Companies shrink the box when they can't raise the price. Households do the same to their own lives, quietly, long before anyone calls it a crisis. Part 4 of What Food Should Cost.
Thank you for these interesting and insightful articles Leni. I am a senior now, but when I was raising kids, there was rarely a night that the choice of "will there be enough for a second night" was available. Whatever was cooked was devoured by growing boys. I cannot imagine being in a place where I had to say, don't have any more, we have to save the rest for tomorrow night, and I am so happy that we didn't have to. I am not sure that we could do that anymore, at least not on a regular basis.
It never was easy for most people even when groceries were a much smaller share of our overall expenses. I think it is much harder to manage today raising a family and trying to keep the kitchen and refrigerator well stocked. People are being squeezed from many directions, and whole foods are becoming more of a luxury. I too remember that it was hard back in the day to keep good healthy food in the house. The struggle was real. There was less choice, and more in-season only availability, but feeding families healthy food was possible. These days plenty involves of lot of lower quality foods even though we are more likely to consider food as medicine.
Thank you for an excellent but disturbing article, Leni. I am retired and an empty nester. As a very astute food shopper I have noticed significant food price increases and empathize with people still working and raising children. I need elucidate no further on their hardships.
I appreciate the content breakdown and observe immediately that the caloric and protein levels are not high. I do note the harm of high sodium levels.
Thanks Scott. There is little doubt we are living in very interesting times when it comes to food and food quality. I had to reduce my sodium a few years ago, and these days my taste buds rebel when the sodium is high. Eating out especially… so we rarely eat out anymore.
Another great one. I can see my household and that of those I know. Excellent examples. Halloween is interesting in the declining rate of shelling out as we. " Simply can't afford it this year" is more common.
I have grandkids very much in the trick or treating stage of life right now. I've been noticing the same thing. More houses with the lights off, seemingly less generosity in the treats handed out. More people downplaying the treats and going all out in decorating for Halloween mood instead. People still care, but how we do the 'things we've always done' is changing.
Very uncalled for and insensitive to say the least. Unfortunately, Substack is not free of people speaking from biases unsupported by hard data. It isn’t anywhere near as bad as X or FB, but it still does happen. I’ve triggered a few people now and again…I just try not to take it personally. It’s never fun when it happens, but I do think it is unavoidable. It makes me all the more grateful for the many great people that do bring positive feedback to the space.
Agreed. That’s why I did hit publish. What I hope is that people who read it will begin to feel a little less isolated by the problems, and that those who are doing better will begin looking at the problem with fresh eyes. It does affect us all. Sorry you were called uncanadian. Very uncalled for. You write excellent, well researched and thoughtful articles.
Thanks because it just seems far too many Canadians are taking Chinese talking points at face value without verifying the propaganda behind it. The other person is an autistic guy who complains about Canada's horrific settler colonial history but offers no real solutions other than Western values being constructed and suck
I was told HK newcomers have no problems because they have it good in BC compared to Ukrainian and Syrians... It's stereotyping and unconscious bias at its worst
Another excellent and informative article Leni 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏼❤️ Thank you!🙏
Thank you Gem. I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for these interesting and insightful articles Leni. I am a senior now, but when I was raising kids, there was rarely a night that the choice of "will there be enough for a second night" was available. Whatever was cooked was devoured by growing boys. I cannot imagine being in a place where I had to say, don't have any more, we have to save the rest for tomorrow night, and I am so happy that we didn't have to. I am not sure that we could do that anymore, at least not on a regular basis.
It never was easy for most people even when groceries were a much smaller share of our overall expenses. I think it is much harder to manage today raising a family and trying to keep the kitchen and refrigerator well stocked. People are being squeezed from many directions, and whole foods are becoming more of a luxury. I too remember that it was hard back in the day to keep good healthy food in the house. The struggle was real. There was less choice, and more in-season only availability, but feeding families healthy food was possible. These days plenty involves of lot of lower quality foods even though we are more likely to consider food as medicine.
Thank you for an excellent but disturbing article, Leni. I am retired and an empty nester. As a very astute food shopper I have noticed significant food price increases and empathize with people still working and raising children. I need elucidate no further on their hardships.
I appreciate the content breakdown and observe immediately that the caloric and protein levels are not high. I do note the harm of high sodium levels.
Thanks Scott. There is little doubt we are living in very interesting times when it comes to food and food quality. I had to reduce my sodium a few years ago, and these days my taste buds rebel when the sodium is high. Eating out especially… so we rarely eat out anymore.
Farming in a war zone.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-209975873
Worth some of your time for anyone interested in growing heathy food.
Bookmarking again! Thanks Paul!
Another great one. I can see my household and that of those I know. Excellent examples. Halloween is interesting in the declining rate of shelling out as we. " Simply can't afford it this year" is more common.
I have grandkids very much in the trick or treating stage of life right now. I've been noticing the same thing. More houses with the lights off, seemingly less generosity in the treats handed out. More people downplaying the treats and going all out in decorating for Halloween mood instead. People still care, but how we do the 'things we've always done' is changing.
Yes it's a serious problem
Very uncalled for and insensitive to say the least. Unfortunately, Substack is not free of people speaking from biases unsupported by hard data. It isn’t anywhere near as bad as X or FB, but it still does happen. I’ve triggered a few people now and again…I just try not to take it personally. It’s never fun when it happens, but I do think it is unavoidable. It makes me all the more grateful for the many great people that do bring positive feedback to the space.
I muted them and will block if they try to be racist or karen
That’s a perfect way to handle it.
Canada absorbed enough bad American values such as hyperindividualism and karens
I almost didn’t publish the article. I can’t deny it is on the depressing side.
Bah. Illegitimi non carborundum.
We need this or else nothing changes. I got called uncanadian for discussing problems in the country
Agreed. That’s why I did hit publish. What I hope is that people who read it will begin to feel a little less isolated by the problems, and that those who are doing better will begin looking at the problem with fresh eyes. It does affect us all. Sorry you were called uncanadian. Very uncalled for. You write excellent, well researched and thoughtful articles.
The article in question https://canadianreturnee.substack.com/p/canadas-refugee-welcome-has-a-colour?r=7loc6&utm_medium=ios
It’s an excellent and eye opening article. There really is nothing that earned backlash. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Thanks because it just seems far too many Canadians are taking Chinese talking points at face value without verifying the propaganda behind it. The other person is an autistic guy who complains about Canada's horrific settler colonial history but offers no real solutions other than Western values being constructed and suck
I was told HK newcomers have no problems because they have it good in BC compared to Ukrainian and Syrians... It's stereotyping and unconscious bias at its worst
This is a great series of articles. I'm looking forward to the next one.