The Trolley Challenge: Only Buying Real Food.

[Bengal]

I really struggle with the guilt of not buying at the farmers markets etc ... in fact, what is a farmers market ? Vic Market ?

[Astrid]

Been trying to do this for awhile. We have our own veggie patch going (even though it is a bit sad this time of year) and have just gotten some chooks, so that helps a lot. We are a lot like Christy, tend to buy what we cannot make or would be to hard or too expensive to make. I do buy puff pastry, have made it once and won't be doing it again!

My nanna's diet consisted of cups of tea and becks DH's lived on scotch and valium!

[Pandora]

This sounds really interesting. DH would kill me if i did it!

Sorry I havent read through the full thread, but in reference to the peanut butter that Bath's DH wanted.

The health food store I worked at at uni had a machine that made nut butters. Customer could bring in their own nuts (macadamia, peanuts, hazelnuts etc) and they would put them through the machine and make it in to nut butter - much better than that stuff at the supermarket.
Maybe there is somewhere near you that does the same thing.

[jamakin]

I usually try not to buy to many things like that for the supermarket. I do most my shopping every week at the prahran market, fruit, veg and meat. It can be a little more expensive but i find the fruit and veg lasts twice as long than anything from the supermarket and tastes so much better!! I also pick up things like bread and fairtrade coffee. There is also a local farmers market once a month and i pick up things like dried fruit, olives and chutneys, stuff i cant be bothered making at home.

The only things i get from the supermarket are tins of tomatoes, pasta, rice, flour, some dried spices and herbs etc (and of course the odd treat!) i also buy biodynamic natural yougurt and add my own fruit to it.

I have always gone to markets and things, but only really started to look at what we were eating when DS started eating, i am happy to say i make most of the things he eats from scratch. He has never had any pre prepared baby food and i am so proud of myself, i had never made things like custard and stocks but now i make stuff like that all the time. Once i learnt how, its easy and its definatley cheaper!!

I'm sure i could be more efficient with my shopping and do some more baking and stuff at home... you have inspired me to do better

[Kazbah]

I don't buy biscuits at all ... DH sometimes buys BBQ shapes but that's it (unless I'm stocking for biscuit bases for slices).

There's a great thread on here - "the jar alternative" or something similar ...

Unfortunately cookbooks like "4 Ingredients" rely heavily on pre-packaged food as the ingredients, so the meals are rather expensive. I like the challenge of getting a Veg basket once a fortnight and cooking from there. Ensures variety of veg and what's in season

And TBH, most people I know are surprised when they come over and I serve them scones, I find it very easy and they find it hard!!! I mean, really - you can't get much easier and yummy fresh!

[cindyb]

I have been shopping at butchers warehouses and f&veg markets for atleat the last 12 months and have to say I have got my food shopping down to about $150 per fortnight for our family of 4. we do one supermarket shop about every 6 weeks which is when i get my cans of tomatoes and tomato paste and cheeses etc but apart from that we go to the local milk bar for bread/milk and thats it.

I have heard that the trick with supermarkets is to shop around the edges...

[~clover~]

Mmmmmmmmmm...........Lemon butter! My Grandma used to make that for us. I miss her cooking so much One thing I definetely DIDN'T inherit.
Every time I try to do something from scratch I ruin it somehow...so I rarely try.

I do make my own rissoles & chicken feticcini. We could never live with out peanut butter though...the kids would go insane!

[Pandora]

I have been shopping at butchers warehouses and f&veg markets for atleat the last 12 months and have to say I have got my food shopping down to about $150 per fortnight for our family of 4. we do one supermarket shop about every 6 weeks which is when i get my cans of tomatoes and tomato paste and cheeses etc but apart from that we go to the local milk bar for bread/milk and thats it.

I have heard that the trick with supermarkets is to shop around the edges...

Cool Cindy Im coming over and you can teach me.

[cindyb]

I'll take you shopping rach! for sure! the trick I think is having a chest freezer so i can buy meat in bulk and then all my tupperware for my fridge! But you of all people know all about the tupper

[beetle]

Bathsheba that lemon butter sounds delicious! I will have to try making my own.

I believe the grandma diet you guys are talking about is from Michael Pollan's great book "In Defense of Food". I highly recommend it.

"Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become. "

[Mak]

Good ideas - I have been trying to cook as much from scratch as possible and get back to basics with our food. I had gestational diabetes and was amazed at the difference eating home cooked vs prepared items made to my blood sugar levels. Not that I should be surprised I guess but the difference was astounding - so I have resolved to make a few permanent changes, without turning the rest of my family into rebellious eaters!!!
Is it appropriate to ask for any recommendations for F&V markets/wholesale butchers in SE melb?

[Bathsheba]

Regarding recommendations: I find that as well as shopping at Farmers markets you can also find some good quality real food at places like Leo's and Phillipas (supermarket and bread). In Melbourne we are spoilt for choice... it's only that sometimes I find I have limited time and have to try to get everything at one place ie Coles/Safeway instead of going around all the specialty places. In an ideal world I would have the time to go and hand-pick everything from the best outlets. At least once a month I do... but sadly not every weekend.

[cindyb]

Not sure if i am meant to post places on here but I am in Narre warren and go to a meat place in rowville and get my fruit and veg out at cranbourne- if you want specifics send me a personal message and i will pass the names on

[Bathsheba]

Cindy: as far as I know you can recommend a place or product just as long as you personally don't have a vested interest. And as long as you don't post a link. Large multi-national companies are always being recommended (eg Cadbury's) so why not smaller companies?

One of my favourite Farmers Markets is at the Collingwood Children's Farm... then a snack at the Abbotsford Convent next door... makes a great day out!

[Astrid]

It is frustrating. I am in the country now, but do you think I can find a decent farmers market nearby?? Same with meat, there is massive abattoir, but it's "wholesale' outlest is just as expensive as the supermarkets and some of the items full of additives.

[luna moth]

One of my favourite Farmers Markets is at the Collingwood Children's Farm... then a snack at the Abbotsford Convent next door... makes a great day out!

This, Leo's. You. Are. Making. Me. HOMESICK!

But I have found an incredible farmer's market here in brissy - it's at the broadway hotel in the gabba. Food there is SO fresh that I freak out when I buy stuff even from other markets!

Michael Pollan is a great read. I love giving it to people as a wedding/engagement present

[*Ali*]

This is something I have been trying hard to do, partly for our health, and partly for our pocket. I also do all of my fruit and veg shopping at our local farmers markets, I have switched to butchers meat and free range chicken (which is all I will ever buy now, because it is tastier and better for us). I am a bit slack sometimes buying pre packaged snack foods- rice crackers, muesli bars etc. We hardly ever eat prepackge or preprepared food at dinner time, I much prefer to cook from scratch- never use recipe bases, or the instant pasta packets etc, never have though. My aim is to get better at baking and preparing snack foods, especially as Tori starts school next year and I would much rather she have homemade in her lunchbox.

[Bathsheba]

Yes! I am so avoiding buying those mueslie bars for school! They are rubbish, honestly. Just as easy is cutting a few sticks of real cheese (not the single wrapped flappy stuff) and popping that in the lunchbox for recess. My DS also like BabyBel cheese but I only buy it on special. My DD went to stay at her cousins over the school holidays and they asked her what she wanted on a sandwich... she said cheese so they pulled out that Kraft flappy stuff. She politely declined and asked if they had some real cheese... the kids didn't even know what she meant... they had only ever eaten that soapy plastic stuff that doesn't even melt when you make a jaffle. My DD once ate a whole wedge of blue cheese from Tarago... cost us about $8.... we found her age 2yo sitting in front of an open fridge stuffing it into her mouth... at least the girl knows what real cheese is!!! And the idea of bottled Kraft cheese spread makes her want to puke... good girl! Sorry if I'm sounding like a food snob