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

All depends on the circumstances really. Sometimes we use 'instant' foods in another recipe sometimes microwave something to add into something else.
PS - what exactly are 'grits' ?
 
It may sound stupid but being Irish I don't think I could ever used powdered mash potato. I have just spent a year living in France where it is sometihng that is extremely common to buy in the supermarket. I just could never get myself to buy it.
However I do buy a good few things just out of convenience. Sometimes it is cheaper and sometimes for the time it would take to prepare it I just don't have an hour if I get home at 20h30 I just don't feel like I have the energy to spend an hour cooking. However if I have the time I do prefer to cook from scratch because I have it exactly how I want.
I also think it depends on the amount of people you are cooking for. It can work out cheap if you have a large family and require a lot but most of the time I cook for just myself so it can be quite expensive to buy all the raw ingredients to make something from scratch.
 
The only times I like to eat instant food is when: there's no other food available (like on grocery days when we have to re-stock) or when I'm in a rush. For example, I ate instant noodles for breakfast with a hard boiled egg and some bread slices since we just moved houses and we didn't have our cooking equipment.
However, I enjoy making food from scratch since it gives me more practice on cooking and baking. I love trying out new recipes that I get from Pinterest which seem really easy yet delicious. It's also a health- related decision: I prefer to make my own food since I know what I'm putting in them unlike processed food.
 
I think it depends for me. I like instant food at times and food made from scratch also. It depends on how I want to make it or under what circumstance I am in. Food made from scratch is a real challenge for me but it's really fun and at least I get to try and learn how to do a certain dish from scratch. At times food made from scratch can taste better as well. But there are times where I'd have to settle with instant food and it's not bad at all. I believe I'm an awesome microwave chef!
 
There is only one thing I can think of that I don't make from scratch and that is pancakes and even so I still add my favorite fruits and nuts. I enjoy cooking so it is no problem for me to do everything from sratch. I get to add what I like and make my own twist on the dishes.
 
In the days when I trekked into an office every morning, I was always surprised at how few people made up their own lunches. I was even more surprised by the number that said "I just don't have the time to make sandwiches" (or whatever else). It made me wonder what kinds of fantastically hectic lives these people had if they couldn't spare two or three minutes to make a sandwich.
 
Instant food is more convenient and practical. Our generation just doesn't have the time to prepare food from scratch anymore.
 
frbillie said:
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?
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Food made from scratch. I don't like cooking the instant stuff any more than I like eating it. Yuck. :P
 
Food made from scratch is definitely better, especially if it's you who prepared it! There's just a strange sensation in knowing "Hey, I made this!". Though it really does depend. If I'm hungry out of my mind, I'll go grab something "instant". But generally speaking, you get what you put in. If you put in the time and prepare your meals, you are bound to have a better experience and enjoy your food more.
 
With a full family to feed, and with me not working right now, instant isn't an option. I buy all the raw ingredients in bulk. What's great about cooking from scratch is it really does taste so much better, so you're feeding your family better for cheaper. How often does that happen?
 
I only go for instant food when there is not enough times on my hands to prepare a good home cooked meal or at times when I have myself a late night snack. My children on the other hand can't have enough instant food as they are always glued to the television and is always looking the easy way out.
 
My husband is the same way. My son likes the homecooked stuff, though. He is extremely picky aboutu what he eats. He won't eat spaghetti if the sauce is even slightly thicker than he would like. :P
 
I definitely prefer food from scratch. It is so much better for you and you know exactly what is in it, unlike when you buy prepared food. We do use prepared food sometimes but only when we are in a pinch, other then at everything we have to eat is prepared from scratch. My SO is an awesome cook so he comes up with some pretty fantastic meals.
 
Although it's convenient to have instant food since it save us much time and energy. It's not that healthy compared to food made from scratch by ourselves,especially for children. You'd better wake up early and cook.
 
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