Healthy Grocery Shopping On A Budget 1
Click Understanding to edit Master Grocery title style Stores Over 50,000 products Strategically placed items and traffic flow Lighting, music, color used strategically Cafes and bakery aromas Everything from lighting, music and product placement is controlled by the supermarket in order to have you spend more. MSN, 2013 2
Healthy Foods: A Quick Review 3
Fruits and Vegetables In Season Local Check for bruising Variety of colors 4
Meat, Poultry, Fish Choose Extra Lean and Lean cuts (Loin, Round) Cut visible fat off before cooking Drain fat after browning ground meat Choose white meat often (breasts of chicken and turkey) Choose fish often but limit the larger fish (mackerel, tuna, swordfish) to minimize mercury intake 5
Whole Grains Whole grains provide fiber, essential vitamins especially B vitamins; and long lasting fuel for our body. Brown rice Whole oats Whole wheat pasta Popcorn Whole wheat bread, tortillas, flatbreads Barley Rye 6
Organic? Reasons to go organic: Reduce intake of hormones; antibiotics and unhealthy toxins/pesticides Points to consider: Budget Personal perspective and health status Prioritize - Chicken and meat - Dairy - Thin skinned fresh produce 7
Canned Foods Vegetables Choose reduced sodium or no salt added Rinse canned vegetables to reduce sodium by 9-23% Fruits Choose canned in light syrup or 100% juice No Sugar Added varieties are also available Meats Choose those canned in water, not oil 8
Frozen Food Section <800mg sodium/serving per entrée <300mg sodium/serving per side dish Lower sodium entrees and side dishes Vegetable-based entrees to lower calories Whole grain frozen waffles & pancakes Frozen fruits & vegetables without added sauces or vegetables, lightly sauced 9
Click to edit Master title style The Best Tips to Save You Big Bucks 10
Top 5 Most Expensive Grocery Items Meat, Poultry, Fish Processed/Packaged Foods Prepared, Ready to Eat Items Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Ice Cream Sandwiches 11
Items We Consume Most Of Meat, Poultry, Fish Processed/Packaged Foods Prepared Ready to Eat Items Sugar-Sweetened Drinks 12
1. Have a Plan What is your food budget? Plan meals for the week ahead Consider: Your schedule Food already on hand Store sales Coupons Family nutritional needs WRITE IT DOWN! 13
Pantry Staples Freezer Staples Canned beans Canned tuna Jams Lentils Oatmeal Whole grain pasta Pasta sauce Peanut butter Brown rice Soups Canned tomatoes & veggies Fat-free dry milk powder Bread (whole grain) Chicken Egg whites or nonfat egg substitute in cartons Fish and seafood (not breaded) Fruits Lean meat Seafood Turkey Vegetables 14
2. Garbage Check Money is tossed when food is tossed! What foods are in your trash can? Reduce, Reuse or Recycle Foods Use foods before they get too old! Purchase foods that keep longer 15
3. Avoid Shopping While Hungry Everything looks yummy and jumps into the cart when you have an empty stomach! Eat BEFORE shopping AND feed kids who will be shopping with you! 16
4. Compare and Contrast Is the store brand cheaper? Be prepared to bend and reach for savings Is the 10 for 10 really a good deal? Calculate if you REALLY save with the larger package or smaller packages What is the unit price? 17
5. Costly Convenience Foods Baking Potatoes $0.06/oz. Frozen French Fries $0.13/oz. Frozen Mashed Potatoes $0.13/oz. Instant Mashed Potatoes $0.21/oz. Potato Chips $0.32/oz. 18
6. Buy Fresh Produce in Season Fresh produce tastes great when in season Seasonal produce is most affordable Often can get buy-one-get-one, especially on berries Save money by freezing any produce you won t use in the week. Check out local produce stands 19
7. Think Before You Drink Buy a reusable water bottle and fill with tap water instead of buying bottled water Limit soft drinks, fancy coffees and other expensive drinks 20
8. Checkout Temptation Think twice before buying a last minute temptation in the checkout lane. Resist buying a an item unless you REALLY need it! 21
9. Getting the Groceries Home Store fresh produce in clear containers Cut up veggies for ease of use during the week Freeze meat not on the menu in the next 3 days. 22
$$ And Time Saving Tips Cook Once.eat many times! Prepare food in large batches When preparing a meal always consider: Can this also serve as another meal tomorrow or another time? 23
More $$ Saving Tips Extend your proteins by combining them with beans and veggies. Meal ideas: Stretch a cooked whole chicken. Use the breasts in one meal and the remainder in White Bean Chicken Chili (rotisserie chicken; white beans; can green chilies; chicken broth; cumin, salt and pepper) Meat: Consider buying less lean ground meats and draining the fat when cooking Tacos: brown and rinse meat; add seasonings and add low cost canned red beans 24
Resources to help your food budget Spend Smart Eat Smart (extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/) Food Budget Calculator based on # in household, genders, ages Local Harvest (localharvest.org/farmers-markets/) Find Farmers Markets by zip code Pick Your Own (pickyourown.org/flnorth.htm) Find Pick-Your-Own Farms by regions in Florida Food on The Table (Foodonthetable.com) Select grocer and find recipes using sale items 25
Next Steps The Better You from Blue Next Steps program provides free individualized health coaching over the phone For more information, please call 1-800-477-3736 ext. 54837 Or NextSteps@bcbsfl.com 26
References 1. SmartMoney magazine, 2007. 2. Supermarket tricks. MSN, 2008. 3. Environmental Working Group, 2013. 4. Haytowitz, D.B. Effect of draining and rinsing on the sodium and water soluble vitamin content of canned vegetables. Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. Experimental Biology (2011). 5. Carlson, A., Frazao, E. Are Healthy Foods Really More Expensive? It depends on how you measure the price. USDA Economic Information Bulletin Number 96 (2012). 27