What are your food shopping tips?

Obviously a grocery store is out to lighten your wallet as much as possible...they don't care if you buy healthy foods or cases of chocolate bars. I'm sure my "tips" aren't new to anybody but you might have some to add. Without further ado:

-I walk to my grocery store (it's a 20 min walk there) and go shopping every 3 days or so. Not only do I get a bit of a workout in (I'm a really fast walker) but I keep my junk purchases to a minimum since I'm not intending to carry 80 lbs home. Obviously this is hard for families to do although one of my neighbours does this occasionally with her kids.

-I shop the perimeter of the store. Most grocery stores have their produce, meat, dairy and bakery sections against the outside walls. By not walking down every aisle I don't even have to look at cookies, chips, pop, buttery crackers...hence, no temptation. I realize that you do have to go down aisles every so often but if you do it less you will cut down on the amount of processed foods you eat.

-Don't demonize the freezer section (I know...for some stores this is a contradiction of my earlier tip). Frozen veggies and some (read the labels!) frozen pre-cooked meats can be used to make healthy meals when you're in a time crunch.

I guess this is mostly common sense but does anyone else have tips they use when shopping to make sure the foods they take home are healthy choices?

Mon. Jan 30, 3:25pm

i do almost the same thing you do, except its kind of harder for me. I eat only raw foods so all that i eat is in the outer perimeter also. I live with my boyfriend which the opposite of me so i am forced to go down those lanes. I tend to avoid all the stuff i used to eat and i tend to make it a fast in and out. i try to think ahead of time on which parts i need to go to to avoid temptations. But once again thats all the obvious stuff...

Monday, January 30, 2006, 4:32 PM

I plan all my food, then I make a list and I stick to it. I cannot describe how much food I don't waste anymore. Of course much of my food is made with fresh ingredients and it took a bit of trial and error to know how much to buy, but I realized I was overlooking the scales in the produce section which are a huge help in measuring out portions of various foods.

But yeah - stick to the edge and only make precision forrays into the interior ;-)

Monday, January 30, 2006, 6:10 PM

Large bags of veggies, both fresh and frozen, and chicken breasts, from Costco.

Trader Joes has great prices on most staples and a lot is available organic. A lot of the packaged goods are tasty but high in fat and sodium, so watch out, some are great though.

I check the sales flyer on Wednesday and see what veggies are on sale and think of how I can use them in my meals.

One of my best investments ever is the big upright freezer in the garage, I can make pre-made meals, buy big bags of frozen chicken breasts and veggies at Cosco. Saves money too but good foods are always on hand.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 6:26 AM

We keep a shopping list on a magnet on our fridge. When we run out of something, we write it down right away if we want more. If we want to make a recipe that calls for something we don't have, we write it down. If there's something we think of that we want, we write it down. And when we get to the store, we get everything on our list and we leave. Nothing extra, no impulse buys. It saves money and calories, especially when you're starving and there's a whole display of Krispy Kreme right next to the checkout!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 11:45 AM

EAT

I try to never go shopping on an empty stomach to avoid snacking on the samples or getting processed, packaged, fatty foods to eat quickly. Eat a good meal before going, or keep portioned, healthy snacks on you while you're at the store.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 11:54 AM

to keep me from buying foods i dont need and to keep from cravings popping up, i take a snack for husband, son and I to eat. We found this helps keep us not wanting everything on the shelves.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 12:43 PM

I bring my WW points calculator with me. I calculate the points on foods to see if it fits in my plan for the week. And shopping the perimeter is what I do first and foremost. By doing that I get a little exercise (I go to a huge store) and then double back only for those items on my list. Advance planning is a must for me!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 1:13 PM

I'm a wanderer... (I wander in and out of the store aisles.)

I guess I just have pretty good control and almost never go down the baking, cereal, snacks and cookie aisles...

I do go to the Spice aisle and "international" and canned veggies (mostly Tomatoes and beans) aisles though.

What I do try to do is to shop sales-- If I see that my favorite canned tomatoes (I think they are called Muir Glen - Organic fire roasted) are on sale, then I will buy a few extra, since that is one of the staples in my pantry.

Yes, the tip on eating beforehand is really helpful--especially if you are at the store on a Saturday or Sunday, when they are offering lots of "free samples" -- (I've calculated that they can be 50-100 calories a "Sample"!)

Many times, I hate shopping with a crowded store, so I tend to go late in the evening, when I can shop at my own pace and then check-out quickly.

I dislike the texture of many canned veggies, with the exception of a few "staples" in my pantry:

Canned tomatoes
Canned Beans
La Preferida Jalepenos & Tomatoes (tastes like a hot salsa, but NO onions--a great alternative for people with onion sensitivity)
Canned olives
Canned fish or meat (for the occasional "quick meal"--although I prefer fresh because canned can be extremely high in sodium content)
Ketchup
Mustard
Salad Dressing
Soups
Noodles
Bread / Pita / Tortillas

I really prefer fresh and frozen veggies to canned, and I don't like the high sodium, fat and chemicals in most processed foods... Since my hubby and I started to watch our intake of "MSG" and other "natural flavorings" that might contain MSG, we pretty much avoid the frozen dinner aisle any more in favor of creating and bringing our own lunches...

I also prefer fresh fish and meat to frozen, so I will shop at the butcher and fish counters as well....

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 1:29 PM

Depending on where you shop, you may be able to put together a shopping list on line before you hit the store. Some stores will even pull the stuff together for you and have it ready for when you get there. Harris Teeter is one supermarket that offers these services.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 2:21 PM

I read the ingredients of everything that goes in my cart. This means that few things make it in my cart. I don't put it in if it has any "oses" (dextrose, sucralose, glucose, etc), corn dertivatives (maltodextrrin, corn syrup, corn starch), wheat, MSG, or vegetable gums (guar gum, xanthum gum, etc). Believe it or not, that rules out at least 90% of what is in those aisles...

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 7:47 PM

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