From Homemade Lasagna to Pallet Deliveries: Reality Stars Share Their Unique Food Traditions
Reality television stars Jinger Duggar Vuolo of Counting On and Lydia Plath of Welcome to Plathville recently offered fans a fascinating look into the unique and often contrasting culinary traditions and grocery shopping habits that defined their childhoods. During a revealing episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, hosted by Jinger and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, alongside Lydia and her newlywed husband, Zac Wyse, the quartet delved into the intricacies of feeding large families, from unconventional holiday meals to massive bulk purchases.
Thanksgiving Feasts: Lasagna vs. Turkey
One of the most surprising revelations centered on Thanksgiving. Lydia Plath recounted a beloved six-year tradition where her family, including grandparents, would rent a beach house for a week. The centerpiece of their holiday feast wasn’t a traditional turkey dinner, but rather her grandmother’s homemade lasagna. “It was the best thing in the world,” Plath fondly recalled. Jinger, accustomed to more conventional Thanksgiving fare, admitted the tradition struck her as “random” but enthusiastically added, “I love that because lasagna is good.”
Jinger then shared her own family’s lasagna experiences, noting that while it wasn’t a Thanksgiving staple, it often appeared on Christmas or Easter. However, unlike Lydia’s homemade version, the Duggar family often opted for “Stouffer’s frozen lasagna.” Jinger enthusiastically defended the store-bought dish, calling it “very good” and “my childhood.” The discussion highlighted a stark contrast, with Lydia confessing she hadn’t tasted store-bought lasagna until she was around 15, a testament to her family’s emphasis on scratch cooking.
Bulk Buys and Self-Sufficiency: Feeding a Crowd
The conversation naturally pivoted to the extensive and often unconventional grocery routines required to sustain families with numerous children. Lydia Plath, whose family is known for their self-sufficient lifestyle, described a highly structured and health-conscious approach. “Like, we grew most of our vegetables. We grew as much as we could,” she explained, reflecting on her upbringing.
Her family’s bulk purchasing methods were equally extraordinary. Instead of weekly trips to a grocery store, the Plaths would meet a semi-truck every two weeks to collect a pallet of fresh groceries at the top of their driveway. Once a month, another semi would deliver a pallet of dry goods, including oats and raisins, purchased in enormous quantities like five-gallon or 50-pound bags. “We would buy everything by, like, the five gallon bag or the 50 pound bag or, like, bulk beyond Costco,” Plath elaborated, painting a vivid picture of their self-reliant provisioning.
Duggar Family Grocery Runs: Seven Carts and Counting
In stark contrast, Jeremy Vuolo humorously summarized the Duggar family’s approach as simply “10 kids going to a grocery store.” Jinger then provided a detailed account of her family’s formidable grocery runs, referencing a memorable scene from their 2006 TLC special, 16 Children and Moving In. This particular shopping trip, involving Jinger and nine of her siblings, showcased the sheer volume of their purchases. The family’s shopping list included 24 cans of milk, a full case of butter, and numerous burritos, ultimately filling an astonishing seven grocery carts. At the time, each cart cost nearly $100, totaling approximately $700 for the entire haul.
Reflecting on the monumental task, Jeremy posed a pertinent question about the modern-day cost. Jinger swiftly agreed, estimating that such a shopping trip today would easily amount to “$2,000,” an “insane” figure that underscores the economic realities of feeding a super-sized family. “It’s crazy to see this because, yeah, that was normal,” Jinger observed, highlighting the unique challenges and adaptations inherent in her upbringing.
From a homemade lasagna Thanksgiving to pallets of produce and seven-cart grocery hauls, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Lydia Plath’s discussion offers a compelling look into the logistical and cultural differences shaping the lives of reality television’s most prominent large families. Their candid recollections not only entertain but also shed light on the diverse ways families adapt and thrive, regardless of their size or culinary preferences.
