Meat v. Veggies: The In-N-Out Challenge
Well-equipped with Michael Pollan’s latest guide — small enough that yes, I did actually have it in my purse, it seemed only fitting that David and I were recently having a conversation about the price of meat versus the price of vegetables … in the car at 1 a.m.
As a matter of experiment, we pulled off the freeway and into the drive-thru at In-N-Out.
I was totally convinced that a grilled cheese was going to be less expensive than a normal hamburger, seeing as, well, THERE’S NO MEAT ON IT.
Sadly, I was completely wrong.
So what exactly are you paying extra for on the cheese sandwich? The customization? The American cheese that tastes like it might still be wrapped in a little plastic sleeve?
And how would this dynamic change if we, say, stop subsidizing corn and soy for cattle feed (among other things) and instead focused more on making fresh vegetables delicious and not second place to meat?
So I was In-N-Out during break and noticed the exact same thing with my sister, and we concluded that you pay for the extra slice of meat without a deduction for the meat patty that is willingly forgone. Its one of those things that makes you go hmmmmmmm……
Prices are not set by the costs to the business, or the social costs of the product. In the US system, prices are set by what the market will accept.