If people would make coffee at home, put it in a thermos, Starbucks would go away. Nobody even makes mashed potatoes anymore. They are already prepared in a plastic pouch that goes in the microwave. It's almost like our public is buying MRE's.
Well, some of us do still cook from scratch, including mashed potatoes! I think the last time I didn’t makes mashed taters from scratch was when I was in college a bazillion years ago. I guess I thought the potato flakes were a neat idea, but soon learned that I didn’t like the way they tasted.
One of my jobs growing up was helping (major time) in the kitchen, so I realized pretty early on that it was a useful skill, and produced better tastes than the ready made (or nearly ready made). I have kept it up even when my kids were little, and then they learned to cook also.
You should see when I go visit my kids who are now adults. All of them cook from scratch - frequently!! So there’s hope! And when they come to my house, watch out!! It’s like a cooking competition show, but in my kitchen with only one range, and a not nearly enough counter space.
Oh, and though hubby and I are beginning to gain weight where it’s harder to take off than before, all of our kids are slim, maybe too slim.
The key is using fresh ingredients as best as you can, and using those ingredients to prepare home made healthy and delicious meals.
I look at “mashed potatoes” for sale and think how lazy people must be, plus wonder about any nutritional value. Yech.
You say this like it’s a bad thing.