Remembering a simpler time

Social media users in the UK have posted pictures of empty supermarket shelves in the last week, with fruit and vegetables being the worst affected produce. Pretty much anything related to salad ingredients is virtually non-existent. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, and sweet peppers are really hard to find, and supermarkets are rationing them.

The war of words between consumers and our Government is ongoing. Thankfully fruit appears to be in reasonable supply, and the supply issues are temporary. The recent poor weather in southern Europe and north Africa seems to be the cause, with it hitting farmers hard. Even if the farmers were able to harvest their crop once the snow has dissipated, it would probably be ruined or of poor quality.

The shortages reminded me of when I was growing up. Back then the thought of having mangos or avocados on supermarket shelves all year around was unthinkable. We were used to waiting for the strawberries and grapes to appear around May before buying them. Even then, they are expensive in the first month or so. It was a simpler time when you had to be more creative with ingredients and plan your meals ahead, and you definitely didn't eat out as much as we do now.

Different times of course, but we can all learn something from this. Perhaps we've become too expectant of having everything available when we want it. It is a mild inconvenience to do without tomatoes for a few weeks. Perhaps that jar of sun-dried tomatoes at the back of the fridge is a reasonable substitute?

I can't see a surge in scurvy cases anytime soon. For a start, multi-vitamin tablets don't seem to be affected. They are plentiful. Whilst the more affluent areas tend to buy more fruit and vegetables, they are better prepared to diversify. They can afford to buy other more expensive products. It is the less affluent areas tend to stick to cheap processed food and are more time-poor.

There is a feeling in some areas of our community that fruit and vegetables are expensive. Our supermarkets have been trying to tackle this in recent years with promotions making them more affordable. Some retailers also offer wonky or non-perfect produce at a cheaper price. I mean if you're just going to peel and chop up a carrot and stick it in a slow cooker, does it need to be the perfect shape?

Let's live a little and remember we don't have a divine right to everything at our fingertips. Sometimes we have to accept that matters outside of our control will affect us. If not having a salad for two or three weeks is too hard for you to deal with, I'd say you're not prioritising things correctly.