Making meals at home is a great way to achieve your family’s goal of eating healthier. However, more cooking at your house means that you’ll have to make more trips to the grocery store—and the grocery can be overwhelming. So many aisles, choices, and labels!
That’s why we’ve compiled this checklist to help you make the most of your grocery shopping trip. Here are a few practical ideas for saving time, money, and making healthy choices:
TIPS FOR SAVING TIME, MONEY, AND MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES AT THE GROCERY STORE
Beore Shopping
- Keep a running shopping list in your kitchen (or phone!) to avoid extra shopping trips
- Organize your list to match store categories
- Check supermarket specials and plan menus around them
- Clip coupons for items you need
- Avoid doing your shopping while you are hungry
At the Grocery Store
- Shop the perimeter; the healthiest food sections (produce, fresh meat, seafood, dairy) are usually found there
- Shop from a list; it reduces extra shopping trips and helps with impulse buying
- Read food labels as you shop
- Buy in the quantities you can use
- Pay attention at checkout
- Shop during off hours
- Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season
- Stock up on non-perishable foods when they are on sale
- Compare prices using the unit price on the shelf, as well as national, store, and generic brands
- Match food quality to the recipe
- Consider using a pick-up or delivery service; it can help you save time and money
After Shopping
- Repackage into ‘meal-sized’ portions before freezing or storing
- Rotate your food supply – ‘first in, first out’
- Clean fresh produce so it’s ready to use
- Store perishable items in a visible location
- Post your menus for the week
- Start a new shopping list
To learn more about the Center for Better Health and Nutrition, please visit our website or call 513-636-4305.
