Potatoes at the price of beef!

In Canada, potatoes are the go-to ingredient for many households, not just those cooking on a tight budget. Some varietes cost as little as $5 for a ten-pound bag, although others can fetch twice that price. Still not bad for a vegetable that is very flexible and pairs well with many other staples.

Potatoes as a convenience food?

In the kitchen, potatoes do require a bit of work: peeling, chopping, boiling, baking, mashing. Every dish needs a bit of that, because potatoes cannot be eaten raw. For a long time, food manufacturers have helped out with ready-to-eat potato salad, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, and potato soup. Lately, grocers also saw an opportunity to add value to this simple ingredient, by applying a bit of in-store labour to it and make its consumption more convenient.

Busy customers see the appeal of potatoes that have been baked and stuffed with broccoli and cheese, or a batch of potato skins ready to bring to the table after just a quick reheat. But what about the price tag this bit of convenience commands?

When is the price of convenience too high?

Today, in a moderately priced Canadian grocery store, a single 200g stuffed baked potato sells for $7. That is more than the price for 10 pounds of Russet potatoes or 22 potatoes of the same size! Better yet, 12 potato skins (500g) sell for $15. That is the price of a full kilogram of ground beef! Note that another grocery chain offered 2 big roasted chicken thighs for $2.99, the very same day!

Fortunately, nobody has to pay the price of beef just to get a few potato skins. Those are easy to make at home. Even kids can do it! And for the price difference, one can add almost unlimited toppings, too!