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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-04-25, Page 17i. s. [ALL IT NEEDED WAS SOME WVINI CARE! A LITTLE WATER AN' WE SAVED ITS 50EYf CRAmoE THE FLOWER To A Phnom ... 'THEN WATER° To "Woe_ AND you HAVE 7111 Asa aou sroity ild A NUT$$EAL. LOO D000 cMVIE IBM piiins SPECIALS Satin shorts only 6 8'95 Summer and Dress. Blouses 92." long and short sleeves WHILE THEY LAST Drop in for more bargains 44;ai • F. to" ANNA'S DRESS SHOP 887-6062 Brussels Open Tuesday . Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 ' p.m, • * /IP • A4m # %au • '1111 how it .1% *40 1.101k. April" -.414G H & N DAIRY SYSTEMS LTD. Sales, Service 8 Installation of pipelines & milking parlours R.R.4 WALTON 887-6063 For your Plumbing Et Heating Jobs call Dale Machan .887-6-107 24 Hour Water Ptitnii•SerVice Keep a man with EXPERIENCE working for you in Huron-Bruce • Business Experience • Agricultural Experience • House of Commons Experience On May 22. RE-ELECT McKINLEL Robert E. Progressive Conservative Published by Ad litiion•Bruke PC P.1 • THE !MUSSELS POST, APRIL 25, 079 17 HISTORICAL PRESENTATION MADE — James Anderson and Thelma Coleman (on left) co-authors of The Canada Company, recently published in Stratfrod, on hand for a special presentation of copies of the book from Perth County Warden Ormond Pridham to Huron Warden John Tinney The book outlines the opening of the Huron Tract by men like John Galt, Colonel Anthony Van Egniond and the "Tiger" Dunlop. (Advocate Photo) Convenience foods not always more costly Consumers are buying more and more convenience foods and each year the variety of convenience foods available also increases. Ad- vances in food technology have resulted in a wide variety of hurry-up foods- from instant breakfasts to boil-in-a-bag meals. Convenience foods are pop ular because they are quick and easy, and don't dirty many dishes. They are also popular because good results are almost always certain. The trend towards conven- ience foods and changing consumer attitudes can be seen in the example of the cake mix. When cake mixes first came on the market, many people scoffed at them. Often those whodid use them hid the tell-tale package from the sight of family and friends. But now, cake mixes are very common and the homemaker who uses ,an at-home recipe is the excep- tion rather than the rule. Similarly, the use of other convenience foods is widely accepted. For most people, a conven- ience food is one in which• a considerable am ount of time and labour in preparing the food has been shifted to the food proceAsor, so the con- sumer doesn't have as much work to do. The cooking, squeezing, cutting or peeling was done before the food got to the supermarket. While most consumers be- lieve convenience are more costly than the home-made equivalents, this is not al- ways the case: Cost compari- sons of some products may be surprising. Instant mash- ed potatoes are often cheaper than the home-made ones. Instant scalloped potatoes, on the other hand, will be considerably more expensive than if they were made at home. While most cake mix- es will cost more than a home-made cake, an angel food cake mix will almost always be cheaper. Biscuit mixes and store-bought bread are usually more. ex- pensive. Convenience foods are sometimes cheaper because of the economic advantages of mass production, a better distribution system, and re- diked Waste through spoil- age. Convenience foods tend to increase in price, the closer they are being ready to eat. Their price also increa- ses with the number of ingredients. Simple price comparisons between convenience foods and the equivalent home- made ones are not meaning- ful, however, unless they consider nutrition, quality, and taste. While there is no reason why convenience foods should provide less nutrition,, they may be less nutritious overall simply be- causes. the commercially pre- pared food may have smaller quantities of the more expen- sive ingredients, such as meat, vegetables, and fruit. 'For example, the price of a frozen pizza and one made at home can't really be com- pared if the home-made one contains twice as much cheese (a good source of protein) and has a better taste. An overlooked cost in convenience foods is the cost of those ingredients that must still be added by the consumer before the food is ready to eat. Common addi- tions, such as milk, eggs, or butter can increase the cost of a convenience food a great deal. If the food also requires a long cooking time, the energy cost must also be taken into account. Consumers who buy con- venience foods to save time should make sure they really do save time. Read the label to see how much work must still be done at home, Pan- cake and biscuit mixes are sometimes almost as time consuming as at-home reci- pes. The labels on convenience foods will also give a com- plete breakdown of the content and in some cases will indicate the shelf-life of the food. So it is important to read them. Federal labelling regualtions require that all ingredients must be listed on the label in descending order of their proportion. A label that reads "sugar, water, eggs" has sugar as its main ingredient, then water, and finally eggs. Convenience foods with a shelf life of less than 90 days (such as some biscuit and cookie dough) will also have a "best before" d ate on the label. This is the date after which food is no longer at its peak of quality. Remember when you are deciding whether to buy convenience foods that in many cases what you do yourself might save money. Have you tried to make your own convenience foods? The simplest way is still to use carefully refrigerated left- overs in another way. QUICK CHANGING SPRING Be prepared for quick changes in weather at this time of year, warns the Ontario Safety League. A dry road can become wet and then turn icy in a short space of time.. SIGNAL & CHECK Signaling a move from one lane to another doesn't guar- antee your safety, the Ontario Safety League warns drivers. Check your mirrors to see if the driver behind is heeding your signal before you make that lane change or turn. As of May 1, 1979, the office of R. Bray, Chiropractor will be closed. Appointments will be available in Wingham at 197 Josephine St. 357-1224. --04111116.