it's a special treat, and something I would have no chance of making at home. I seek out ethnic foods that I would have no idea how to make or where to find ingredients, or fine dining that uses techniques that I am not trained in or equipment I don't have.

And OF COURSE you can cook any restaurant dish cheaper at home. Restaurants don't charge the cost of the ingredients, obviously. You are paying for all the overhead costs associated with a meal being cooked for you.

I really don't understand all the negativity around restaurant prices. They charge what they have to.

There are for sure some things I can't cook at home as well as some restaurants. For sure a restaurant has to make money, so they have to charge for labor, rent, and the like. If I had gone into the business, I would have been a third-generation restaurateur. Fortunately I saw what my dad and his dad went through with their businesses and avoided it. I worked in plenty of restaurants though.

What's really sad is going to a restaurant that should be good, ordering something that might be difficult to make at home, and have it come out poorly made. I recall going to a local place that was a vegan restaurant that... also served salmon and NY steaks. Yeah. I know. Anyway, they had a nice wood-fired oven. I went with a friend. She wisely ordered the salmon. But since they were a "vegan" place, I got an Indian themed cauliflower dish. It was bland and mushy. Very sad.

They retooled eventually and started making good pizza, but they never were able to get good service.

There's another local place that I've heard very many good things about. It's beyond my price range, so I won't be able to find out. I walked by and looked at the menu. I'm sorry, but twenty bucks for shrimp and grits is usury.

Oh, for sure it's upsetting when you have a bad meal or bad experience, especially if it's on the pricier side.

I eat out so rarely (maybe 5-6 times a year, excluding vacations), if I have a bad experience, that restaurant is dead to me. No "maybe they had an off night" or "maybe I'll give them another chance." No...nope....one strike and you're out for me.

I try to get restaurant recommendations from my brother, who is a fine dining executive chef. I guess he's the reason I'm touchy about restaurant-shaming, haha!