Eight Ways to Grocery Shop Like a Pro
I love grocery shopping. What’s more exciting than scanning the ice cream section for a new flavor, or picking out the perfectly ripe avocado? But if grocery shopping doesn’t quite quicken your pulse like it does mine, you can instead opt for efficiency, so you can spend less time shopping and more time eating. With a little bit of prep, you might even enjoy strolling that cart down the aisle. Here’s how to up your grocery game:
1. Clear eyes, full stomachs, can’t lose. Showing up to the grocery store on an empty stomach is a surefire way to make some bad decisions. The last time I went grocery shopping on an empty stomach I ended up with a box of blue raspberry toaster strudels and five cans of hearts of palm. Worst case scenario, you just grab a nutrition bar at the store and eat it while you’re there (or keep one in your purse), but ideally you should have a little snackeroo beforehand. This way, you won’t end up: A. purchasing random food you’ll never eat or B. grabbing too much of something that will expire before you have the chance to finish it all.
2. Make a list, check it never (or an infinite number of times if you’re like me). Making a list of what you need is the most straightforward and effective way to be an ace at grocery shopping. If you prefer writing your list down the old fashioned way, do what works for you. I am a BIG fan of using the Reminders app on my phone, which allows me to add items to the list at the drop of a hat and tick them off just as easily. I like to take stock of what needs replenishing in my fridge and pantry and then make a neat listicle. Also take stock of what’s running low too! There’s nothing worse than unloading your groceries only to discover that carton of milk is actually nearly empty.
3. Be a bag lady (or guy). If there’s anything I can do as a consumer to lessen the load on the environment, I’ll load my groceries with my own bags. I like to bring three or four sturdy canvas totes and nestle them in the largest of the totes. If you make an impromptu run to the grocery store and forgot your own bag, don’t beat yourself up about it. For these unplanned trips, I’m a big fan of BAGGU bags because they fold up into a neat compact square in my purse and also come in fun patterns. For extra brownie points, you can also bring your own mesh produce bags, which eliminates the need for all that flimsy plastic (who likes untying your own tight plastic bag knots, anyway!).
4. Shop the grocery store perimeter as much as you can. As fun as it is to peruse the center aisles to see what zany new cereal Post is whipping up, the best place to position yourself is along the grocery store perimeter. Why? This is where you’ll find unprocessed foods like meats, fruits, veggies, and dairy products.
5. Buy organic (and nonorganic, too!). Thankfully, there’s a hefty number of fruits and vegetables that aren’t as susceptible to pesticides, so you can stick within your budget. According to the EWG, The Clean Fifteen happily includes avocados, broccoli, onions, pineapple and eggplant to name a few. And just as well, it’s important to acquaint yourself with the EWG’s Dirty Dozen, defined as crops on which farmers use the most pesticides (e.g. strawberries, apples, peaches, spinach, etc.). If you can’t buy nonorganic where it counts, here’s a great resource on how to effectively rid your produce of pesticides (cliffnotes version: a teaspoon of baking soda and a large bowl of water should do the trick).
6. Check the expiration date! What’s worse than forgetting to buy milk? Purchasing a carton of eggs that expired yesterday. Make sure you reach for the carton of eggs with the latest expiration date (grocery stores will often put the first-to-expire items out first) and also open the carton to make sure there are no cracked eggs. Last egg-related piece of advice: wrap them in their own separate bag OR keep them in a secure spot in your grocery bags so you don’t end up with a trunk full of yolks. While we’re on the topic of wrapping things in bags, keep flour in its own bag so it doesn’t leave a cloud of white powder all over your other items.
7. Buy frozen fruits and veggies. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at peak freshness and rival the nutritional value of their fresh counterparts (which are often picked before ripe). Sometimes, they taste even better than the fresh version (hello, frozen peas!) and most of the time, they are more cost-effective. The final major boon to purchasing frozen is how nicely they work in a quick and easy meal. Those frozen peas I mentioned can easily be tossed into your pasta or rice for a well-rounded meal.
8. Balance accessible ingredients with ambitious ones. Sure you can buy that bag of dried heirloom lentils and beans, but make sure you’re balancing it with buying things like canned beans, or other ingredients you can reach for in a pinch (i.e. when you’re lazy and tired). For me, quick and easy meals are Annie Mac and Cheese and Dr. Praegers veggie burgers. I like to offset these easier meals with more project/step-py kind of meals like squash (these are truly a pain to cut, so I’m going to go ahead and consider them a project) and dried beans (I can get behind soaking my chickpeas for hummus once in a blue moon).
Now grab your list, your reusable bags, and go wild in your favorite aisle!