The Ministry of Health is into the "Eat Whole Grain"campaign, and even Minister has blogged about it.Now there's no disputing the healthiness of eating whole grain, but where on earth do you find it? I went searching for it in Giant supermarket... and found red unpolished rice hanging pathetically where the small packets of barley hung. At $0.83 for a 300gm pack. That works out approximately $2.80 per kilo. And if I were going to feed my family for a month I would have to carry home about 20 packs.
Next went to where the sacked rice were. And among the piles of rice (huge range!!) there, I found only one variety of hermetically sealed brown rice retailing at $11.95 for a 5kg bag. Hermetically sealed?? My calculator went click-click-click and I figured that worked out to approximately $2.40 per kilo. Not too far from it, the housebrand perfumed Thai rice was on offer at 18.30 for a 10kg sack. Only 2 clicks this time....and I worked it out to be $1.83 per kilo.
Not easy to find this brown rice! And it seems that wretched rule of market place was working.... you know, the one that says the less you process the food stuff, the more expensive it gets. So unpolished rice costs approximately 60 cents per kilo more than the conventional white rice.
Then another thing I discovered.... ( I did wonder why the rice was hermetically sealed)... and that is unpolished rice has a short shelf life as it tends to go rancid. Some suggest that the rice be stored in the freezer. Duhhhh.....there is no way I was going to stuff a 5 kg sack of rice into my freezer!!
I guess it's down to buying small packs of unpolished rice ... no more 10kg sacks!
So eat healthy is going to cost ... both in times of $$ and time.
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3 comments:
Giga, you forgot to add that unpolished rice etc takes more time n water to cook...
One way to get around such things as cost per kg is to mix the grains; that way, probably more palatable for those used to finely polished grains.
Eat more raw veggies and even rolled oats (yup, u don't need to cook them; just treat them like nuts by putting a small handful into yr mouth, or into a very hot drink -- that way, semi-cooked).
Lastly, use no oil for cooking: u save on oil n washing detergent money.
I do tt by cooking over slow, low heat, using well seasoned (ie well used) pots n pans without teflon. All raw ingredients have natural oils n/or juices and low heat brings them out, without burning.
Thx AuntieL. Yeah I did mix them and went down reasonably well with family .... probably we had it with a big pot of unhealthy chicken curry...:)
Actually the point was trying to make was that whole grains are not that easy to come by, and end up being more expensive. I think NTUC should see about importing whole grains in economy packs.
Anyway, nice to see you back. Kinda missed you.:)
Thanks nice to be missed, unlike the recept I get when I make the occasional foray into Temasek Review aka Wayang Party territory! :D
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