My expectations were already low based on the box's physical size, but it still somehow managed to not even meet that

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[–] 83 points 2 years ago (32 children)

"Family size" simply means "can serve an entire family". It doesn't mean "Can stuff 4 American bellies full". It's hard to judge the size of the box in your photo, but I can see serving one of those enchiladas per family member, along with pasta and salad or something.

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  • [–] 62 points 2 years ago (11 children)
  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Then OP goes and suggests mac and cheese as a side for it, that's many levels worse.

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  • [+] -7 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    Brits don't eat as much as Americans do because all their food is shit

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Naw, they have lots of good takeaway stuff. Hell, I'd almost kill for a decent fish-n-chips near me. Then they have those Indian takeaways... tandori? IDK now to spell it. Currys... hell yeah.

    I imagine the Mexican food is shit and that's probably 50% of my diet at this point.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago*

    Currys

    *Curries unless you're talking about the electronics retailer

    those Indian takeaways... tandori?

    If you're just referring to the restaurants, I'd just call one of those restaurants an Indian (as in the cuisine) or maybe a curry house. Tandoori, Balti, etc. all relate to styles of cooking and may be used in restaurant names, but if I was referring to restaurants that serve Indian style curries in general, I would just call it an Indian.

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  • [–] [S] 33 points 2 years ago (19 children)

    Fair point, but here frozen family meals in the past would have at least satisfied everyone at the table without any sides and if you wanted to go from satisfied to "stuffed full" then you could whip up a quick side of Mac and cheese or something

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  • [–] 21 points 2 years ago (12 children)

    Well okay, maybe I wasn't clear. I agree with you that you certainly aren't getting enough nourishment for an entire family - and in fact, even if you have enough food volume for an entire family, this crap wouldn't count as nourishment anyway. And you're probably paying this box of goopy shit dollars on the pennies it cost to make.

    I was just pointing out that, like most things the agro industry puts on boxes, "family size" has no legal meaning and therefore is technically correct depending on how you interpret it.

    Incidentally, another thing that means jack squat on your box of dubious food is "Now with more cheese". If they started out with zero cheese (and no, the stuff with a cheesy taste used in ultra-processed food isn't legally cheese) then adding a flake or two of real cheddar makes it technically possible to say "Now with more cheese".

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago (11 children)

    I wonder if it would be legal in America to print "No cyanide!" on the box to make people pick it over other stuff from the sea of frozen garbage.

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  • [+] 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (5 children)
  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    We just had a case here (Denmark) where 2 companies were putting a "No PFOA" labels on their frying pans. But they've been told by authorities that that's illegal, because it's misleading advertising since PFOA is illegal in EU.
    Thy got off with a warning, but in case of repeat offenses they will be fined.

    But USA is much different, and many "confuse the consumer" strategies do not seem to be generally illegal "over there".

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    As someone with celiac disease, and how much stuff gluten is in (some French fries, soy sauce, tomato soup, etc), I don’t care how ridiculous it seems, I appreciate when manufacturers make it known their shit is gluten free.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    "No added sugars"

    "No added salt"

    "No added preservatives"

    Yup, no cyanide would fit right in.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    My favorite is:

    "No added sugars"

    "No added salt"

    "No added preservatives"

    It's a bag of rice.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    I'm old and I don't think that's true. Frozen entrees have ways been on the light side. And frozen dinners for one would be 3 oz of meat, and a couple of spoonfuls of boiled peas or something.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    here frozen family meals in the past would have at least satisfied everyone at the table without any sides

    American in his fifties here. No idea what you’re talking about. Family size has only ever meant “larger pack.” It has never meant “complete on its own with nothing accompanying it.”

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    A family size meal should have enough to at least be the entree for four people. With enchiladas that means two per person, not one. It's a corn tortilla with stuff rolled in it, barely larger than a taquito, you need two for it to not look like a depression meal (we're already cooking frozen enchiladas, we're there already, it doesn't need to be rubbed in).

    I've noticed that sizes are shifting. Party size is now what used to be family size and can actually feed four, sometimes it's called mega family size or some bullshit. Family size now means two adults and maybe a child <10 yrs. I remember a family size lasagna had leftovers when I was a kid.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    It’s 300 calories per serving (4 servings per box). If you’re on a 2000 calorie diet, a meal is 500 - 700 calories, so this would be a snack or a dish that requires a side. Or eat the whole box yourself and it’s about the same as a Big Mac combo.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago*

    Mac and cheese with "cantina style"? Throw some Texas toast in there why don't ya, and hit dairy queen after

    Point being who looks at a random meal and says "let's fill the gaps with Mac and cheese, that's nutritionally sounds reasoning"

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