In our daily quest to live our best life, we sometimes do ourselves major injustice, by our food choices.
Sometimes our choices are ill-informed, at other times, under-informed, and sometimes, in opting for convenience, we make the wrong choice. We opt for convenience because of packaging and or appeal because of the supposed ease, these items of convenience bring into our Kitchin, and by extension our diets and lifestyle on the go.
The truth be told, a lot of what we now consume on the go, or add to our weekly or Monthly grocery list, are porous and or compromised foods, fruits and vegetables, that we think are wholesome.
Imagesandprofiles.com recently did an informal survey among Supermarket employees, to help us determine, if some foods on offer are the bargains they are purported to be; are nutritional value for money; and, are they healthy, or could lead to compromising our health.
We found that across the board, they represent a little of everything. And so we compiled a list of Foods, you should hesitate to or not buy at all, in Supermarkets.
They Are:
10. Plum-Tomatoes:
Don’t seem to last more than a couple of days, after purchase, even when refrigerated. They seem to go into decline as soon as you take them home, with black spots, fungus, and signs of general degradation. If you purchase a Kilo, be prepared to lose at least 5-5 In the first 3-to-4 days unless you are prepared to carve out black spots to try and save them.
9. Cilantro:
Is easily one of those fabulous condiments that lifts most dishes, stews, baked or roasted meats, salads and even garnishes a tasty cocktail. The problem with Cilantro, however, is by the time you get around to picking it up off the Supermarket shelf, it has already been sitting there for a number of days. If you take it home and have it around for a few days before consuming it, you will find, it starts losing its, colour, aroma, and taste, and usually end up in the garbage instead of complimenting a dish or drink as was intended. The same is true of Black Mint, Rosemary, and Escallion; with Chive, being a noticeable exception.
8. Oranges:
Unless you refrigerate them immediately when you take them home, they will show signs of deterioration as soon as you set them down in your kitchen. Almost invariably, they display signs of being battered and bruised and unfit for consumption. This means when you purchase and take them home, if you eat or juice them, you are in effect consuming damaged fruits, that are degraded and less nutritious. Be prepared to lose at least half a dozen, from a dozen, up to the first 5-days, if they are not refrigerated.
7. Papayas:
Seem, to have the shortest off-the-shelf life, as they start showing signs of fungus, long before they are fully ripened or ready for consumption. Try not to buy in bulk, as you will lose more than you get to enjoy when you do.
7. Papayas:
Seem, to have the shortest off-the-shelf life, as they start showing signs of fungus, long before they are fully ripened or ready for consumption. Try not to buy in bulk, as you will lose more than you get to enjoy when you do.
6. Watermelons:
Just don’t seem to want to stay around in the refrigerator after just a few days, before some kind of slime and or fungus, appears, to contaminate your really needed rehydrating food. Best to buy daily, rather than buy for the week.
5. Dried Fruits:
Just avoid buying Dried Fruits, as they are mostly bad for you. To maintain shelflife and or visual appeal, they are preserved in salt and or sugar, both of which are bad for you as they could trigger your dormant lifestyle
4. American Apples:
One supermarket employee, once asked if you ever noticed that one thing you never see in the Doggie Bags, sold in Supermarkets, is ‘Coked-Meats’. He pointed out you will get seasoned, meats sometimes, ‘stale cuts, and even a few freshly cut pieces of meats, (That might have fallen on the floor), but never any cooked meats. It’s not that you shouldn’t be able to pick up cooked meats, they are not on offer, because they keep recycling these meats by reheating them until they are sold.
3.(So-Called) Freshly Baked Products:
These are tricky, as ‘Freshly-baked’ products, can hang around in display units for days upon days. Naturally, the longer they hang around onsold, the more chance for bacteria to contaminate what appears to be freshly baked delicious offerings. A Friend once shared the experience of having bought prebaked and sealed Cornbread, at one of the Island’s leading food wholesalers. Used some for a party a few days later and forgot about the rest in the package, only to find fresh cornbread months later, in the back of her refrigerator.
2. Cooked Meats:
One supermarket employee, once asked if you ever noticed that one thing you never see in the Doggie Bags, sold in Supermarkets, is ‘Coked-Meats’. He pointed out you will get seasoned, meats sometimes, ‘stale cuts, and even a few freshly cut pieces of meats, (That might have fallen on the floor), but never any cooked meats. It’s not that you shouldn’t be able to pick up cooked meats, they are not on offer, because they keep recycling these meats by reheating them until they are sold.
1. Pre-Seasoned Meats:
Never, repeating Never, buy pre-seasoned meats in Supermarkets. Shoppers usually, snap up these packages because they are considered convenient. And contribute to the ease of living in the rush and hustle of living on the go. But, according to some supermarket employees, pre-seasoned meats are the worst buy, as sometimes what happens, is these meats are put out for sale days before as fresh cuts. And stay on shelves for days, and are then repackaged and pre-seasoned, to extend their shelf-life as freshly packaged and seasoned meats. Some supermarkets have a more ethical regime and throw these shelf-worn meats into their junk collection and resell them at a discount as dog food.
