Does grocery shopping have you needing Excedrin Migraine and a nap? You are not alone!
Grocery stores thrive on confusion and impulsivity. They hope you become overwhelmed, hungry and confused so that you are not an informed shopper. This leads us to grab food off the end caps which generally is not much of a bargain. As we rush through the store we gravitate towards foods that are generally within our eyesight. We tend to be less organized dependent on our brain’s ability to recollect visual grocery lists as well as mapping out the schedules of your children’s many activities.
I hope to discuss some tips to help make grocery shopping more manageable and life at home less stressful.
Build your kitchen go to necessities
- Recommend having at least 3 go-to meals that you always have on hand. These meals can range from 5-20 minutes in preparation. Here are some great ideas from Food Network- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/cooking-from-the-pantry
- If you are lacking the time that week to make a list, then take a quick snapshot of your fridge and pantry so you can reference if something is missing or not.
- Your list should consist of at least 2 different sources of proteins, 3 starches, 1 dairy source or dairy-free with added calcium, 2 different color fruits, 3 different color vegetables, 1 form of fat with always keeping olive & canola oil on hand.
- USOC (United State Olympic Committee) has great examples of suggested athlete plates that also are good references for planning meals. I encourage my athlete to print and keep as a visual. https://www.teamusa.org/about-the-usoc/athlete-development/sport-performance/nutrition/athlete-factsheets-and-resources
Learn your grocery store’s pattern
- Most grocery stores have a typical pattern of what they have sales on. For example, during lent it is a great time to stock up on fish. Fish can actually last up to a year in the freezer if it has remained frozen.
- Don’t hesitate to use stores such as Aldi’s and Save A Lot that typically carries off-label brands but still has the same quality. At our local Aldi’s their produce is replenished every other day and is generally 30% of the cost at most grocery stores.
When all else fails don’t recreate the wheel
Grab a free download to my amazing grocery list here!