Depends on the lounges/airports you will be frequenting on a regular basis, and how much you'll be travelling. The answers to this topic are subject to location more than anything else. If I read your OP correctly, you fly probably twice a year, so don't bother with status or lounges, unless you are paying for buss/first class.

In my case, the 3 main lounges I frequent most often (Aspire, which is part of the PP program, AMEX Centurion, and a corporate *A location) have food that is better than what the restaurants have in said airports (except for Pappadeux in IAH, but if I go there it's always a $100 bill).

Full and healthier meals are served, as opposed to solely carbohydrate based snacks or deep fried and breaded mystery meat, and if my wife and I want to have a glass of wine, etc, well, that's included.

BTW, you'll notice none of the lounges I use are specific to an airline........and that says something about the airlines lounge product.