-
Butch Furse
Going to the grocery store is not like it once was. Since retiring I’ve infrequently accompanied the Betterhalf on her shopping, or have been asked to go pick up this or that for her.
What I’ve noticed how some shopping habits have changed, particularly if I brought home an item and told that wasn’t the right brand, size, had too many calories, or paid too much. Shopping is not an easy venture for me, but I have noticed a few things.
It seems at a grocery store, more shoppers are reading the details on the back of an item before tossing it in the cart. No wonder there is no such thing as a short shopping trip anymore. Details listing nutritional facts of calories and vitamins, have overtaken the old fashioned listings of just the simple ingredients. Still despite all of this, it’s being reported the bulk of our national population is overweight.
Recently while scanning a newspaper, readers found a report where a man went to buy a bag of ice. Upon reading the package label it informed him, “Calories - 0” and the ice did not contain a significant amount of vitamins.
Now the inflation scare and price increases are starting to make the headlines, along with the pandemic reports. However, manufacturers are on top of that inflation scare. Those 50 pound bags of dog food, birdseeds, etc. are now being replaced with 40-42 lb. bags at nearly the same price. Those changes also include when manufacturers once packaged one pound packages and now list net weights at a couple ounces less, such as 13.7 oz., or total number of servings.
Again, no wonder we notice shoppers in an aisle punching their smart phones.
***
Going out to eat is another example of changing lifestyles. I read a report on good places to eat and one restaurant made the list because the restaurant featured a dog menu. While the pet owners dined on a human meal, the dog was treated and satisfied with a one-half pound pup burger served atop organic rice mixed with vegetables and potatoes for $8, as well as serving sweet treats in frozen bones and issuing a doggy bag.
Thank goodness our dogs can’t read. They would go on a fast in our household against their usual servings of dry dog food and bone biscuits. But, if they could read they certainly would be more demanding at our home’s meal time .. . or want to “eat out.”
RL Furse is publisher emeritus of the News-Register
