Take Your Taste Buds on a Tour

I read somewhere that the average person only eats seven food items. Personally, I can eat seven fruits and vegetables in a single day, but then again, that’s not the point of this discussion.

Food ruts are just ruts we have allowed ourselves to get comfortable with.

Sue Sigmon-Nosach

Having been married almost 41 years, that’s a lot of multiples of seven food items over the years. Hubs is really not too picky, but he insists on eating liver when he can find it on a menu, no sweet potatoes in any form, no beets, and he likes iceberg lettuce especially when smothered with sliced heirloom tomatoes, diced Vidalia onions, bacon bits, and bleu cheese dressing.

Now I have never had to deal with picky eaters as it’s always been just the two of us, but if I had, I would have probably given up like a lot of women. Honestly, that’s a job skill I never missed learning.

Growing up, back in the day, my fam always had dinner together. My sister and I would “set” the table, go outside to wait for Dad to come home while Mom cooked whatever was on the menu. McDonald’s was hardly a gleam in Ray Kroc’s eyes and the only pizza came from a box with a little can of sauce and a package of some type of cheese vaguely resembling chopped sawdust. But we ate it up!

Going out was rare and a big deal, especially if my sister and I got to go.

Nowadays, there are women who use the oven to store extra pots because they are still in the boxes they came in. There is food everywhere and available 24 hours a day depending on where one lives. With home delivery of so many cuisines, it’s hard to believe that we still eat the same “seven” over and over.

It’s Good Enough for Millennials, So …

Having grown weary of making daily dinner decisions for over forty years, I decided to give the meal service companies a try. I am not an expert, but I am renowned in the ‘hood for my cooking talents. That said, my taste buds were yearning for something new and exciting.

Hello Fresh was the first experiment. I tried it, quit, and then tried again. Even got my single sister on board and she hates to cook. Anyway, Hello Fresh arrives when promised, delivers quality, and offers clear, concise instructions.

Hubs thinks they are a little “light” on quantity and grumbles on occasion if his plate looks a bit lonely with only a vegetable and meat. My biggest complaint about Hello Fresh and the other company I tried–Every Plate–is that it just makes a mess on the cooktop, as most all entrees are panfried.

Every Plate is a relative newcomer to the world of dinner ingredients delivered to your home (note… it is owned by Hello Fresh, but different!). They recently offered a great deal…$3 per meal. That is a considerable savings over Hello Fresh and when my special deal runs out–meals are still less than $5….$3 better than Hello Fresh.

Again, quality is equal, packaging virtually the same, but Every Plate seems to be somewhat larger in portions per serving. Their menu skews towards one bowl entrees which is the current trend. Fewer bowls, but still the stovetop clean up duty. Both companies charge shipping so that comparison is a wash.

Hubs thinks Every Plate is just as tasty and of course, he likes the savings. We skip weeks and there is no commitment as to how many meals to buy or how long you must participate.

More Experiments Coming, so Stay Tuned!

Now, two companies is not scientific analysis. I will give Blue Apron a shot later and any other reasonably priced options that might come along and report my findings.

My point is this–ditch the ‘seven’ and take a taste tour this year. Food ruts are just ruts we have allowed ourselves to get comfortable with.

Queenager, rule your kitchen and your taste buds in 2020. You can stay in and have restaurant quality food…notice I didn’t say ‘fine dining’…..BUT I have found these services to be dependable and tasty.

Hey, I make him pick the order of the meals to be cooked…that’s his job, but together we are busting out of the seven standards.