I dashed to the store this morning to grab some of the essentials {milk, eggs, bread} and was stunned by what I found in the produce section. Salmonella laced tomatoes? Nope! Pre-diced veggies! I snapped some photos with my cell phone as evidence. Proof! We are now officially too busy to dice our own veggies. Diced onion? Too much work. Diced carrot? Takes too long. Diced green onion? Too much of a hassle! We can now buy our veggies pre-diced to save ourselves the back-breaking, time-consuming, labor-intensive chore of home-dicing.
There’s something seriously wrong with this my friends. Your thoughts?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree. If we are too lazy to cut our own vegetables, we might as well give up now.
I am a bit ashamed to say, but if I had the disposable income – I’d be all over that, like chocolate sauce on ice cream.
Actually, depending on the day, my emotional state could justify a pre-diced purchase.
Of course, if I had money to buy my freshies chopped, I’d prolly just hire a butler.
All I know is that by the time I buy the veggies and the Ranch dressing to dip them in, it is just as cheap to buy the fresh veggie tray from the deli than it is to buy the items by the pound and take the time to cut them up myself. Of course there is only one of me. If there was more to my family than it would probably be cheaper to buy and cut my own.
Honestly….
I would buy the onions in a nanosecond! I will have to look next time I am at the grocery store. Onions make me tear up so badly I have to take a break from cooking to recover afterwards! For me it would not be about laziness (I actually love chopping veggies….I find it theraputic), but about saving me some misery!!
I can imagine there being times when prediced would be so fabulous it might be like going to a day spa (although I haven’t ever done that either!) It is definitely saying something that we can purchase prediced stuff, think of the garbage afterward? all those plastic cartons that I now have to save because there MUST be something my kids can make out of them??? Hmmm, new recyclable containers to fill the overflowing buckets and bags and baskets…back to the chopping board, please!
I dunno, I think I’d like to try the pre-diced onions. I hate the crying part of dicing onions. Also, on some emotionally draining days my family prefers if I stay away from the knives
Oh, no, no, no! Dicing is FUN and FAST (5 minute fast) now because I have a Chop Wizard! I posted about it twice – with photos! I just tagged both posts with the label “wise buys” if you want to take a looksee.
(I do NOT make any money for posting products reviews or recommendations. I just really LOVE my Chop Wizard.)
I’m with you, Jules. The price of the pre-diced are outrageously expensive, especially when you realize that you can buy all those veggies for a fraction of the cost and give 30 minutes (or less) of your time to do it all yourself. I do that and freeze most of it so that I’ll have it later.
Of course I feel this way about most foods, so I’m quite prejudice. I like to cook from scratch as much as possible.
(And to those who don’t know me, I work full time as well as raise a couple of great kids and a husband too. I should have the excuse to buy the pre-made stuff, but I think it’s silly and not a good use of my money. But that’s just me.)
I don’t think it is a major national crises by any means.
My mom worked 40+ hours a week and commuted across Houston. By the time she got home, she wanted to get dinner on as soon as possible and crash, and I don’t blame her. So I didn’t fault her her convenience foods.
I am a SAHM and couldn’t justify the expense on a regular basis, but in a pinch I would be glad for those.
I kind of like them, especially the onions. But now that we’re down to a one income household, those days are over.
I could never justify the expense… but I use my Cuisinart for all of that sort of stuff. I’m pretty lazy.
I do about 7 or 8 onions in the Cuisinart at a time and freeze them for later on. Same concept I guess.
I’m thinking if they are cut into they require some kind of preservative mixed in with them? For that reason I wouldn’t get them unless I was in a real pinch. Or if I worked outside the home with long hours and it came to a choice between this to make a homemade meal and fast food, I’d take these any day.
We are DINKs, and those pre-diced veggies do come in handy. I usually prep all my weekly ingrediants on Saturdays, but some weeks make that next to impossible. Pre-diced veggies for something healthy that I cook at home sure is cheaper and a lot more appetizing than hitting whatever take-out restaurant is on the way home.
Hm…I haven’t seen these at our store yet. I don’t think that these would tempt me, but I admit to having bought pre-shredded lettuce. It makes Taco night so much easier — I’m not a good lettuce-shredder.
I’d have to agree…to me if it saves a little time without breaking the bank, I’m all for it. I’m also the mom who buys the individual packages of chips rather than taking the time to pull out my baggies and do it myself, so what can I say? I don’t buy expensive handbags or own a yacht, so I don’t feel too bad spending a few extra pennies on convenience. But to all you chopping, sorting, baggie-stuffing, homemade Windex concocting moms…I SERIOUSLY solute you!!!
Well, I buy most everything ala naturale. But I do buy those frozen bags of red and green bell peppers already diced because I rarely use all of one and then it goes to waste. I chop my onions and freeze them so they last longer…but I agree. Maybe good for a working mom, no? But who has the money to throw away on that?
Wow. I might have heard it all now. Diced veggies at the store seems almost ridiculous, and I am positive they cost a lot more that way. *sigh*
I will never be too busy to dice, so I’ll do it myself.
I love your blog!
Actually, that sounds so right! With so much to do in my day, dicing veggies just doesn’t seem that productive. And if it gets me eating something “homemade” versus a frozen or prepackaged dinner, I’m all for it.
OK, OK, why am I on the computer right now when I could be dicing up veggies for lunch? It’s all about priorities, ya know?
I’ve found a good compromise in the freezer section. You can buy bags of frozen, chopped tri-color bell peppers and onions, sliced carrots, and even cubed potatoes. They are much cheaper than the pre-chopped fresh items. In fact, the peppers are usually much less expensive than fresh, whole peppers. Now that’s gilt-free convenience – cheaper to buy the prepared stuff!
I confess: I buy the frozen diced onion to saute for casseroles, put in soups, etc. But then, I’ve never claimed to be a cook…lazy or otherwise…
I’d say too lazy, for sure. If people really want to save time, they can dice up some veggies ahead in small portions and freeze them.
I think they’re really good for people who are bad choppers, like me. I love the pre-diced onions.
I had the same reaction to those pre-chopped veggies – what?! Can’t we do this little bit ourselves? But, I admit, I find chopping veggies relaxing. Strange, I know.
I can see how something like that would be a life-saver though for a hurried, time-crunched alternative to fast food.
I’ve never understood shredded cheese in a bag, so diced veggies under plastic are not on my shopping list either. I like my time in the kitchen, and when I need it quickly, my ‘gadgets’ are close at hand. I won’t ever criticize anyone for buying them, of course, but they will be a ‘convenience’ I’ll happily live without, for now. I’ll perhaps reconsider as my health issues become more debilitating. It’s good to know they are available for those who need them!
It is just wrong… there’s something kinda therapeutic about dicing veggies with a big chef knife… maybe it’s the angst in me…
I used to think pre-chopped veggies were an extravagance, but then I began to have pain in my hands and arms due to fibromyalgia. Even a simple chore like chopping veggies increased my pain. I happily use diced onions and diced green peppers (both in the frozen food section) as well as sliced mushrooms and minced garlic in a jar (both in the produce section). I have a lot less pain by using pre-chopped veggies. I would think that people with arthritis could benefit from these products, too.
Ha… Ha… I agree, some things don’t normally warrant the money to purchase them, and seeing the pre-cut veggies brings out the same response in me. However, as I was leaving the produce department one day, the thought struck me: those would be great for a quick item to take on a picnic or camping…