One mom’s “ingredient household” is another’s culinary hell.
Mom-of-two Jay Whitfield took her followers along for a grocery run earlier this month, only to be met with criticism for having “no actual meals” in her cart.
The 38-year-old showed off her loaded grocery haul full of produce, various meats and other ingredients she planned to use for home-cooked meals.
Whitfield couldn’t believe that some people don’t cook from scratch. TikTok / @wearethewhitfieldsBut when viewers saw her cart lacked pre-made dishes or pre-packaged foods, they were dismayed, snidely commenting that the UK-based mother had “no actual meals.”
“I have no idea why she said I have no meals, which is why I did the follow-up video,” Whitfield told Newsweek, adding that she makes homemade meals at least five times per week.
“There were clearly lots of things that could make a meal and it seems she assumed that my cupboards and fridge were bare before shopping.”
Come to find out, the person likely was making a remark about being an “ingredient household” — or a household that only has ingredients in stock, nothing ready to grab and go.
Instead of loading up on pre-made meals, Whitfield’s family relies on pantry staples stocked in the cupboards and fresh produce and meat for meals. TikTok / @wearethewhitfieldsThe comment incited an array of subsequent clips from Whitfield, including one titled, “Is cooking from scratch a thing of the past?”
Viewers were divided, with some saying it can be tiring to come home from a long day at work only to be tasked with cooking a meal from scratch, while others argued that relying on pre-made meals is a form of “laziness.”
“Women don’t get home until 6 p.m. and we have no desire to spend all night cooking,” chided one person.
“All well and good until I’ve got a migraine and still have to cook a whole meal,” lamented another.
“Surprising how many people don’t know how to cook from scratch, seems to be a disappearing skill,” someone else wrote.
“You’ll be surprised at how many people rely on jars of sauces and meal kits, making things from scratch saves so much money and usually tastes a lot better too,” one user commented.
“Do people actually live on pre-made meals,” questioned another.
“I cook as much as possible because it is the healthiest option for me and my family,” Whitfield told Newsweek, adding that it’s “cheaper” in the “long run.”
“Pre-made foods are often filled with sugar and preservatives.”
