Take the hassle out of grocery Shopping
By the time most of my clients get to me they are eager to make changes. When clients come to me ready to make serious diet and lifestyle changes we focus on food in its simplest form. We talk about quality, variety, and preparation and people think we will start in the kitchen but I would argue it actually starts at the store. Don’t get me wrong! Spending time in the kitchen making home cooked meals is HUGE and a major aspect of what I do and what I work on with all my clients to focus on as much as possible. But first, we have to get the ingredients.
I have learned this part of the process can be challenging for some and I completely understand. Growing up going to the grocery store was an excursion, an all afternoon event, a huge financial investment. It required multiple trips to unload the car and a hassle trying to find room in the fridge to put it all away. It was something no-one in my house hold looked forward to. Now as an adult I don’t mind it as much but I have tried so many variations of grocery shopping: going almost daily, weekly, bi monthly, doing everything online, do a combination of online and in person. With each season of life I have been challenged with finding the best way to find quality ingredients so I can cook vibrant healthy meals and here is what I have learned so far.
Save time and money at the Grocery Store
Meal Plan- A little bit of planning can go a long way. Detailing or roughly planning meals for the week is helpful for a successful grocery haul and to reduce waste. This may look different for everyone. Some may want to find specific recipe to use, such as shrimp scampi with linguini. While others may be okay with a vague idea such as grilled meat and roasted vegetables or a big salad. Whatever you preference, knowing what you intend to cook is a start in the right direction.
Make a List- Again, this is a small amount prep that happens before you get to the store. This is a great tool to keep you on track. It is even more effective when your list only consists of items from the meals you’ve planned. Having a plan for how and when you intend to use an ingredient will help avoid excess waste and may prevent you from throwing food away later on.
Don’t Shop Hungry- Have a filling snack before you go. Having an appetite is a beautiful thing but when at the grocery store it may lead to impulsive or over buying. Making sure your belly and your brain are satisfied will help ensure you continue to make smart choices.
Scan the Nutrition Label- This is not something worth obsessing over but it is good to be remotely aware of what's in your food. Fewer ingredients are always better. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity used, so the first 3 ingredients can tell you a lot. Keep an eye out for added sugars, trans fats and vegetable oils, limit these as much as you can.
Look for Longer Shelf Life- Certain produce have much longer shelf life, such as citrus fruits, onions, garlic, potatoes, and winter squash if stored properly. Frozen may be a good option to avoid waste and keep nutritional value. You could also buy prepared/chopped vegetables at stores like Trader Joes and freeze them when you get home. They often have prepared beets, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and more in their produce section.
