Tips for Smarter Grocery Shopping
I recently wrote about the importance of well-planned meal preparation. Today, I want to discuss grocery shopping – not the most favorite or fun of topics. Still, consider it as a pathway to healthy eating. As you likely know, eating healthy foods can significantly impact your well-being. But to eat healthily, you will need to be smart about grocery shopping.
Let’s revisit two essential points from the meal prep blog post, followed by tips on smarter grocery shopping.
Pick a day.
Select a grocery shopping day and make it your regular shopping day. You’re more likely to stick to it if you select a day that works for your schedule.
Plan out your meals.
Plan your meals for the week before you go grocery shopping. If you work full-time, it helps to keep meals simple during the week. Avoid planning your meals as you shop. It will waste your time in the store and can lead to not eating as healthily. For healthy recipes, check out:
- Food Network
- Delish
- Eating Well
Buy Frozen.
The frozen aisle is an underappreciated section of the grocery store. Buying frozen foods like berries, vegetables, and cooked meats can be cheaper and last longer. Frozen produce is harvested and flash-frozen when it’s most packed with nutrients at its peak of growth. Look for staples you like that you can pull out and cook to produce a healthy meal.
Here are some recipe ideas for frozen ingredients:
Look for deals.
Most grocery stores today have promotions they push out to their loyal shoppers via email. Sign up with your favorite stores for their promotions to save some money. Some also offer recipes and meal planning ideas. Ask if they have loyalty rewards programs you can sign up for as well. If you are a senior, ask if they have a senior shopping day.
Never shop hungry.
Never shop while hungry. It only leads to buying more food than you need or buying food that’s not healthy. Studies have actually found that people who shop while hungry end up buying high-caloric food and snacks.
Act sustainably.
Lastly, reusable shopping bags will allow you to skip the plastic bags while practicing a sustainable approach to grocery shopping! Keep bags in your car so you won’t forget them when you shop.