Supermarket Smarts

What’s your strategy for grocery shopping? Perhaps, you shop like my grandmother who scours the sales pages, makes a list of staple items, maxes out on the specials at each store and returns with enough food to feed the neighborhood. Or maybe your approach is akin to my mother’s—go to your favorite store, pass through each aisle and pick out anything that catches your attention. Or, different still, you may develop a menu, take an inventory of your pantry and write out a grocery list to fill in any holes.

Regardless of how you shop, no doubt you’d like to see your food dollars go as far as possible, something that is getting harder and harder to do. Food prices are going the way of fuel costs—straight up. For example, chicken wings have gone from 79 cents per pound in 2000 to nearly $2 per pound today. Given that extra expense, do you really need to have five family packs of wings in a deep freezer?

Think about it, every food item in your house that remains unused between shopping trips is money that could be saved or spent on other expenses. In these lean and mean days, most families need to make the most of every penny. Save money, and even time, by avoiding these common pitfalls:

1) Going to the store too frequently.
Do all of the store employees know you by name? If so, you are spending too much time and money in the store. Instead do your major shopping every two weeks.
Shop for staple items like milk, bread, eggs and juice once per week.

2) Living without a family menu.
You don’t have to a rigid plan, but a general menu can make shopping more efficient. Dinners are usually the hardest meal to plan. Instead as a family, decide on at least eight entrees to eat within a two-week period. Determine what vegetable and fruit side items you will serve with them. Keep extra fruits and veggies on hands for snacking. Replenish fresh produce when you buy staple items weekly.

3) Going to the store hungry.
Don’t pick up the car keys if your stomach is growling. You will be tempted to buy foods you shouldn’t. Instead take time to have a half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with skim milk before heading out of the door. If the kids are joining you, make sure they are well fed, too.

4) Buying items just because they are on sale.
Canned black beans are wholesome, and you should eat them as a family. However, if you have eaten them twice over the last year, don’t buy 10 cans for $5. You won’t save money in the long run. Instead plan meals around seasonal products, which tend to be on sale. Try to incorporate any sale products into your entrees and sides, but only buy enough to use until your next shopping trip for staples.

5) Getting caught up in brand names.
Nothing can replace my favorite ketchup, but there is little difference in flavor between store brand canned fruits and vegetables and the name-brand versions. Instead know which national brands are must-haves for your family. Try more store brand products, which can be significantly cheaper.

6) Spending too much time in the middle of the store.
The center aisles are where you find the greatest concentration of junk foods and other processed (and pricey) items that you don’t need. Instead spend most of your shopping time along the perimeter of the store. That’s where the healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat are. Wholesome foods like beans, grains and cereals are found in the middle of the store, but it shouldn’t take you long to grab these items and move on.

Yes, you should keep some items in stock like canned soups, fruits, meats and vegetables. Have at up to two cans per person for each canned food type in your pantry. But don’t keep frozen vegetables and fruits beyond a few months as they don’t taste very good after that. Store one package each of chicken, fish, beef and pork in your freezer, but a fully stocked deep freezer is probably unnecessary. In fact, it is a good way to lose money during a power outage.

Release some of your frozen assets and plan how you will use the food that you have gathering dust in your pantry and elsewhere. You’ll be amazed at how many meals you have hiding in your cupboards, freezer and fridge.

Keecha Harris, Dr.PH, R.D., for MSN Health & Fitness