Fair point, but here frozen family meals in the past would have at least satisfied everyone at the table without any sides and if you wanted to go from satisfied to “stuffed full” then you could whip up a quick side of Mac and cheese or something
Well okay, maybe I wasn’t clear. I agree with you that you certainly aren’t getting enough nourishment for an entire family - and in fact, even if you have enough food volume for an entire family, this crap wouldn’t count as nourishment anyway. And you’re probably paying this box of goopy shit dollars on the pennies it cost to make.
I was just pointing out that, like most things the agro industry puts on boxes, “family size” has no legal meaning and therefore is technically correct depending on how you interpret it.
Incidentally, another thing that means jack squat on your box of dubious food is “Now with more cheese”. If they started out with zero cheese (and no, the stuff with a cheesy taste used in ultra-processed food isn’t legally cheese) then adding a flake or two of real cheddar makes it technically possible to say “Now with more cheese”.
I very much imagine it would be. It’s the same as when they put ‘gluten free’ on ridiculous stuff like raw meat, packaged raw vegetables, raw nuts, and the list goes on…
We just had a case here (Denmark) where 2 companies were putting a “No PFOA” labels on their frying pans. But they’ve been told by authorities that that’s illegal, because it’s misleading advertising since PFOA is illegal in EU.
Thy got off with a warning, but in case of repeat offenses they will be fined.
But USA is much different, and many “confuse the consumer” strategies do not seem to be generally illegal “over there”.
As someone with celiac disease, and how much stuff gluten is in (some French fries, soy sauce, tomato soup, etc), I don’t care how ridiculous it seems, I appreciate when manufacturers make it known their shit is gluten free.
I’m old and I don’t think that’s true. Frozen entrees have ways been on the light side. And frozen dinners for one would be 3 oz of meat, and a couple of spoonfuls of boiled peas or something.
Your 'Murican is showing, very clearly. Mac and cheese as a side to chicken enchiladas? How do you not realise the obesity mental illness level that is?
here frozen family meals in the past would have at least satisfied everyone at the table without any sides
American in his fifties here. No idea what you’re talking about. Family size has only ever meant “larger pack.” It has never meant “complete on its own with nothing accompanying it.”
A family size meal should have enough to at least be the entree for four people. With enchiladas that means two per person, not one. It’s a corn tortilla with stuff rolled in it, barely larger than a taquito, you need two for it to not look like a depression meal (we’re already cooking frozen enchiladas, we’re there already, it doesn’t need to be rubbed in).
I’ve noticed that sizes are shifting. Party size is now what used to be family size and can actually feed four, sometimes it’s called mega family size or some bullshit. Family size now means two adults and maybe a child <10 yrs. I remember a family size lasagna had leftovers when I was a kid.
It’s 300 calories per serving (4 servings per box). If you’re on a 2000 calorie diet, a meal is 500 - 700 calories, so this would be a snack or a dish that requires a side. Or eat the whole box yourself and it’s about the same as a Big Mac combo.
Fair point, but here frozen family meals in the past would have at least satisfied everyone at the table without any sides and if you wanted to go from satisfied to “stuffed full” then you could whip up a quick side of Mac and cheese or something
Well okay, maybe I wasn’t clear. I agree with you that you certainly aren’t getting enough nourishment for an entire family - and in fact, even if you have enough food volume for an entire family, this crap wouldn’t count as nourishment anyway. And you’re probably paying this box of goopy shit dollars on the pennies it cost to make.
I was just pointing out that, like most things the agro industry puts on boxes, “family size” has no legal meaning and therefore is technically correct depending on how you interpret it.
Incidentally, another thing that means jack squat on your box of dubious food is “Now with more cheese”. If they started out with zero cheese (and no, the stuff with a cheesy taste used in ultra-processed food isn’t legally cheese) then adding a flake or two of real cheddar makes it technically possible to say “Now with more cheese”.
I wonder if it would be legal in America to print “No cyanide!” on the box to make people pick it over other stuff from the sea of frozen garbage.
I very much imagine it would be. It’s the same as when they put ‘gluten free’ on ridiculous stuff like raw meat, packaged raw vegetables, raw nuts, and the list goes on…
We just had a case here (Denmark) where 2 companies were putting a “No PFOA” labels on their frying pans. But they’ve been told by authorities that that’s illegal, because it’s misleading advertising since PFOA is illegal in EU.
Thy got off with a warning, but in case of repeat offenses they will be fined.
But USA is much different, and many “confuse the consumer” strategies do not seem to be generally illegal “over there”.
No anti-consumer anything would ever be illegal in the US. It’s a corporatocracy.
As someone with celiac disease, and how much stuff gluten is in (some French fries, soy sauce, tomato soup, etc), I don’t care how ridiculous it seems, I appreciate when manufacturers make it known their shit is gluten free.
Yep - grated cheese is a good example. The stuff they put in to make it not stick together can contain gluten.
One of my personal favorites is seeing salt advertised as being non-GMO.
Relevant XKCD
“No added sugars”
“No added salt”
“No added preservatives”
Yup, no cyanide would fit right in.
My favorite is:
It’s a bag of rice.
I recently bought buttermilk that had “no gluten” as an ingredient…
Yes. They definitely advertise rice and corn as gluten free.
I’m old and I don’t think that’s true. Frozen entrees have ways been on the light side. And frozen dinners for one would be 3 oz of meat, and a couple of spoonfuls of boiled peas or something.
Your 'Murican is showing, very clearly. Mac and cheese as a side to chicken enchiladas? How do you not realise the obesity mental illness level that is?
American in his fifties here. No idea what you’re talking about. Family size has only ever meant “larger pack.” It has never meant “complete on its own with nothing accompanying it.”
A family size meal should have enough to at least be the entree for four people. With enchiladas that means two per person, not one. It’s a corn tortilla with stuff rolled in it, barely larger than a taquito, you need two for it to not look like a depression meal (we’re already cooking frozen enchiladas, we’re there already, it doesn’t need to be rubbed in).
I’ve noticed that sizes are shifting. Party size is now what used to be family size and can actually feed four, sometimes it’s called mega family size or some bullshit. Family size now means two adults and maybe a child <10 yrs. I remember a family size lasagna had leftovers when I was a kid.
It’s 300 calories per serving (4 servings per box). If you’re on a 2000 calorie diet, a meal is 500 - 700 calories, so this would be a snack or a dish that requires a side. Or eat the whole box yourself and it’s about the same as a Big Mac combo.
Mac and cheese with “cantina style”? Throw some Texas toast in there why don’t ya, and hit dairy queen after
Point being who looks at a random meal and says “let’s fill the gaps with Mac and cheese, that’s nutritionally sounds reasoning”