Justice for processed foods

Will this be the time for processed foods to shine? Will this current time in society, with increasing food prices and tariffs, be the time people recognize the benefits of processed foods?

I read the headlines from a few weeks ago and thought surely I must be reading this wrong. Or perhaps there was an editing error. But no, a single strawberry sold at Erewhon was priced at $19. NINETEEN DOLLARS. For ONE strawberry. I’m sorry I had to with the all caps just in case perhaps you were thinking, “Oh, she is talking about a carton of strawberries”, which would still be ludicrous and preposterous, but not causing neck pain from turning your head quickly in shock.

I couldn’t make this up if I tried.

I live in New York City and am used to the bougie shit that sells and we too have Erewhon like grocery stores. (Hello, Dean And DeLuca!) I personally don’t frequent them, but they are there. So I can’t say I’m 100% in shock, but more so surprised at the timing of this little strawberry making its debut and people acting like this is completely normal. I have seen the TikToks of the influencers trying the strawberry and saying it’s the best thing they have ever tasted. I mean, honestly, it better be for that price tag, but let’s be honest here - is it the best thing ever? Because at the end of the day, you paid $19 for ONE strawberry. But if you like it, I love it.

I bet you’re wondering what this amazing little strawberry looks like. Is it coated in gold? No, but it does come in its own plastic container, which is comforting to those worried about microplastics.

The timing of this is really interesting because we are in the midst of an ongoing tariff war that our administration decided to start with other countries. This means that groceries are going to get more expensive because of the food that is imported. Fabulous. I mean, we are seeing the debacle with eggs and the decreasing availability because of bird flu and how the price is soaring. This also means that food insecurity will likely increase as well, especially since they also want to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding. So it would be safe to say that more people are going to be concerned with food prices and most likely paying more attention to what they are purchasing.

I also think that more people are going to start realizing the benefits of processed foods. And I am not talking about chips and cookies; I am talking about shelf-stable foods that last longer and provide a ton of nourishment. I am hoping that maybe this is the good PR that processed foods need, not because I am hoping for an economic disaster or anything but more so because processed foods do not deserve the level of hate that they receive.

Society, unfortunately, lumps all processed and ultra-processed foods together as one. Not to mention that there is so much misinformation regarding anything sold in a package. There is still the belief, for instance, that if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it. I mean, our own Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) read a list of ingredients and, because he didn’t know what riboflavin and carrageenan were and didn’t know how to pronounce them, decided that they were bad and declared that these ingredients shouldn’t be in our food. I want to emphasize here that neither is bad, but especially riboflavin, which is a B vitamin that our body needs. And what’s so great about many packaged foods is that they are fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals that we wouldn’t normally get a ton of. This is a good thing. I would expect a HHS Secretary to know this, but I digress.

“This is a list of ingredients from foods — carrageenan, riboflavin, monosodium glutamate and 20 others that I can’t pronounce.” - Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

So, what to do about the higher prices? I mean, besides crying and rolling our eyes at the way things are being handled right now. Well, what I can offer is a list of suggestions for different foods and how to incorporate them into a budget-friendly meal plan. Not to mention that keeping certain foods on hand for time-saving meals is not a bad idea even if we weren’t in these present times. Not to mention, this is where I think the justice for processed foods will come in. Also, remember that not all processed foods are created equally.

So here are some of my favorite tips of the trade…

Canned foods

Cost effective and shelf stable. I always suggest for people to stock up on these regardless because you can never go wrong. I always have multiple cans of beans in my pantry because, for starters, beans are good for you. High in fiber and high in protein, it’s sort of like a two-for-one deal. Not to mention that canned beans take out the step of soaking dry beans overnight since they are ready to go. They can easily be added to dishes such as salads, potatoes, rice, soups, and the list goes on. I personally love black beans, and I will add them to potatoes and quesadillas. What about the sodium, you ask? Great question, which can be answered by rinsing off the beans. Get