10 Things in My Pantry

[talon]

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/13/big-boom-for-healthier-groceries/?hpt=Sbin

According to this article, food choices have changed for the healthier since the 80's.

According to my personal eating habits, I've bucked the trend. You can read the article to find what the averages were for the 80's and for 2010.

Here are my lists:
1980 (in no particular order - I had these always on hand)
Milk
Home canned vegetables
Cheese
Romaine lettuce
Fresh vegetables
Eggs
Rye or pumpernickel bread
No sugar cereal (cornflakes, rice krispies, shredded wheat, chex cereals, grape nuts)
Fresh fruit
Tea

2010 (again, in no particular order - I always have these on hand)
Milk
Store and Name Brand canned and home canned vegetables
Landbrot and French baguettes
Cheese
Eggs
Tea and coffee
Spring and mixed greens, but rarely Romaine anymore
Fresh fruit and vegetables
No sugar cereal (corn flakes, shredded wheat, grape nuts, rice krispies)
Frozen vegetables and fruit

Notice how I can fewer vegetables and except for jellies, no fruit at all? Part of that is because I now have a very large freezer and I freeze more of the vegetables and fruits than I can.

I've also changed from rye and pumpernickel breads to sourdough landbrot and French baguettes - part of that is because the local bakeries no longer make rye bread without caraway seeds and I dislike the seeds in the bread (ground up for flavor is OK, I just don't like the seeds themselves in the bread) and pumpernickel has become hard to find unless I make it myself, which I do, in the winter. I'm considering dropping the landbrot because the bakery has a new baker and the bread isn't a nice substantial German sourdough anymore, it's become a light and fluffy white bread with artificial flavoring and a thick crust masquerading as a German sourdough too fragile for belegte brot and tomato sandwiches.

I buy more store bought canned vegetables because it's become cheaper to buy them than to buy the fresh vegetables to can myself. It's much harder to find a lot of fresh vegetables locally. I don't want to disparage the farmer's market and coop and crop share endeavors, but honestly, I believe the local farmers are bringing the dregs of their crops to market - what I find anymore that isn't imported from Mexico is bitter, woody, tough, gone to seed, and far too often, limp from age. The fruit is better than the vegetables. Sometimes, that's not saying much. However, they hawk their products made from their crops - jams, jellies, marmalades, chow-chows, salsas, soups, sauces, and home-canned vegetable blends. Beyond doubt, they are using the best of their crops in their products instead of selling the good stuff, and we really are getting their rejects. They probably make more money off their products than their produce, but I don't want their product. I want their produce so I can make my own products.

Until that trends abates (and it only started about 5 years ago), I have to either grow my own or drive out of town (and sometimes out of state) to get decent fresh vegetables.

Since all of our veggie loving pets have died of old age, I also don't buy Romaine lettuce very often. One head is too much and it doesn't freeze well, so I buy the smaller microgreens and mesclun mixes.

It's not evident in the listing, but I also tend to buy partial fresh vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli and cabbage as entire heads are too much unless I plan to freeze part of them for later use.

I've added coffee to the constant beverages I keep on hand because I found a roaster that does a good job.

How has your pantry changed in the last 30 years (assuming you're old enough to have been keeping a pantry 30 years ago...)?