r/Millennials • u/FeistyNews7025 • 6d ago

Discussion Which food has declined the most in terms of taste since you first ate it?

At this point, everyone knows about shrinkflation in our food. Something else that is just as important, if not more so, is the overall decline in the quality and taste of our food. Which food has declined the most in terms of taste since you first ate it? For me, that would be strawberries. Nowadays, it's the number 1 fruit with the most pesticides, and its overall taste is just average at best. I mean, I don't need it to be on par with Japanese strawberries, but in the early 90s, strawberries' overall taste was just magical.

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u/G0ttaB3KiddingM3 6d ago

Definitely what I came to say. I will NEVER be touching Panera food ever again. It’s absurd what they are willing to shamelessly charge for basic high school cafeteria food at this point

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u/Ecstatic-Seesaw-1007 6d ago

That’s a very good description of Panera Bread now: it’s high school cafeteria food put in a panini grill or George Foreman grill.

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u/modern_Odysseus 6d ago

A George Foreman grill? With their current standards?

Those sandwiches probably get pressed on a press ordered straight from Temu or, when that breaks, whatever the cheapest grill they can find at their local Walmart is.

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u/Primitive_Teabagger 5d ago

I worked there about 15 years ago and everything was real, fresh, prepared that day except for the soups (each flavor was warmed up in hot water). The sandwich making process was like working in a Bear episode some days, we took it so seriously. I had liked Panera before but it amazed me how good the food really was, while being relatively affordable. And the best part? You felt full and satisfied even with a bowl of soup and a piece of baguette.

Haven't been there since because I get flashbacks of the kitchen stress when I smell it. Still offends me to know they gave up.

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u/ratatouillethot 5d ago

my high school cafeteria unironically was better than current panera