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Most people finding it surprising that I don’t really enjoy grocery shopping. Listen, I can coupon like nobody’s business and my brain stores prices on individual items at different stores like Rain Man. It’s weird to be kinda good at something you don’t really enjoy. The truth is, I’d rather stay home on the couch than fight the aisles. However, I know that grocery shopping is the best choice for our family both from a financial and a nutrition standpoint. So I make the most of it and each week battle the choices of the aisles. How to find affordable nutritious food at the grocery store is my constant challenge. I want to make the most of every penny we have budgeted.
Thanks to my friends at the Indiana Family of Farmers, earlier this month I was able to take a tour of a local Kroger with Registered Dietitian Kim Galeaz. She zipped us around the store, helping us determined the best ways to shop when it comes to both our wallets and our waists. Here’s a bit of what I learned.
- Keep everything in the moderation. Obviously fruits and veggies always make your body happy. However, it is ok to splurge now and then on a treat you love. Deep sigh of relief. I find that when I deprive myself of a particular food and I can tend to end up going overboard on the rebound. A bit of chocolate or a dish of ice cream isn’t going to sink the ship. Controlling the portion size is important but indulgence now and then can be a good thing.
- Labels do and don’t matter. Deciphering the claims and ingredients on a packaged product makes my head spin. Kim shared that in order to sport for tags like “A Good Source of Fiber!” companies do have to go through a qualification process. Flipping over a package to see which ingredients are listed first will also help you know what’s in the product by order of quantity. At the same time, marketers want to make your head spin and use every fad diet claim they can to convince you need a particular food. Read with a careful eye.
- You can know where many of your agricultural products originate. I love hanging out with my farming friends because they share all kinds of fantastic tips like How to Tell Where Your Eggs Come From and thanks to Two Maids a Milking I learned about Where’s My Milk From? I was again pleased to be reminded that most of the pork we purchase comes from right here in Indiana.
- Focus on nutrient rich foods that keep you fuller longer. At first glance the more affordable foods are junk and the healthier items are expensive. However, if you truly focus on the amount of fiber and nutrients you consume, you’ll realize that healthier items keep you fuller for longer and over allow you to both eat and spend less.
Shopping with Kim was encouraging in that we’re already on the right path in so many ways. Also, she walks really fast and I’m certain I burned off a few calories. After a summer of travel, it was a great reminder to focus back in on the fruits and veggies I really love like sugar snap peas, red peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, and apples. Oh how I love apples and some peanut butter. Occasionally, I’ll mix the peanut butter with some Whipped Topping (about 1/4 cup of PB blended with an 8 oz container of low fat whipped topping) for an awesome treat. I mix it straight in the container with a fork until it’s light and fluffy. It really is a simple recipe but a crowd pleaser.
Remember from the How Many Meals Can You Get from $50? post that on average people in the United States spend only around 6.6% of their income on food consumed at home? This means compared to nations all around the world, we’ve got it pretty good. Food prices are low (no matter how many times the media reports that they’re on the rise again). Shouldn’t we make the most of that great blessing? Shouldn’t we stretch our dollars and pennies until they let out a little yelp?
How do you find the most affordable and nutritious foods on your grocery store trips? Leave a comment and share your strategy!
This post was sponsored by the Indiana’s Family of Farmers. You get to learn about affordable ways to prepare food. I get a few extra bucks in the Royal coffers. The post and opinions are 100% mine. No editing was done by anyone. I’m sure you could find some grammatical errors if you read it again. Read more on my disclosure policy.
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[…] we stretch our dollars and pennies until they let out a little yelp? You can also check out How to Find Affordable Nutritious Food at the Grocery Store and Affordable Lunches and Snacks on the Go for some more of my best budget stretching […]