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Sometimes Less is More

Planning and preparing lunches the least expensive way.

Nashville, Ark. – When planning and preparing lunches for work or school, it makes sense to buy individually wrapped packages of your favorite snacks, fruit cups, or even packaged lunch meals, right? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of price, convenience, waste, and other factors of individually wrapped products compared to larger sizes.

  • Price. You have probably heard that the larger the size of the product, the less expensive it is. While this is true most of the time, it is not always true. In order to find the best price, you will need to do a little math. Some stores do this for you by providing the unit price on the products. It allows you to compare the price of the same product with different packaging. If the unit price is not available, you will need to divide the amount of servings, ounces, or weights of each size available. For example: If a cleaning product costs $2.95 for 16 oz., you would divide $2.95 by 16 to find the price per ounce. Suppose that product came in a 36 oz. container. Then you would divide the price of that product by 36 to determine price per ounce.
  • Individually wrapped packages of snacks, fruits and vegetables make it easy to pack that lunch. It is also nice to have the packaged foods stay sealed in their package until you are ready to eat them. This helps prevent the likelihood of the food losing quality or going stale before it can be consumed. These packages could save you money by not throwing away uneaten food. Smaller packages are also great if you are providing snacks for more than one child. It will save you time by not having to package the foods into individual servings.
  • Individual packages often mean extra packaging and extra waste in our landfills, especially if it can’t be recycled. Even if it can be recycled, your workplace or school may not have recycling containers and it ends up in the trash.
  • Additional Considerations. Small packages can help with portion control, which can be nice. However, it is worth noting that some individual packages are larger than a single serving from the larger package. For example, salad dressing in individual packages many times are equivalent to 1 ½ servings from the full-size bottle. A 20 oz. soft drink may say it is one serving, but in fact it is almost three servings. Therefore, you may be eating more than you want or need just to finish the package.

For the most part, larger packages of products are still the best choice, but it is up to you, the consumer, to be wise and weigh the options. Check the unit prices to determine the best buy. Consider convenience as it may be worth your time to buy individual servings of products. It is really up to you!

For more information on unit pricing or serving sizes, contact the Howard County Cooperative Extension Service at 870-845-7517 or visit our office located on the second floor of the courthouse.

Recipe of the Week

The Howard County Fair is right around the corner! Why not bake up a batch of your favorite cookies, cake, muffins, breads, or pies to enter in the Bake Show. Most baked goods will freeze nicely. Take out right before entering them.

Entries for Baked Goods will be accepted on Tuesday, September 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or Wednesday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. This applies only to baked goods and live plants. All other entries must be entered on Tuesday. Here is a recipe to help inspire you. It makes two loaves. Enjoy one and enter the other.

Banana Nut Bread

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 cup melted butter

  • 3 eggs

  • 4 ripe bananas

  • 3 cups flour

  • 1 teaspoon soda

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • ½ cup chopped pecans

  1.   Combine melted butter and sugar.

  2. Mix well, add eggs. Mash bananas and add to mixture.

  3. Sift flour, soda, and baking powder together.

  4. Add to banana mixture alternating with buttermilk.

  5. Stir in pecans.

  6. Pour in two loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

  7. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Test for doneness. Add 5 minutes additional time if needed. Yield: 2 loaves

    Note: To enter in the fair, cool loaves completely. Then wrap in wax paper and put loaf in freezer zipper type bag. You can also wrap it in foil and place in the freezer.

 

By Jean Ince
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Jean Ince
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main St, Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
jince@uada.edu

 

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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