For many, a trip to the grocery store can be a daunting task. You may be trying to follow a diet and unsure of what the best choices for you and your family are; you may be on a strict budget and/or limited by government assistance regulations; or you may be struggling to find meal preparations that the whole family will enjoy.
Whatever your problem, I can offer some simple solutions to help make your next trip to the grocery run a little more smoothly.
1) Plan ahead. I like to do the majority of my shopping once a week. I recommend going to the store at a time when it is not super crowded - usually early morning to mid-afternoon. Can't go during those times? Perhaps try waiting until after 8pm, as most stores as open pretty late or even 24 hours. Keep your re-useable bags in your trunk so you know you have them.
2) Look online or in your local paper for the store circular. Many large chain stores also offer a "build a shopping list" option from their website, where you are able to add sale items to a list and then print it out before taking it to the store (or you can view from your smartphone, and even scan coupons from your phone! amazing!).
3) Categorize the sale items along with the "staple" items that you know you'll need. I categorize by food group. For example, on my shopping list, I'll have a section for PRODUCE, CEREAL/GRAINS, PROTEINS, DAIRY, MISC (household, condiments), etc.
4) From your list, venture to the internet (or perhaps a cookbook if you have a lot of time!) and literally type in protein + vegetable + grain combination. You'd be surprised what you find. For example, chicken, spinach, quinoa recipes. You can also look on Cooking Light or Allrecipes, which are two of my favorites. Remember that these recipes do not guarantee a healthy meal. That responsibility falls on you. Avoid breaded, fried, butter, shortening, lard, and cream. Many online recipes now give nutrition facts. Look for meals that provide about 350-500 calories (for your entire meal), roughly 5-12 grams of fat (25%), 50-60 grams of carbohydrate (60%), and 15-20 grams of protein (15%)*. A lot can be done to a meal just by adding in spices such as curry, garlic, or chili powder.
5) Next to each item (especially each sale item), mark down the price that you are expecting to pay. Total everything up, so you know ahead of time what your bill should be. If you tend to be an impulse shopper, take cash instead of credit so you have to limit yourself on how much you spend.
6) While the recipes are still fresh in your mind, take a night/weekend day to cook and portion the recipes. This is in bold because it works. Yes, it's annoying at first. You won't want to spend two or three hours cooking all your recipes for the week. But it is really, really, REALLY worth it. It saves money and gas/electricity as you are able to utilize your stovetop and oven more efficiently. More importantly, your week will run so much more smoothly if you have everything ready to go ahead of time. Most people find that they "steer" off their diet when they don't have time to prepare a meal or they are absolutely starving when they get home. This way, you know dinner is already prepared AND you already have the proper portions.You can keep the recipes for the first half of the week in the fridge, and freeze the second half (take them out and let thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours ahead of needing them).
*This is a general guideline for adults who perform moderate activity 3-5 days per week (30 minutes per day, moderate intensity). Based on your gender, height, weight, genetic predisposition, and physical activity, you may require more or less calories than this given amount (hint hint you should see an RD to know for sure!)
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