Convenience Foods - What They Cost You By Dianne Ödland and Julein Axelson m " onvenience foods have earned Younger people and adult males who pre- Êm themselves a regular place on the pared household meals spent a greater %^ shopping lists of many consumers. percentage of the food dollar on conven- In fact, convenience foods of one type or ience products than older people and fe- another are probably used by nearly all male adults. On the average, a larger households in the United States. share of the food dollar was used for pur- chase of convenience foods in white Convenience foods include a wide range households than in black households and of products that have been fully or par- by people in the Northeast than by peo- tially prepared by food manufacturers ple in other regions of the country. rather than in the home. In effect, con- venience foods include all products ex- Understanding the differences in types of cept fresh items such as meat, produce, convenience foods on the market can be and eggs and basic processed food items helpful in making food buying decisions. that are used as ingredients, such as Convenience foods can be classified as flour, sugar, fluid milk, butter, and either basic, complex, or manufactured. spices. Basic convenience foods are products in which basic processing techniques such A recent U. S. Department of Agriculture as canning, freezing, or drying have been (USDA) survey including over 14,000 applied to single-ingredient items or households showed that about 45 cents products with a limited number of ingre- of every dollar spent for food at home dients. Although these foods may save was for convenience items. Some house- some preparation time, they do not have holds relied more heavily on use of con- built-in "culinary expertise." Examples in- venience foods than others. For ex- clude instant dry potatoes, canned green ample, the survey showed that conven- beans, and frozen orange juice concen- ience foods accounted for more of the trate. Many of the basic-type conven- food dollar in households with higher ience foods are vegetable and fruit prod- rather than lower levels of income and ucts. education. Dianne Ödland is a Home Economist, Consumer Nutrition Center, Human Nutrition Information Service. Julein Axelson is an Assistant Professor, Human Nutrition and Foods, Virginia Poly- technic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. 343 Complex convenience foods include of many kinds of convenience foods. In multi-ingredient "prepared" mixtures that the modem household, everyone's usually have a high level of timesaving busy — homemakers often work outside features and culinary expertise. Some the home, and meals are not always eat- examples include frozen ready-to-heat en at set times or as a family. Time is at plate dinners and entrees, frozen vege- a premium. Frequently, eating becomes tables with a sauce or in a casserole, and a rushed affair and there is little time to ready-to-eat baked products. Manufac- prepare elaborate meals. Preparing, eat- tured convenience foods have no ing, and cleaning up after meals must fit home-prepared counterparts. Products in into busy schedules. Many convenience this category include foods such as ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, some can- dies, carbonated beverages, and most al- coholic beverages. Households in the survey spent about 42 percent of their convenience food dollar on basic items, about 42 percent on com- plex items, and about 16 percent on manufactured items. Basic convenience food products that were used by a large percentage of households included peanut butter, frozen orange juice concentrate, pasteurized process cheese, instant cof- fee, and several canned and frozen vege- tables. Commonly used complex conven- ience foods included white bread, lunch- eon meats, canned baked beans, dry mix for macaroni and cheese, canned soups, jellies and jams, and ready-to-eat cook- ies. Cola-type carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages represented a large portion of the money spent for manufac- tured convenience foods. What Makes Foods Convenient? Changing lifestyles in the United States and an increased variety of convenience foods avaüable have led to increased use \ Which to buy... a readymade calce or a cake mix? The dry mix irt this /lomema/ter's /eft hand contains ail the dry ingredients to maire a caire. However, it must be mixed and cooired to achieve a ready-to-serve form. The cake in her right hand Is already made and ready to eat. 344 foods offer ways to save time and effort expertise offered by some products is by eliminating preparation activities such convenient for people who lack food as cleaning, peeling, mixing, and cooking. preparation skills or who have little Also, their use substantially reduces pre- equipment available for preparing foods. preparation chores (such as planning, Convenience foods may expand the va- buying, and storing ingredients) and riety of foods served in such families. clean-up chores (such as dishwashing). The ultimate in convenience is offered by Convenience foods have varying degrees products that are ready to eat or use as of built-in services. The built-in culinary purchased. Some products need only to 345 be thawed before serving; some are pre- is appropriate for your food budget and pared items which need only heating or that you're not paying more for conven- rehydrating with hot water. Others, such ience than you intend. In making cost as dry mixes that have most of the re- comparisons, remember that many fac- quired ingredients assembled in one tors influence the cost relationship be- package, must be mixed and cooked to tween home-prepared and convenience achieve ready-to-serve form. Several food forms. These include price in the convenience forms, offering varying de- store where purchased; "special" prices grees of "readiness," are available for of items; brands selected; quality and some foods. In fact, often the decision is packaging of items selected; and type not so much whether to buy the conven- and quantity of ingredients in conven- ience product or to prepare the food ience products compared to those used from scratch, but which convenience food in home recipes. form to buy. The following general guidelines illustrate Besides laborsaving and timesaving ad- basic cost relationships for equal amounts vantages associated with food prepara- of convenience foods and their fresh or tion, other desirable features of conven- home-prepared counterparts. They are ience foods include ease of storage, based on prices for items in three Wash- change in storage space requirements, ington, D, C., area supermarkets in June ease in transporting the food from the 1982. Relative percentage costs are grocery to the home because of lighter based on equal weight servings of each weight or reduced bulk, and extended food form. storage life compared to fresh foods. • Basic-t3^e convenience foods, partic- Small Households ~ Single-portion pack- ularly vegetables, often cost less than ages of entrees and snack items and their fresh or home-prepared counter- small containers of fruits and vegetables parts. An important point to remem- are tailor-made for one- or two-member ber, however, is that cost comparisons households and thus offer convenience to between fresh and processed produce this group, particularly since many fresh items depend upon seasonal price fluc- foods and many recipes for home-pre- tuations. Fresh fruits and vegetables in pared foods provide too many servings to season are sometimes available at bar- be practical Their use, especially in gain prices and may cost less than small households, may reduce leftovers processed food forms. and decrease the chance of waste. * Complex-type convenience products Making Cost Comparisons that offer a high level of culinary ex- Rising food prices and the seemingly un- pertise often cost more than similar limited choice of convenience foods avail- foods made from home recipes. Main able at the supermarket complicate food dishes and baked goods made from a buying decisions. Some convenience mix often cost about the same as or foods are far more expensive, some cost less than their homemade versions. In about the same or even less than similar figuring comparative costs, remember foods prepared at home. In selecting to include ingredients that must be food forms, be sure the cost of the item added to mixes. 346 Cost Comparisons — Basic-Type Convenience Foods Relative cost Percent Fresh green beans 100 Canned green beans 62 Frozen green beans 90 Home-prepared french-fried potatoes 100 Frozen french-fried potatoes 83 Juice squeezed from fresh oranges 100 Ready-to-drink orange juice reconstituted from frozen concentrate 65 Pasteurized orange juice 86 Canned orange juice 63 Frozen orange juice concentrate 46 Fluid skim milk 100 Instant nonfat dry milk 65 • Manufactured-type convenience foods large containers doesn't save money if such as carbonated and alcoholic bev- the food spoils before you use it. erages offer calories but little in the way of nutrients. They are expensive Prices differ from store to store and "extras. " If you need to trim your food from brand to brand. Some price differ- budget, this might be a good place to ences may be associated with food qual- start. ity differences; others may not. Store brands and generic foods (no brand name • Some items have more than one con- shown) often cost less than widely venience food form (pizza is an ex- known products. For example, generic ample). Those with more built-in con- green beans priced in Washington, D.C. venience usually cost more. area supermarkets cost about three-fifths as much as a nationally advertised brand. • Buying the large rather than the small container size of a convenience food Fuel You Use, and Your Time sometimes results in worthwhile sav- Usually the largest cost in preparing a ings.