Proliferation of Pesach Products

Every year I marvel at the number of Pesach products available for our consumption. It seems that it increases exponentially every year. Some of the products are rather ridiculous, in my opinion . Last year I saw Kosher L'Pesach Macaroni and Cheese, precooked and ready for the microwave. A few years before that it was Pesach pizza. And of course there is the Pesach pancakes and cereals. This year I spotted and $8 bottle of balsamic vinegar marinade for chicken and fish. I imagine that my average reader can remember the days when the number of special products for Pesach included a handful of different cakes, candies, macaroons, and condiments in addition to the basics.

As a non-consumer of these products (and a bit of a nerd :), I have to wonder what the profile is for the average consumer of these products. Is it people who would otherwise not keep a semblance of kashrut on Pesach? Is it the Orthodox community, or a specific subset thereof, devouring these products that appear as appetizing as the cardboard box on my table?

Assuming the average consumer of these products is Orthodox, what does it say about us as a community? Are we overworked and therefore "forced" to buy these products? Are we unable to change our children's diet for a week and therefore we end need Pesach Pizza and Cereal (don't laugh, a friend told me she had to buy the pizza because her kids could not go without pizza for that long)? Are we obsessed with novelty, even when the price is rather high?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Like I said above, we just don't buy these foods. We view them as unnecessary or as my husband says "It is only 8 days!" While I am not the one making Pesach this year, if I was we would be serving a meals and snacks that look a whole lot like our regular Shabbat and Yom Tov diet. For Yom Tov meals we would have some combination of salamon, vegetable soup, prasa and chicken, steamed or sauteed vegetables, and something with a potato. Dessert might be a flourless cake with a fresh fruit salad. Meals for chol hamoed might include a dairy matza lasange, tuna croquettes, pastel filled with spinach and feta, and soup. Breakfast might be matza brie or scrambled eggs. I'd have on hand sliced cheese, cottage cheese (available Kosher L'Pesach in many regular isles in your local supermarket), fresh fruits and vegetables, and cream cheese.

Last year I asked readers for tips on how they keep their Pesach under control and wrote my own list of the top 10 tips here. Please add your tips on keeping Pesach within a budget here. Based on the proliferation of products, I'm sure we could all use a reminder that being bnei horin shouldn't mean becoming a slave to Mastercard or Visa.