People in the supermarket with ONLY meat and vegetables in their trolley

[Mushroomwithaview]

I feel like they are higher beings. Like elves maybe. Nothing processed. Just 2 duck breasts and some bok choi and spring onions, and a packet of raw almonds. Maybe a jar of smoked paprika.

I try and feed us all healthily and I mostly think I do okay until I'm lining up next to one of these elves and I have a packet of hobnobs, and a box of cornflakes, and a tin of flavoured tuna for DS's sandwiches, and bread, of course, and a box of frozen breaded fish fillets because there's no time to cook on Wednesdays, and some of that flavoured porridge as a treat so DD will get up early without complaining, and a bag of crisps for me (I deserve a treat), and a plastic tub of spreadable Olivio for lunchboxes, ready made falafel and a squirty aioli because it was on offer, and ... and...

I like to imagine that somewhere, in another life, I am buying one whole fish and an entire head of purple cabbage. Some persimmons. Coriander, silverbeet, rabbit kidneys...

In fairness to the “elves” fresh fish cooks in 5/10 minutes. It’s much quicker than the breaded stuff. I’ve get spuds on for mash then put the fish on. Done & dusted in less than 20 minutes. If I’ve any green that goes in a steamer on top of the spuds at the end before they get mashed.

I am one of these elves but I usually have a bit of tonyschocolonely in my trolley too. A few meringues last week because I couldn't be arsed to make them. Do those pouches of lentils and grains count as crap? I was thinking the other day if one of those supermarket tiktokkers stopped me and tried to improve my trolley they probably couldn't by much! But happy to be proved wrong and happy to be here though after a long time of not eating well or looking after myself.

I'm also only shopping and cooking for myself although I can't imagine I'd suddenly start buying crap if I was buying for others?! Would I? Maybe!

I’m an Elf.

I don’t buy frozen fish, ready meals, tinned anything bar tomatoes or beans. Make everything from scratch and eat lots of vegetables, fresh meat and fish etc. No biscuits, cake etc (genuinely don’t have a sweet tooth). Rarely eat bread or cheese.

I admit I am pretty focused on health and keeping my weight at a decent level.

That said, I don’t have kids or a partner to cook for.

Mine call it a "supply drop" 😂

This is me, BUT I have no children at home, I am retired, and we have committed to a certain way of eating. I am far from being an elf. In the days when I was a single mum and worked full time, I chucked in whatever the kids would eat, and I could easily prepare in half an hour.

I tend to buy meat and fruit and veggies in store so I can gef good quality and long dates on the meat. My supermarket delivery on the other hand is a lot less virtuous.

My son shops like that. Except he'll get his veg at the green grocers so his cart would be lots of chicken, tuna, some mince , Greek yoghurt and maybe some oats. 85% of the time he's on a strict regime, 15% of the time he eats like a typical 20 year old with hollow legs. Doesn't drink either! He's a fitness trainer and was once 40kg overweight. I am in awe of his discipline.

Watch a video on how they're made, then be prepared to choose another breakfast meat!
Yes, they are.

Or teenage girls who apparently need a constant supply of custard creams and Nutella filled crepes 😂

and a bag of crisps for me (I deserve a treat)

There's your problem, treating food as a "reward".

I do this at Sainsbury’s. It’s the top up shop for all the stuff that they don’t sell at Lidl.

Depends. Not all sausages are ‘ultra processed’, although they are all processed. But not all processed foods are bad.

That said, probably best to eat fewer sausages anyway.

That’s me, but only because we have no kids at home, our freezer is broken, and we live practically next door to the supermarket!

Typical sausages ingredients: (Sainsbury's butcher's choice)

INGREDIENTS: British Pork (72%), Water, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Dextrose, Salt, Stabilisers: Diphosphates, Disodium Diphosphate; Preservatives: Sodium Metabisulphite (Sulphites), Sulphur Dioxide; Raising Agent: Ammonium Carbonate; Herbs: Parsley, Sage; Yeast Extract, Spices: Black Pepper, White Pepper; Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid; Spice Extracts: Sage Extract, Nutmeg Extract, Mace Extract, Pimento Extract.
Filled into Beef Collagen or Pork Collagen Casings.

OP mine looks even worse as I get fruit and veg at the greengrocer! So imagine your trolley with no fresh fruit or veg! I am always very embarrassed at checkout!

If this thread were representative of the population at large, all the naughty stuff would not be stocked by supermarkets. But it is - so there's a market for it.

It's just that very few are prepared to acknowledge they are the ones buying the yum yums. It's a bit like voting Conservative, people clearly do it but they won't admit it.

This is sometimes me, but that's because I bulk buy my crisps and chocolate online!

My basket is a chronic embarrassment to the point that if I bump into a neighbour in the shop I sometimes drop the basket full of booze and crisps and pretend I'm just grabbing a couple of satsumas!

Nah, if they were truly higher beings, they would be growing/rearing their own, not having to buy it from the supermarket.

I personally tend to eat like that (lots of veg, fruit, nuts, kefir, pulses, some fish and only a little meat), but buy things like frozen fish in breadcrumbs, vegeburgers, chips and also biscuits for DS17 and DH. On busy nights they have those I'm happy with a big bowl of veg topped with pine nuts and parmesan. But most days we cook from scratch.

I used to live and work in a pub where I had sausage sandwiches, chips, crisps, beer etc provided, with an office day job that had giant snack baskets with bounty, mars and everything, plus nandos-style team lunches.

The little I bought at the grocery store was vegetables, fruit, porridge oats and a bit of meat/fish/cheese. You need to know what's going on behind the scenes with these people 😂

but what about the airmiles, where is the bok choi grown?
and the almonds,
they are not perfect shoppers in this regard

This is sometime me, but it’s because I do small shops for a few days at a time so I’ve already bought all the processed stuff in my first shop of the week. Unless you’ve seen their fridge don’t assume that’s all they’re eating!

They are wither planning a date night or have applied for Masterchef. If the latter the family have been eating duck breast with an asian slaw for three weeks solid.

They pick up all their tinned shit from Aldi on the way home.