Feast During Famine

Shoppers are trading in prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella for peanut butter and jelly.

Economic downturns generate at least one kind of plenty: A bountiful supply of news stories about consumers cutting back. Whether it’s carpooling, staying in on Saturday nights or visiting Mount Rushmore instead of the Eiffel Tower, there are plenty of ways to stretch that discretionary dollar during hard times.

USA Today reports that Americans are even paring down the grocery bill by sacrificing their arterial integrity: Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, says that strapped shoppers often ditch fruits and vegetables in favor of calorie-packed junk.

By junk, I mean glorious Kraft (KFT) macaroni and cheese and uber-sweet Cap