More people are cooking their own food to save money. I know this from the long lines I saw the last time I went to the produce market. Food costs much less if you cook it yourself, and less still if you buy fresh produce in season. How much less? I took this photo of everything I bought on my trip to the produce market.
All the food you see here, which is more than many people would want to carry in their two hands, cost me $9.00. That’s less than I would usually pay for one meal in a restaurant, and less than I might pay for a day of packaged food from a supermarket.
Cooking your own food is less expensive in part because it is more efficient. A lot more processing, packaging, testing, and transportation goes into packaged food. Restaurants serve only about half of the food they prepare, and customers eat only about three fourths of the food that is served. Cook your own food, and you can cook as little or as much as you want.
If you are in the West Chester, Pennsylvania, area this afternoon, you might want to stop by Veggie Fest, an event with a food and cooking theme. (Update: Photos from Veggie Fest.)
