Fresh Food Snobbery

It seems like there's always been some kind of snobbery involved in all kinds of foods. I don't really get why some people seem to act like they are better (or somehow holier) than others because of their food choices. I think most of us prefer fresh when we can get it but frozen has its place too. I'd have been in a fix many times over if I hadn't had things stocked in my freezer.
I think my two favorite go to freezer items as far as vegetables will always be green peas and baby lima beans. I buy frozen brussels sprouts a lot too.

 

Frozen is fresh and actually it's probably fresher than the food in the produce section, since it was frozen shortly after harvest (although sometimes it can be years old.. I don't know if that matters or not?). The produce section had to go through miles of travel (in most cases) just to get to the store you're buying it in. So there.. tell them to shove it lol

As for the snobbery surrounding foods.. many would likely say the same about me on here. I don't go on about foods and my choices because I think that I'm better than anyone.. people are just too sensitive and automatically take offence. I speak about food and health because I worry about other people and I wish they would take these things more seriously. Maybe people need to look into why they take offence..

 

I think people can tell the difference between those who are trying to be helpful, trying to encourage people to eat healthier, and the ones who act "holier than thou" over food choices. Recommending things, and explaining why, is fine. Acting like a jerk about it, is different. Some people do that latter.

I use frozen fruits and vegetables all the time. They are often better than what is available as "fresh" produce in local stores. I do try to hit the farmer's market when I can. I like the fresh goods, and I also like helping support the local growers.

 

People are opinionated, there is no escaping that; the only thing you can control is how you let those opinions effect you. If you need the convenience of frozen food, there's nothing wrong with buying it. It lasts longer, and in some cases it is fresher than so-called "fresh" food. That said, in some instances, frozen just doesn't cut it.

 

A lot of people do.. but believe me, a lot of people don't lol. The minute you live differently and speak highly of it, you're just a living breathing insult. And I do insult the typical diet.. absolutely. That doesn't mean I'm insulting the person and that line can be a bit blurred understandably.

 

I blame a lot of it on the cooking shows, that try to glamorize cooking way too much - I'm sorry, but we're not all millionaires living in the Hamptons or Napa Valley in multi million dollar homes. Ina Garten and Martha Stewart in particular really drive me nuts with this, when after every ingredient they list, they have to follow up with"...*good* olive oil" or "...good Belgian chocolate", or whatever. Food Network in particular has really jumped the shark in the last decade, focusing too much on "lifestyle" over cooking, and really pandering too much to people looking for "escapism".

That said, there are some times though where I think it's valid to emphasize that some ingredients really do need to be fresh. Fresh dill is night and day different from the dried variety - for example. Frozen squash is not going to grill up nicely at all, compared to fresh squash. And something that calls for fresh blanched green beans wouldn't work well with the dull, mushy grey canned variety.

I think you can still work in fresh ingredients into your budget - one way would be to focus on simpler recipes that don't incorporate as many ingredients overall, so you have some money left over to buy more fresh items. Also, if you've got Farmers markets near you, or perhaps some sort of Community Supported Agriculture operation, you can save lots on fresh produce vs. your chain grocery stores, so it's worth the trouble of making the extra trip to these places.

 

I am one of those fresh food snobs, but I keep it to myself. I don't need to go out there and tell people what they should be buying. We all do our best to keep ourselves healthy, and that includes buying things that we can afford. Frozen food can be just as nutritious as fresh food. It all depends on the quality and preparation of the frozen goods. I just love fresh salads and vegetables, that's why I go to the effort of growing them myself wherever and whenever possible.

 

It’s true that fresh produce can taste better, and certain ingredients just work so much better in recipes when they’re fresh. So I can understand some level of snobbery there. But for most home cooking, frozen is absolutely good enough. I use it all the time. And I’m glad that the info is getting out there that frozen is just as nutritious as fresh.

 

Presentation is everything and they make it seem so out of reach to the average person. Or, they are scolding as they are presenting. It is really a shame though, because the root of the message is good, eating fresh is good. We just have to take it with a grain of salt, and do fresh when and as we can. My favorite frozen item is blue and blackberries, because they are scarce here.

 

I think there are some tv chefs that are less snobby about using instant or frozen foods, and I usually just take their advice a bit more since like you said it's not always practical to buy fresh for the average household. From what I learned in many of these programs, ingredients like peas and berries are alright to buy frozen since they are packed and preserved right after harvest.

 

There is fresh food snobbery, but I ignore it as frozen is more practical for me and is fresher as often I don't get a chance to cook all my freshly bought produce.

I also find it time consuming to buy fresh and check it and often it takes too long and it's also too expensive. I think the snobbery comes from celebrity chefs, but that's why I like chefs that do take short cuts with packets or jars.