EVERY food product is shrinking!!!

[Colleen27]

Yes.

All you need to do is plan a day ahead. It is so easy, even I can do it! You clean and rinse the attachment and stick that in the freezer. The attachment comes with ice cream recipes, mostly egg, sugar, cream, flavor (I use real vanilla bean) but you can add fresh strawberries or any berry or chocolate). You mix them up per the recipe, then freeze or refridgerate it (depending on the recipe) then the next day, you pour the now really cold mix into the attachment, attach the attachment to the mixer and blend until it makes ice cream.

The "working" time is about 10 minutes but it can take a day for the attachment to freeze which takes most of the time.

My biggest problem is that I need to make sure I have room in my freezer as we have a smaller one.

Sounds good. We have an upright freezer in the basement so I have plenty of freezer space, and I would love to do my own flavors of ice cream with whatever is in season.

The more I think about it, the more I want a Kitchenaid - I never used the baking feature of my bread maker anyway, just used it to mix ingredients, plus my food processor is on its last leg and we've been talking about getting an ice cream maker. One gizmo with several attachments sounds better than accumulating more gizmos.

 

[cornflake]

I noticed the decrease in product sizes around 2009. However, we are leaning more and more to totally homemade and organic. I even make my own salad dressing, via Pioneer woman, best tasting ranch EVER!!! There are some things I buy like ketchup, but organic minus high fructose corn syrup. Strange thing is this past weekend we were at BJ's and I was picking up organic Heinz 57 ketchup, two bottles 128 oz for $6.99....right next to it was Heinz 57 ketchup, two bottles 128 oz for $6.99. Person after person picked up the less healthier option, they were the same price for same amount. I was dumbfounded But made me think we are creatures of habit as the other shoppers weren't even looking at the bottles, just grabbing what they normally buy. That's how these companies get away with it!

This made me curious. I didn't know Heinz made organic ketchup (I buy Annie's), but your classifying it as more healthy made me wonder, as it's Heinz.

I went and looked - it has nearly 20% more salt and an additional gram of carbs per serving than the regular Heinz ketchup.

So maybe the people preferred the regular because they find it healthier! It does have sugar instead of HFCS, which I know is one of the reasons people buy organic stuff produced by the megaindustrials, but just thought it was interesting. Just because something says it's organic doesn't mean it's any healthier or has a better nutritional profile.

 

[marmalade]

I love how they try to hide the size reductions. I bought a box of elbows this weekend to make macaroni salad for a crowd. The box was the same size it's always been, but when I cooked them, I noticed it made a much smaller amount. It was 12 oz. instead of 16 oz.

I remember when oj went from 64 oz. to 59 oz., one of the brands said "new, more convenient size."

Toilet paper is not as wide, the waffles in my box of Eggos are thinner, a "pound" of coffe is constantly shrinking, etc., etc.

I've changed some of my buying habits because of the size decreases, but some stuff I can't do much about, like the toilet paper. It's depressing to go grocery shopping, and it scares me to think of my kids trying to raise families. A box of the new size Cheez-Its would have been enough for one or two snacks for my son as a teenager.

The toilet paper not being as wide really irks me the most. I don't know why? Maybe because I use it throughout the day and notice it every time? The other products I can either substitute or do entirely without, but not TP. Well, I guess I could use a "family cloth", but I not ready to go there yet.

 

[Alesia]

Hmmm, give me a frame of reference for "more expensive" - around here the brands I buy are $5.99 for 1.5 qt and seldom on sale. More expensive than that, or more expensive than the $3 store brand that is loaded with ingredients I can't pronounce?

Generally speaking, a quart of ice cream will require around 2 cups of heavy cream, 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of milk, 5 eggs (and this is not the time to use cheap eggs,) and then whatever flavorings you'll need.

When I made a quart of grapefruit sorbet, I needed 7 grapefruits but the rest of the ingredients were cheap - just sugar and corn syrup.

It's not outrageously expensive, but it's definitely more costly than most brands of ice cream.

 

[Colleen27]

Generally speaking, a quart of ice cream will require around 2 cups of heavy cream, 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of milk, 5 eggs (and this is not the time to use cheap eggs,) and then whatever flavorings you'll need.

When I made a quart of grapefruit sorbet, I needed 7 grapefruits but the rest of the ingredients were cheap - just sugar and corn syrup.

It's not outrageously expensive, but it's definitely more costly than most brands of ice cream.

That's not too bad, especially if I stick to local/homegrown/in season fruit for flavoring. I've got a great source for cage free eggs for $2.50/doz, so it is just the dairy prices that will add up. Thanks.

 

[Debbru]

The toilet paper not being as wide really irks me the most. I don't know why? Maybe because I use it throughout the day and notice it every time? The other products I can either substitute or do entirely without, but not TP. Well, I guess I could use a "family cloth", but I not ready to go there yet.

This is the one that really made me crazy! I've always used Scott TP - a couple of years ago they first made the roll narrower. Then a few months later, each sheet was shorter.
Yet they continue to advertise their TP as "still 1000 sheets per roll"!!! But it shrunk in both directions!!!

The new one I (actually DH) noticed last week was Sunmaid raisin six packs. He likes to add a box of raisins to his cereal. The individual boxes look about 25% smaller than they used to be (same price of course). Maybe they thought no one would notice as long as it was still a six pack.

 

[englishteacha]

Last time I bought baby formula I noticed the cap was a different color. Got it home and saw that it was 4 oz. smaller than my old package...same brand, same price as the last, bigger canister. Frustrating. And that was a generic brand reducing package size for the same price.

 

[bearzabout]

Anyone else notice the amazing shrinking health and beauty aids? I can't believe how much of a deoderant container is empty. I just bought Dove soap bars and they shrunk from 4.25 oz to 3.15 oz.

In so many cases, the packaging is the same but there is less product in the package.

Thank goodness for coupons but even deals using them are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[DisneyPolve]

This made me curious. I didn't know Heinz made organic ketchup (I buy Annie's), but your classifying it as more healthy made me wonder, as it's Heinz.

I went and looked - it has nearly 20% more salt and an additional gram of carbs per serving than the regular Heinz ketchup.

So maybe the people preferred the regular because they find it healthier! It does have sugar instead of HFCS, which I know is one of the reasons people buy organic stuff produced by the megaindustrials, but just thought it was interesting. Just because something says it's organic doesn't mean it's any healthier or has a better nutritional profile.

I have found both Heinz have the same sodium content, but higher calorie count (5 calories) for organic. So maybe, but people didn't even compare or look. I prefer for organic for many reasons, but responsible farming plays a big part of it.

Heinz Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring.

Heinz Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 20 calories, 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Organic Tomato Concentrate From Red Ripe Organic Tomatoes, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Organic Sugar, Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spice, Natural Flavoring.

Annie’s Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories, 150 mg sodium, 2g sugar
Ingredients: Water, *Tomato Paste, *Sugar, *Distilled White Vinegar, Sea Salt, *Onion Powder, *Allspice, *Clove Powder.
*Organic ingredients

 

[ssawka]

Most ice creams are now 1.5qt instead of the 1.75!

down from 1.75? I remember when ice cream came in half gallons!


Also, ketchup is where I draw the line on using other brands! When DW and I first wed, she made the mistake of buying generic ketchup. Never again! I'm sorry, but there are some products that I must have the brand name. Ketchup is one of them! No other Ketchup tastes as good or has the consistency of Heinz. In fact, it drives me crazy when I go to a restaurant and there using a different brand. I even get disappointed at WDW because they use Hunts.


On making your own food, I like to find recipes that mimic restaurant recipes. For example, I make my own frappuccinos and I have a recipe for the Red Robin Bonzai Burger.

 

[ShortStuff]

The newest thing we saw was last weekend -- instead of a 20 oz coke (the size by the checkout lanes), it was only 16.9 oz.

For a couple years now, we have also noticed that what used to be a 24 pack of soda is now more commonly a 20 pack.

I'm still irritated about my brownies -- they cut the size back and so now they are really thin unless I want to change the pan size.

Hmmm... looking at this post, maybe I need to get a better diet....

love it!!

I think coffee and sugar were the first size reductions I noticed, way back when. Thing is, that the past couple of years I have noticed that the size reductions and a raise in the price seem to correspond to each other.

 

[cornflake]

I have found both Heinz have the same sodium content, but higher calorie count (5 calories) for organic. So maybe, but people didn't even compare or look. I prefer for organic for many reasons, but responsible farming plays a big part of it.

Heinz Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring.

Heinz Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 20 calories, 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Organic Tomato Concentrate From Red Ripe Organic Tomatoes, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Organic Sugar, Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spice, Natural Flavoring.

Annie’s Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories, 150 mg sodium, 2g sugar
Ingredients: Water, *Tomato Paste, *Sugar, *Distilled White Vinegar, Sea Salt, *Onion Powder, *Allspice, *Clove Powder.
*Organic ingredients

Weird, the Heinz website where you point at the product and can see the nutrition information lists the organic as 190 mg sodium and the regular as 170 and the organic as 5 g carbs and the regular as 4 - both 4 g. sugar though yeah.

Also, ketchup is where I draw the line on using other brands! When DW and I first wed, she made the mistake of buying generic ketchup. Never again! I'm sorry, but there are some products that I must have the brand name. Ketchup is one of them! No other Ketchup tastes as good or has the consistency of Heinz. In fact, it drives me crazy when I go to a restaurant and there using a different brand. I even get disappointed at WDW because they use Hunts.

Heh, I hate Heinz; I've never liked it. I prefered Hunt's over it, now prefer Annie's over all, and it's got better ingredients and nutritional info. There are a ton of organic ketchups similar ingredientwise, from small manuf., but like the taste of Annie's.

Also, Ben & Jerry's, still a full pint!

 

[pampam]

I have found both Heinz have the same sodium content, but higher calorie count (5 calories) for organic. So maybe, but people didn't even compare or look. I prefer for organic for many reasons, but responsible farming plays a big part of it.

Heinz Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring.

Heinz Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 20 calories, 190 mg sodium, 4g sugar
Ingredients: Organic Tomato Concentrate From Red Ripe Organic Tomatoes, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Organic Sugar, Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spice, Natural Flavoring.

Annie’s Organic Ketchup: 1 Tbsp (17g): 15 calories, 150 mg sodium, 2g sugar
Ingredients: Water, *Tomato Paste, *Sugar, *Distilled White Vinegar, Sea Salt, *Onion Powder, *Allspice, *Clove Powder.
*Organic ingredients

I make my own ketchup. it's very easy.

I use Heinz brand tomato juice, but if you have a favourite brand of tomato juice it would work too.

Tomato juice, boiled down to about half. Keep boiling till it's the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sweeten with what ever you prefer. I use honey. You can add other spices if you like. When I first started making my own, I read the ingredients from the jar of my store bought ketchup, to use as a guide. If you keep it in the fridge, it will last quite a while. You can add dehydrated onion, and paprika and make your own barbeque sauce as well.

 

[cornflake]

I make my own ketchup. it's very easy.

I use Heinz brand tomato juice, but if you have a favourite brand of tomato juice it would work too.

Tomato juice, boiled down to about half. Keep boiling till it's the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sweeten with what ever you prefer. I use honey. You can add other spices if you like. When I first started making my own, I read the ingredients from the jar of my store bought ketchup, to use as a guide. If you keep it in the fridge, it will last quite a while. You can add dehydrated onion, and paprika and make your own barbeque sauce as well.

Is there a reason you start from juice and reduce instead of starting with a concentrated paste and thinning? Seems it'd be much simpler but I've never done it so maybe I'm missing something.

 

[mombrontrent]

Right now in my fridge I have the Heinz Simply Ketchup. All the stats on the bottle are exactly the same as listed above for the organic. It's not labled organic though Wonder if it is the organic stuff just labled differently as the ingredient list is exactly the same as well. I actually bought a couple bottles of the stuff at Target coming through Buffalo on my way home from Virginia last month. Here in Canada I have not really noticed package sizes shinking yet, maybe it's coming or I am one of those ones who don't really notice

I also try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible though. I do buy some prepackaged organic stuff though, like Annie's Mac and Cheese ect. for the kids. We have a GREAT store brand organic line called PC Organics (Presidents Choice) and they make WONDERFUL stuff. I love the cake and brownie mixes becasue it makes my life so much easier and I feel confident that I am giving my kids a bunch of fake artificail crap. For example the brownie indredient list is: Organic cane sugar, organic enriched wheat flour, organic cocoa powder, salt, baking powder. That's it and they taste amazing. These mixes do cost a little more at $2.29 a box but the cake mixes are just over 17 oz. I am always willing to pay a little more for organic food and I always read lables.

One other thing I notice while in the U.S. is that High Fructose Corn Syrup is in so many products. It is crazy really. Even in the orange juice cartons, popcicles ect ect. I saw it listed on just so many things. Here in Canada I rarley see HFCS in anything. Never in juice, mostly just in some candy. Weird.

 

[pat fan]

Don't shoot the messenger, but if you are buying Organic, unless it's is labeled 100% organic, it is most likely not really organic. It can be up to 80% non-organic, with only 20% of the ingredients actually organic and be legally labeled organic. Sorry

I try and buy organic where I think it counts, fresh fruit & veg, milk etc...but anything processed, it is really hard to find 100%, and if it's not labeled as 100%, it's not organic so not worth it.

BTW, this goes for non-food products also. If something made with cotton says it is made from organic cotton, unless it says 100% organic cotton, it's not really made with organic cotton.

 

[DisneyPolve]

Right now in my fridge I have the Heinz Simply Ketchup. All the stats on the bottle are exactly the same as listed above for the organic. It's not labled organic though Wonder if it is the organic stuff just labled differently as the ingredient list is exactly the same as well. I actually bought a couple bottles of the stuff at Target coming through Buffalo on my way home from Virginia last month. Here in Canada I have not really noticed package sizes shinking yet, maybe it's coming or I am one of those ones who don't really notice

Does the ketchup label say, organic tomatoes, organic onion powder, ect? Or just list tomatoes, onion powder, ect.?

It's weird how companies label stuff! I have a friend who works for Mountaire Chicken as a development supervisor, and she said the same chicken coming off the same line will have up to 8 different labels depending on where it is going to be shipped and sold.

 

[pampam]

Is there a reason you start from juice and reduce instead of starting with a concentrated paste and thinning? Seems it'd be much simpler but I've never done it so maybe I'm missing something.

The reason is that many canned tomato pastes have hidden suger in them, not listed on the label. I avoid suger 100% ( or at least I really try to) Heinz assures us that there are no added sugers in the juice, so I use it. I have tried making ketchup with my own homemade tomato paste and sauce, but for me, I find the results are better if I stick to the Heinz tomato juice. It seems smoother. Of course, each palate is different.

 

[ellone]

Right now in my fridge I have the Heinz Simply Ketchup. All the stats on the bottle are exactly the same as listed above for the organic. It's not labled organic though Wonder if it is the organic stuff just labled differently as the ingredient list is exactly the same as well. I actually bought a couple bottles of the stuff at Target coming through Buffalo on my way home from Virginia last month. Here in Canada I have not really noticed package sizes shinking yet, maybe it's coming or I am one of those ones who don't really notice

It won't be the same. The simply has 'sugar' on the label which means it is probably made with GMO (genetically modified organism) sugar beets.

I avoid anything that isn't organic and has 'sugar' on the label. It has to be pure cane sugar for me to buy it.

One other thing I notice while in the U.S. is that High Fructose Corn Syrup is in so many products. It is crazy really. Even in the orange juice cartons, popcicles ect ect. I saw it listed on just so many things. Here in Canada I rarley see HFCS in anything. Never in juice, mostly just in some candy. Weird.

Because your government probably cares more about your health more than the US government. Too many people that work in the bodies that govern food in the US previously worked for the food companies that put the crap in our food.

 

[mombrontrent]

Does the ketchup label say, organic tomatoes, organic onion powder, ect? Or just list tomatoes, onion powder, ect.?

No it doesn't list organic products but the indredients are the same. I wasn't trying to buy organic that time, I thought I would try the Simply Heinz out since it is not a product I have seen in Canada but then upon furthur reflection I have never seen HFCS in ketchup here anyways. The Simply Heinz is probably the same is the regular Heinz here. I realize that a product can have up to 20% non-organic ingredients to be called organic. But 80% or more is still better then 0%. Plus like my previous example of the brownie mix the indredient list is MUCH better. No fake crap, chemicals, dyes or artificial flavours I also buy 75-100% of my produce orgnanic. I belong to a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) from a local organic farm and is fantastic.