HRMs (home replacement meals) - why do you buy them?

[CWS4322]

Home Replacement Meals (HRMs) are those ready-made meals in grocery stores. I don't buy them, I prefer to cook at home. Here in Ontario we have a chain store, M&M, that specializes in entrees, etc., that are HRM. You get a loyalty card, etc. I always thought that people who bought HRMs didn't know how to cook. I was talking with an executive chef the other day about how off-shoring has really hurt my profession. He said the HRMs have hurt restaurants. That people buy those rather than go out to eat. I had never thought of it from that perspective. So, I'm curious, why do you buy the ready-made meals/entrees?

 

[Aunt Bea]

My local Wegmans has great HRM's and I indulge in one ervery couple of months.

I buy them to try things that are too much work or expense to make for one person.

If I am too tired or disorganized to cook, most recently after spending the day in a hospital with a friend.

Finally, Wegmans has interesting vegetable sides that I like to try before making them at home. They usually share the recipes on the stores website.

They offer three versions, $6.00, $8.00 and $10.00, everything from meatloaf to salmon. The portions are generous enough for two meals and they are restaurant quality.

Sort of like a giant doggie bag!

 

[Claire]

I, too, wouldn't buy (this hasn't hit this part of the country) HRM, probably, but, unlike you, I can see why people would. Like Aunt Bea, if you live alone or with one person, buying everything for a single great meal can be more expensive than just buying the meal. For example, a bag of carrots or stalk of celery can last us, well, months. If I need a bit of celery in something for the crunch, I really have to work to make sure we use the entire stalk when all I needed was a rib or two. I know people who are fussy eaters or married to such, and cooking becomes a chore.

And let's not mention, keeping a clean kitchen. My husband and I had a pre-nup. No, not about money, and not on paper. Just that we both love eating, and both like cooking. The pre-nup was that whoever cooks gets to put their sorry sore feet up and relax while the other cleans the kitchen. Even though I love cooking, there are days when I'd do anything NOT to have to clean the kitchen.

I broke my hip a few months ago .... if I'd lived alone, I'd be grateful for a meal, ready-to-eat.

I have friends who hate to cook, and once was looking at the price for ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals. I swear, you could not cook it for the prices they were giving at the local grocery store for a turkey and all the trimmings. I told her to look into it, and she was delighted (unfortunately we lived on opposite coasts or I'd just have invited her over).

All I can say, is that you couldn't pay me to cook a meal at those prices. I don't buy, because when I buy a meal I want someone to serve it to me and wash dishes after. In other words a restaurant. But I really can see the appeal.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I was going to say, this sounds exciting, wish we have HRM's here. Then I looked at a Wegmans website and discovered we already have such things, a hot deli serve yourself with a salad bar on the other side. Whole thing arranged like a buffet. So, now that I know what HRM is defined, I have to say, I always walk by without stopping. I know they have chicken, mash potatoes, gravy, something yellow, either au gratin taters or mac n cheese, something in a red sauce, once I saw Plain cooked Corn in a pan. I forget what the cost is, it's all sold by weight, so corn costs the same as chicken. What is offered here is all things I can make at home, and it doesn't have to sit in a steam table for who knows how long. Otherwise, the concept would be better if it was things I couldn't or didn't readily make myself.

And Celery. Don't get me started. I almost always have to toss out before I can use up a whole stalk. And the dang salad bar at the grocer's--- No they do not sell celery, either by the stick or chopped for a salad. C'est la vie.

If rotisserie chickens count, I have bought those. Not real often. And I buy smoked pulled pork ( butt) by the pound from a good BBQ joint. But they don't seem to use a scale, so it's always a heavy heavy pound, and I get the sauce on the side so I can use it for whatever way I want to incorporate into a dish.

 

[taxlady]

I once stayed with a young woman in Newfoundland in a small town. She bought TV dinners and explained it was much cheaper, and almost as good, as the local restaurant for those nights she was too tired to cook.

 

[bakechef]

We have a gourmet store called "The Fresh Market" and they do a lot of this stuff. It is quite pricey though. I haven't been in lately, but their rotisserie chickens were sold by the pound and could cost as much as $12 a piece. A package of 2 slices of quiche (cold, ready to heat) was $9. This store is in the right location though, right in the middle of a large affluent area. The HRM section is always crazy busy around dinner time when people are heading home.

The food always looks very good, but I'm too cheap to buy it, because in my head I can figure out the cost to make it myself. For that 2 slices of quiche for $9 I know that I could make 2 whole quiche from scratch, even using free range, local eggs.

We have an upscale chain here too, and they do a lot of this, so it must be popular with some people. This store has prices on almost everything higher than the competition and still manages to do well, I wonder if people just don't realize it, or just don't care?

 

[CWS4322]

We have a gourmet store called "The Fresh Market" and they do a lot of this stuff. It is quite pricey though. I haven't been in lately, but their rotisserie chickens were sold by the pound and could cost as much as $12 a piece. A package of 2 slices of quiche (cold, ready to heat) was $9. This store is in the right location though, right in the middle of a large affluent area. The HRM section is always crazy busy around dinner time when people are heading home.

The food always looks very good, but I'm too cheap to buy it, because in my head I can figure out the cost to make it myself. For that 2 slices of quiche for $9 I know that I could make 2 whole quiche from scratch, even using free range, local eggs.

We have an upscale chain here too, and they do a lot of this, so it must be popular with some people. This store has prices on almost everything higher than the competition and still manages to do well, I wonder if people just don't realize it, or just don't care?

Have you noticed if this has resulted in restaurants in the area closing or changing their menus?

 

[bakechef]

Have you noticed if this has resulted in restaurants in the area closing or changing their menus?

No, not at all. But the area that that I live in has been doing quite well in spite of the recession, we have more business and restaurants being built all the time.

People who buy this would likely be the people that would do to-go food from restaurants, but that doesn't seem to be big business here, you rarely see people buying whole meals to-go from restaurants.

We have a lot of people here with a lot of money, they can afford convenience. If this recession has done anything, it has weeded out the mediocre restaurants, but the good ones are still thriving.

I imagine that if it was right beside a restaurant that specialized in to-go meals, that they could have an impact.

 

[taxlady]

We have a gourmet store called "The Fresh Market" and they do a lot of this stuff. It is quite pricey though. I haven't been in lately, but their rotisserie chickens were sold by the pound and could cost as much as $12 a piece. A package of 2 slices of quiche (cold, ready to heat) was $9. This store is in the right location though, right in the middle of a large affluent area. The HRM section is always crazy busy around dinner time when people are heading home.

The food always looks very good, but I'm too cheap to buy it, because in my head I can figure out the cost to make it myself. For that 2 slices of quiche for $9 I know that I could make 2 whole quiche from scratch, even using free range, local eggs.

We have an upscale chain here too, and they do a lot of this, so it must be popular with some people. This store has prices on almost everything higher than the competition and still manages to do well, I wonder if people just don't realize it, or just don't care?

Maybe the pricier stuff is better?

 

[chopper]

I think there is always someone to buy those meals. New couples working long hours, single people wanting a big meal for two, spouses alone when their loved one goes out of town, busy families that run out of time one evening. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Sometimes when I am pressed for time I will buy a ready made chicken and just bring it home to make the sides to go with it, but I could see myself buying the entire meal at some point. I kinda like that it is there in case I ever want to try it.

 

[kadesma]

I would buy and do now and then. DH is at work and I'm busy baking for my dialysis nurses and pals. We plan to park and watch a movie or a ball game. Me I've had a run of things happen that slowed me down so I see nothing wrong with HRM's nor would it shame me to use them. As to celery I don't have to buy the whole stalk, I can just buy the amount of ribs I'd like, I love my grocer they do most of what you ask and It's so nice.
kades

 

[CWS4322]

I guess I failed to make the point--are HRMs the restaurant equivalent to off-shoring jobs in other areas? Does the fact that grocery stores offer HRMs mean people pick an HRM vs. going out? I'm with Claire--if I'm going to eat a prepared meal, I want to be waited on and have s/one else clean up. I just never thought about HRMs having an impact on the restaurant business.

 

[Addie]

We have a place here. They specialize in Italian food. You can get spaghetti or spaghetti and meatballs. Or just meatballs. It comes in idividual size serving or family. They also do Meals on Wheels. My daughter has been a big fan of them for parties. Since she got sick, it seems like it is the only thing her husband has been buying for them to eat. (He doesn't cook.) My daughter commented to me the other day she is sick of the meals. and she thinks they have a new chef. There is a change in how they taste. (That could be her medications.) I have never been a fan of these meals. I would rather make it myself.

 

[chopper]

I guess I failed to make the point--are HRMs the restaurant equivalent to off-shoring jobs in other areas? Does the fact that grocery stores offer HRMs mean people pick an HRM vs. going out? I'm with Claire--if I'm going to eat a prepared meal, I want to be waited on and have s/one else clean up. I just never thought about HRMs having an impact on the restaurant business.

I think it is just another option for people. The restaurant business is a separate business. The grocery stores are offering a variety of things, and there is not a problem with that. the restaurants are free to offer take out and many do. Kind of the same idea.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Well, I like to be taken care of/ don't cook tonight as much as the next person. I haven't to this point and don't consider HRM's as being that care-free. A restaurant meal, if the food and service are good, is a treat. So I guess I would put it in the same category as Take Out/ To-go. It's just the HRM is bought at the supermarket, not a resto.

Maybe the HRM's are an up-sale over frozen pizza or tv dinners and not a competition for restaurants. Maybe it cuts into fast food business?

Another, and I think as valid, competition for restaurants, is the proliferation of Food Trucks. They pretty much operate over lunch times, at least in our downtown areas during the week, which is when more people are downtown.

I seldom go downtown, and walked along a whole block of them, but I was meeting someone for lunch, and the restaurant we picked to meet at was still packed and we had to wait for a table. After we were seated and eating, the whole place pretty much emptied out on a dime. Pretty much what you would think a working person's lunch time is like. A restaurant can only handle so many seatings/ turnovers during a crucial service time. Can't say what kind of impact the food truck business has had. I do know the city regulates so they can't park directly in front of other food businesses.

 

[Merlot]

I guess I failed to make the point--are HRMs the restaurant equivalent to off-shoring jobs in other areas? Does the fact that grocery stores offer HRMs mean people pick an HRM vs. going out? I'm with Claire--if I'm going to eat a prepared meal, I want to be waited on and have s/one else clean up. I just never thought about HRMs having an impact on the restaurant business.

Most people I know enjoy going out so they would choose a restaurant over HRM's. I myself do not go out to eat but if I had the option of a HRM every once in awhile I would. I am tired when I get home at 6 and I still have cleaning, baths, and homework to deal with. I usually make sure my child and husband are fed then I deal with myself when I get time. (I'm dieting at the moment so I am not eating the same as them).

 

[LPBeier]

Home Replacement Meals (HRMs) are those ready-made meals in grocery stores. I don't buy them, I prefer to cook at home. Here in Ontario we have a chain store, M&M, that specializes in entrees, etc., that are HRM. You get a loyalty card, etc. I always thought that people who bought HRMs didn't know how to cook. I was talking with an executive chef the other day about how off-shoring has really hurt my profession. He said the HRMs have hurt restaurants. That people buy those rather than go out to eat. I had never thought of it from that perspective. So, I'm curious, why do you buy the ready-made meals/entrees?

M&M's are across Canada and when they first opened out here people thought they were great - much better quality than the HRM's you would get in the grocery stores. But being a cook I never tried them...until Dad came to live with us and he had been living off of M&M's for years. He was in his 70's and 80's and a widower who never lifted a finger in the kitchen when my Mom was alive. So I would buy some of the individual meals for him until he got used to my cooking and that was that! I would have tastes of it, and the food was good.

 

[LPBeier]

I guess I failed to make the point--are HRMs the restaurant equivalent to off-shoring jobs in other areas? Does the fact that grocery stores offer HRMs mean people pick an HRM vs. going out? I'm with Claire--if I'm going to eat a prepared meal, I want to be waited on and have s/one else clean up. I just never thought about HRMs having an impact on the restaurant business.

I am not one to answer this, because if I want restaurant quality food at home I cook it. If I want less fuss, I go out to eat - so I can enjoy not cooking or cleaning. An HRM still means I have to do something with it and I would probably wouldn't be happy with it.

This is actually a very good topic.

 

[CWS4322]

Given that the person who made the comment that HRMs have hurt restaurants is an executive chef at an upscale restaurant, I am under the impression that the increase in the availability of HRMs and the quality has hurt restaurants (which generally employ more people in the food prep area than a grocery store would). I am somewhat sensitive to sending jobs out of the country (the off-shoring), but had never thought about the various industries that HRMs could impact. As I get older and have more and more friends my age who have lost their jobs because their jobs moved to other countries, I am more inclined to support local businesses and would not buy HRMs, rather, go to a restaurant. Grocery stores sell groceries. I don't consider HRMs groceries. And, I do the math and know I can make the dish at home for much less and probably have all the ingredients I need to do so or something that I can substitute. I have a well stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer. My grocery shopping is to pick up dairy (milk), fresh fruit, replenish supplies such as flour, rice, and the like. At this time of year, I can go 3-4 weeks without having to go to the grocery store and when I do, I spend less than $25.

 

[CWS4322]

M&M's are across Canada and when they first opened out here people thought they were great - much better quality than the HRM's you would get in the grocery stores. But being a cook I never tried them...until Dad came to live with us and he had been living off of M&M's for years. He was in his 70's and 80's and a widower who never lifted a finger in the kitchen when my Mom was alive. So I would buy some of the individual meals for him until he got used to my cooking and that was that! I would have tastes of it, and the food was good.

I find M&M's products very expensive for the quantity. I know people who consider M&M their grocery store. I just can't justify spending that kind of money because I'm too tired/lazy to cook. Hence, the reason I do "cooking days" (like I am doing today) where I prep a bunch of stuff for the freezer so I can just pull something out, nuke it, and be able to eat. Or, I prep a bunch of stuff for later in the week if I know I'm not going to have time to spend in the kitchen. And, I live alone most of the time, so this is cooking for me.