This I believe: we Americans sacrifice far too much in the name of convenience.
Yes, we're very, very busy. We're juggling careers and family and kids and pets and spirituality and yoga classes as we seek that elusive "balanced life." And those kind, thoughtful corporations only have our best interests at heart as they create new products that make our lives easier. Sliced bread. Canned beans. Frozen dinners. Macaroni and cheese in a box. And...Smucker's Uncrustables.
I remember seeing my first box of Uncrustables at Central Market a few years ago. Have we really gotten to the point, I thought, where Americans will actually buy pre-made frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Apparently, we have. We are now too busy to swipe spread on bread.
A few days ago, I was enjoying a volunteer-prepared lunch at my synagogue and lamenting the fact that the school where I teach provides Uncrustables as meal options for students. (On a recent field trip, we gave students sacks of Uncrustables for both breakfast and lunch.) A mom leaned over and said, "When you have kids, you'll won't believe what you'll buy for them. I'll bet you'll have Uncrustables in your freezer, too."
The glove was thrown.
For the past year, I have challenged myself to avoid processed foods at all costs. I bake my own bread, buy dried beans and grains in bulk, freeze my own lunches and dinners. I'm a CSA member of a local organic farm and plan meals around fresh vegetables. I know that if I am ever blessed with children, it will be more challenging to maintain my DIY cooking lifestyle.
But I hereby vow that I will never, ever, EVER buy a box of Uncrustables, no matter how desperately busy and harassed I become.
My intention is not to criticize anyone who buys and adores Uncrustables (and the fans are many and vocal) or any other convenience food. However, I do believe we should be thoughtful about what we buy and eat. I also believe it is worth our while to spend the time and save the money by making more meals from scratch.
My goal for this blog is to chronicle my quest to defy the siren song of convenience. I want to make inconvenient foods: foods that require time and forethought. I wish to cook and eat deliberately.
