I’m a big believer in scratch cooking. I’m also a big believer in wise financial stewardship and stretching your dollar as far as it can go.
But I also live in the real world with busy schedules and competing commitments. And while there’s definitely something about starting a dish in your kitchen with food in its natural form, sometimes it just takes too much time.
So I’ve looked for shortcuts, and our convenience culture doesn’t disappoint. But many of these shortcuts come at a financial premium – meaning you’re paying a HUGE markup just to buy produce that’s already prepped. However, there are a few items where the markup is minimal and I find that the extra cost is worth it.
So whether you’re looking for convenience on the regular or just need a once-in-awhile quick time-saver, here are pre-cut produce options that you can enjoy guilt-free.
Prices from Fred Meyer and Trader Joe’s October 2019.
Bell Peppers
I make a breakfast casserole every Sunday to last through the week. I also buy peppers to slice for snacks. All told, I buy 12 peppers a week – and they are not cheap. Colored peppers run about $1.50 each, with green peppers slightly less.
When I saw a 16 oz package of pre-chopped frozen bell peppers at Trader Joe’s for $1.99, I couldn’t grab it fast enough. I did an experiment and realized it would take 4 sliced fresh peppers to equal the weight of one package – so I was actually saving money by buying frozen! Now obviously I’ll still be slicing fresh peppers for snacks, but I’m saving a lot of effort by buying ones frozen that I intend to cook with.
Fresh Bell Peppers – approx. $5/lb (after slicing and discarding waste)
Frozen Bell Peppers – $1.99/lb
Markup: 60% cheaper to buy frozen
Broccoli
When you buy broccoli, they charge you by the pound. But it always includes the stems, which most people throw away (though you can use it if you want to). When you buy packaged broccoli the price is certainly higher, but you aren’t getting stems – you can use every last thing that you buy. Yes, the price is still higher but I think it’s worth it for the price of convenience.
Fresh Broccoli – $1.59/lb
Pre-Cut Bagged Broccoli – $2.50/lb ($4.99 for a 2-lb bag)
Markup: 57% markup, not accounting for stems/waste
Carrots
Usually I buy a bag of carrots and peel and cut my own for snacking. But sometimes, I’m just not up for it. Most of the time I only opt for baby carrots when they’re on sale, but if I grab a bag when they’re full-price, I don’t let myself feel guilty, especially considering I don’t have to toss the tops or peels. (Though it’s slightly annoying that “baby carrots” are made out of rejected regular carrots yet they charge more for them.) Note that if you’re buying the individual-sized bags of baby carrots for lunches, the price goes WAY up.
Fresh Whole Carrots: $0.75/lb ($1.49 for a 2-lb bag)
Baby Carrots: $1.40/lb ($2.79 for a 2-lb bag)
Markup: 87% markup
Kale
I hate chopping kale. I hate removing the ribs, cleaning all the dirt out from between the leaves, and cutting it into small bite-sized pieces. More than once I’ve bought a bunch of kale only to have it go bad in the fridge because I never got around to dealing with it. If the choice is between letting things spoil in the fridge because it’s too much work or paying a few extra cents for convenience, I’m always going to choose convenience on this one.
Fresh Kale Bunch: $1.79/lb
Bagged, Chopped Kale: $2.99/lb
Markup: 67% markup, not accounting for waste/ribs
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another one of those veggies where you pay for the waste (the core) whether you use it or not. It’s also kind of a pain to deal with. I used to regularly make riced cauliflower in my food processor, but then I did the math and realized it was worth it to just buy it frozen. Less waste, less effort.
Fresh Cauliflower: $1.49/lb
Frozen Riced Cauliflower: $3.18/lb ($1.99 for 10 oz)
Bagged Cauliflower Florets: $3.33/lb ($4.99 for 1.5 lb bag)
Markup: 113% (riced) and 123% (florets) Obviously this isn’t great, but there’s a huge amount of waste when cutting up a head of cauliflower so I feel this isn’t as bad as it appears.
Spinach
Spinach is another type of produce that requires a lot of effort to wash thoroughly – there’s always dirt in it. While there isn’t nearly as much waste as kale, I rarely buy a bunch of spinach and much prefer to use the bagged baby spinach available at the store.
Fresh Bunch of Spinach: $1.49/lb
Bagged Spinach: $3.18/lb ($1.99 for 10 oz bag)
Markup: 113%
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a pain. There’s peeling, seeding, chopping…it’s quite the undertaking. So if you’re not feeling up to it, consider frozen diced butternut squash. It’s an acceptable substitute in almost any dish and in my opinion it’s worth the extra price for the low amount of effort.
Fresh Butternut Squash: $1.49/lb
Frozen Diced Butternut Squash: $3.82/lb
Markup: 156% Okay, this one looks bad too, but I’m pretty sure you can get this price down as I only saw one (premium-brand) frozen option in the grocery store. See what your store offers!
Any time you buy a convenience item, the price is going to go up. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it. I never buy the pre-made trays of veggies or fruits (the markup is ridiculous), and I rarely buy pre-cut or prepared produce. But in these situations, I feel like the price is worth it when I need to save time on my meal prep.
What packaged time-savers do you feel are worth the price?
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Read more of Kristina’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
