How Many Times Do You Go to the Store During the Week?

at 10:01 AM

Here is a correlative but not a mathematical way to tell if you are eating healthy and clean.  How many times do you go to the grocery store during the week?  Of course if you have kids and working full time, there is no way you can stop at the store to buy what you need and want every other day, however, think about these observations.  As I have said previously, pantry foods have a long shelf life, hence the long list of preservatives in the foods.  Cans of bakes beans, corn, boxes of cereal, chips and candy can probably out last us all during world War III, God forbid.  So here are some things to consider:

1. If you are eating fresh fruits and veggies but only need to go to the store once a week, you are not eating enough of them.  You need to get in the habit of doing a quick math while you are buying say your fruits.  If you are planning on eating two apples and two oranges a day during this season, then you should be buying 14 apples and 14 oranges in one trip.  You should be eating dark leafy veggies everyday so you would need one of those big spinach containers for the week.  A great way to supplement the green color part of your salad is to  buy and eat cabbage, green or red.  It easily lasts a week or more in the fridge and being part of the cruciferous veggies it adds bulk and lots of fiber to your meal, so you get full faster.

On the other hand there are other tender veggies and fruits that you should be eating which would mean you may have to go to the store more than once a week. These would include such items as tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce (not iceberg please!!).

If you absolutely have to get crackers and chips, please don't buy them at Sam's.  Not that I have anything against that store in particular but at Sam's you would  be forced to buy items in bulk.  If you have a big box of crackers, then you may be less likely to go and buy grapefruit for your snack.  You already have Ritz crackers, who needs fruit?

Think about all the fruits and veggies you would  be buying for your week, wouldn't it be better to make 2-3 smaller trips to the store rather than one huge stressful weekly one?  Because you are going more often you can just pick up a few items that you would need.  For example, I go to the store  either on Saturday or Sunday and only plan for a couple of meals.  Then I go again during the week and buy more veggies, meat and fruits.  Of course, much like many of you I have kids who sometimes demand chips and candy, so I am less likely to buy those items in bulk if I am making more frequent trips to the store.

Once you start going to the store more frequently, you will find you won't necessarily need a list.  Here is my short list during the week: vegetables, fruits, lean meat and cereal for  the kids.  Many times I use cereal as a treat or snack to give my kids.  It is a great way to get around having other types of snacks around.  Kashi has some delicious cereals that also have fiber and my kids love them. 

I know that coupons are a great way to save money, but if you are totally coupon driven then you will find that you are buying more pantry-friendly foods.

Remember: try to shop at the periphery of the store.