Fresh Is Out: Canned Is In
Posted on Jun 17 in Food Porn, fruit, ingredient, issuesby NikaPrint
Because this is my own little nano-bully pulpit, I have to relate something I overheard at the grocery store the other day. I have been trying to come to terms with what was said and how I have been reacting to it, over time. This post is part of that process. Your comments will be an important further step.
I was dithering over some apples when I heard this 16 oldish guy (taller than me for sure) talking to his mom. He was trying to persuade her to let him buy a pineapple. She said that she didn’t want him to buy it and to buy the canned pineapple instead. He persisted, saying he wanted to try it fresh. She said, in an off hand and rather annoyed manner, that it is less expensive canned. He replied that it isn’t really and that the pineapple cost less. She said that it was just too much trouble, he replied it couldn’t be that hard to carve up and then he goes on to talk about how you should cut this and that part.
Finally, she literally pulled him away from the fresh fruit display into the canned and boxed budget isle.
I was struck dumb and felt so bad for that kid. Here he is, a guy who is a teen who actually WANTS to eat fresh food and who wants to actually get his hands dirty with the pineapple and his mother is telling him that canned is BETTER. Sure, the mom must have been in a hurry, didn’t want to clean up a mess, preferred canned ancient pineapple, whatever; she missed out BIG time on a teachable moment (hers and his).
She wasn’t listening to her child, in the least.
They could have bought that pineapple, just a few dollars. He would have had the opportunity to use a knife, in the kitchen, and learn a bit about the way of the pineapple – the spiky bits, the woody bits, the green top, the smell and flavor that does NOT exist with canned fruit. She could then have drilled home for him how to clean up afterwards (an extremely important skill that has to be taught). None of those lessons and experiences happened.
He learned one huge lesson: its OK to be virulently anti-fresh pineapple (fruit, food, what have you).
I hope that his personal lesson is to buy it later and do it for himself.
How many of us do not “like to cook” because there was some sort of gatekeeper who made the kitchen out of bounds or unpleasant? Eating is about as basic as you can get, to feel like cooking and creating in the kitchen is the domain of “others” is unfortunate.
I feel very strongly that we are all born with artistic talent as well as a proclivity towards cooking. Both of these interests are discouraged in so many of us. It is hard to overcome that.
It was just a shock to see this dynamic overtly displayed on an ordinary day in an ordinary grocery store.
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I totally agree with you!
How sad. My mom was big on canned and boil in bag veggies. I have to wonder how much that affected my current lack of veggie intake.
JEP:
!
Crafty Witch: It might be the reason. I know that one of the hesitations I have in buying many veggies at the store is that they do not have a very long shelf life (canned and frozen = forever) and often I am shopping for 2 weeks at a time. I also live pretty far from the store so driving there every day would be a pain.
I have gotten around this for now by growing a garden ( http://www.humblegarden.com ) which we are going to extend into the winter (we live in MA – snow!) to have fresh veggies then too.
I know its hard but its worth the effort (picking up fresh in the store or growing it).
Thank you both for stopping by!
The saving factor in this story is that it happened to a (hopefully rebellious) teenager and that he will go on to demand fresh foods…and if he doesn’t get them…he WILL get them when he is no longer under the control of MOM…
I am so lucky to have a mom who would never have done this!
my mother buys jarred, pre-sliced grapefruit. while the jars are great to use after they have been emptied, i can’t wrap my head around why she chooses that over fresh.
also, i would have become terribly frustrated if i witnessed something like that. whenever i see parents feeding their children yucky “convenience” type food i get a little bit sad, although when i express these sentiments to other people i am often met with confusion or disagreement (”Who cares? It’s easier!”/”They like it!”). i think we see eye to eye on this matter, though.
I just found your blog and had to respond. I agree with you…I feel a little sorry for that kid!! I grew up in a family that did not like to cook and preferred take out to fresh, homemade food. It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I discovered a hidden passion for food.
Hopefully, his pineapple quest isn’t over and maybe, just maybe it’s the start of a lifelong passion!
Marygrace: Yeah, it tastes quite different doesn’t it. I guess thats the flavor she is going for. I fell in love with ruby red grapefruit fresh from the tree when I lived in Texas. I definitely prefer that fresh over preserved (even juiced). Re: feeding kids junk … indeed I agree. I have eaten almost all organic (with bad non-organic snacks here and there) while pregnant and I do my best to give my kids organic or natural foods as much as is possible. This year with our new garden we will finally be able to eat food we KNOW is organic, 100%. In a few minutes I am going out to harvest some mesclun for our salads and probably a few radishes too. Nothing tastes as good as fresh off the vine/plant.
Shea: Yeah, I am with you on rooting for this kid. Growing up we never did take out and didnt eat out much at all. We lived in the suburbs, far from any takeout and I guess my dad was too cheap to want to do the eating out thing much. I know that we hardly ever eat out now… with three kids (one 8 months) its expensive and too much trouble! I guess we are cheap AND lazy
.
That is really sad. We always have fresh salads which my children love, now. But they didn’t love them they were really young. I made corn one day and served it hot. My youngest looked at me and said, “Mommy we don’t eat cooked vegetables.”
It is more work than plunking down a can but it’s worth it.