Which do you prefer - instant food or food made from scratch?

frbillie

frbillie

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While raising my children, there are some instant foods that I buy for them that weren't available when I was growing up. Foods such as oatmeal, grits, pancakes, mashed potatoes, etc. all had to be cooked on the stove or made from scratch. Along with those foods came the evolution of the microwave oven. While I find these things ridiculously convenient and am guilty of utilizing all of it, I turn my nose up at it at the same time.

I buy the instant foods that I listed for the convenience of feeding my children without effort during those times when I don't feel like cooking. I also find them useful in guiding them towards independence, making it easy for them to learn to fix their own food.

However, I hate those instant foods...almost all of them. I'd much rather cook my oatmeal, grits and mashed potatoes on the stove and make my pancakes from scratch instead of throwing a couple of frozen ones in the toaster. They just don't taste the same to me.

How do you feel about instant foods? Are you okay with them or would you rather make all of your food from scratch?

Another thing can't seem to get with is the convention of cooking certain foods in the microwave. I've witnessed people cooking a little bit of everything in the microwave, from boiled water to bacon and eggs to hot dogs, and the list goes on an on. There is something about the results of foods that are cooked in the microwave that they don't taste the same to me. The food texture is different, too, which takes away from the pleasure of eating it for me.

Are you a microwave chef?
 
I like instant foods for the convenience and if I want to make a quick meal, but, as you say, the ones cooked from scratch are better tasting. I was not aware that one could get instant mashed potatoes too. I would welcome that since I do not particularly like peeling potatoes, and this is also one of my favorite foods.

I do not cook anything in a microwave. In fact, I do not even own a microwave, and if I did, I may use it only for defrosting or warming up food. I think people tend to use the microwave for cooking because it is easier and I guess it may be quicker too.
 
Instant mashed potatoes are great, sometimes I sprinkle at tiny but in as a filler when certain sauces or dishes of mine are too watery.

I used to despise all instant foods before I had kids, and I had no problems cooking everything from scratch. But as children have come in the picture, those convenience foods are, well, pretty convenient! Unless you're able to chain yourself to the kitchen everyday, I find it almost impossible to keep up with the constant demand for food at all hours, without using some convenience foods to help me out.

The microwave I only use to reheat though, not cook. The only thing I cook in the microwave is instant oatmeal - in 2 minutes it is thick and bubbling, when that would take me 10 minutes plus other ways.
 
We don't use much instant food, mainly things like ready made pies or breaded fish fillets to cook in the oven. Ready meals are often in rather mean portions, and ultimately unsatisfying -as well as being laden with salt and stuff.

We use the microwave to reheat portions of stuff like soup we've frozen (and those half cups of tea that have gone cold), and for defrosting things if we haven't had time to let them defrost naturally. I prefer to cook on a hob if I can.

My Mum has a couple of things that she always cooks in the microwave that I don't see the point of - scrambled eggs, and rice. It might be because she's only cooking a single portion, but even for that, I prefer to cook them on the hob, because by the time you've given it a minute at this setting, let it stand, then given it a minute and a half and then let it stand again, it seems like more faff than just getting a pan out! Still, it suits her.
 
I'm not a fam of either instant or microwaved food. In fact, I don't even own a microwave oven. I'm just not keen on the way they cook the food - it always comes out rock hard round the edges and as dry as the desert. I also wonder if the actual waves going through your food are a health hazard. I much prefer to cook my own food from scratch in the oven or hob. It takes much longer but tastes far better and usually saves me money.
 
The only instant food I like is when I instantly prepare it from scratch. I'm sorry. I am no fan of instant meals at all. I had the odd one when I travel out of curiosity and to accommodate my son but I like my own cooking. I can understand why some would gravitate towards them especially those with hectic schedules. However, I will tell you there is nothing like preparing your meals from scratch. YOU control every thing that goes into that dish. Further these days you can prepare some half hour meals and I speaking from experience.

As for the micro wave, I have never cooked in mine but I am curious so might try it out some time in the future.
 
As much as possible we avoid eating instant foods and it is still best to eat foods that we cook from scratch and one thing it had a different taste compared to the foods we cook in hand. But other people who are having a fast phase of life and those who have no time to cook sometimes because they are in a hurry or do not have the time these instant foods are a great help to them in this kind of situation.
 
ReadmeByAmy said:
As much as possible we avoid eating instant foods and it is still best to eat foods that we cook from scratch and one thing it had a different taste compared to the foods we cook in hand. But other people who are having a fast phase of life and those who have no time to cook sometimes because they are in a hurry or do not have the time these instant foods are a great help to them in this kind of situation.
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Yeah you are right me too as much as possible I prepared and cooked my own food. I avoid instant food because of MSG and other preservatives that have a negative impact in the body when consume regularly. Though sometimes I also eat instant food especially if I have no time or I have a busy schedule that I cannot do the cooking.
 
I am not a fan of instant food. We get both the instant oatmeal and the steel cut and mix them. It is more filling and less sugar when you add the steel cut oats to the paste of the instant oatmeal. We don't eat instant mashed potatoes. To avoid instant food I cook in advance and freeze food so all we have to do is go to the freezer and heat it up.
 
I like instant foods, but I'm not a microwave food fan. I actually never bought a new microwave after mine broke over a year ago. I do everything either on my stove, oven or a grill. Food turn up so much better if you don't make them in a microwave.
 
isabbbela said:
I do everything either on my stove, oven or a grill. Food turn up so much better if you don't make them in a microwave.
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While I have a microwave, ever so often I do other stuff on the stove or in the oven when it comes to reheating. I still have this thing in my head from ages ago where I they said microwaves could be potentially harmful. I know the myth has been debunked. As for my preference, I did say before I prefer to cook from scratch and I have never used the microwave for cooking,
 
The microwave is good when you need something heated up in a pinch. Food should be cooked properly. I cook with the stove and the oven. The microwave changes the texture of food. I love it and hate it at the same time. It is great for convenience but I like my food cooked not zapped.
 
Well, I consider time as really precious, and mostly, I'm busy doing a lot of stuffs, so I don't have much time to prepare food from scratch. I prefer instant foods as they are very easy to make and pretty convenient, not time-consuming at all.
 
all have there purpose there are days when we all eat a different times and prepared snacks are needed sometimes homemade sometimes from the supermarket chiller,but we prefer all fresh homemade food family and friends eating together,seasonal foods ,some dehydrated foods made into so called meals i do not touch!!
 
On the TV this morning were some results from a survey of young families
1 in 3 said homemade was too expensive,and 42% said cooking from scratch was to time consuming"........
 
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