We are Noticing a New Trend With Our Grocery Shopping

Not too long ago, my husband was told to reduce his sodium intake. We learned exactly how sodium-loaded most packaged foods are and gave up some of our favorite cheap foods (like Hamburger Helper). Instead of going up and down every aisle in the store, we tend to stick to the outside perimeter of the store - produce, meat and dairy.

I’m not sure how much this has impacted our grocery bill since I’m still working to finalize June’s spending. Even though we are skipping the really cheap foods, I think we are probably doing better with our grocery spending overall.

For instance, instead of buying french fries and Betty Crocker potato mixes, we are buying bulk potatoes and preparing them from scratch. I have learned how easy it is to make hashbrowns. Sure, the first few times left them burnt or raw, but now they come out just right. And you can prepare potatoes in so many ways! You can mash, roast, bake, twice bake, fry and season to your heart’s content. I’m still experimenting with them.

I am hoping that this change will also help with our overall health and I’ll be able to shed a few more pounds. My knees will thank me for it!

Posted by Tricia on July 31, 2008 at 11:47 PM in Spending Money |
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  1. Matt responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 7:58 am

    Processed foods seem cheaper and easier but going the old fashioned route where you make everything from scratch really isn’t all that hard. It took me a while to figure this out. I think my grocery bill would be less if I stuck to the outside of the grocery store like you do (I still like some of the convenience).

  2. Susan responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 9:39 am

    Tricia: In the long run your health will improve greatly if you cut out all processed foods. We have an influx of diabetes 2 in this country and much of it is due to processed foods. Potatoes are carbohydrates, and as delicious as they are, break down into sugar. All carbohydrates whether they are bread, potatoes, rice, fruit, salad etc. are carbohydrates and in fact sugar. So a real issue here is portion control. A real potato is much better than a processed Betty Crocker scalloped potato, but it is a food that needs to be eaten in moderation. It’s simple; one has to eat small portions of food and a balanced diet. Whole food is good for you; processed food is not. Good luck on changing your eating habits; and counting carbohydrates really helps!

  3. Susan responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 9:47 am

    I meant to say that all carbohydrates process to sugar. Everyone can experiment and discover how many carbs they can eat and still lose weight. If you want to lose weight then 20/40 carbs per day generally works. If you wish to maintain 120 carbs is about right. The average American eats about 240 carbs per day

  4. Amphritrite responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 10:35 am

    This is awesome! Congrats, Tricia. Cutting down on processed foods will also cut preservative intake as well as sugar intake. Even though potatos are not the healthiest things on earth (full of starch - eat with the skins in order to get as much nutrition as possible!), pre-handled potatos are often worse :)

  5. Janelle responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    I think its wrong that everyone is down the potatoes. They contain a lot of vitamins and minerals and are cheap, easy to prepare and a whole food. Yes, all carbs turn to sugar but like previously said all things in moderation. If you read “French Women Don’t Get Fat” and the sequel “French Women For All Seasons” you’ll get a great base for eating all things in moderation. The French induce more potatoes than pretty much any other country and they also on average are the thinnest and most fit folks around. I know you’ve not posted on your blogging away fat site much, but I think these books would really speak to you! I love em - and I’ve lost 20 plus pounds and counting eating whole, nonprocessed foods.

  6. Judith responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    I have to speak to the 20/40 gm carbohydrate limit listed in one comment. That is, in effect, the Atkins Diet or one of the other low carb plans so popular now a days. I am a Registered Dietitian, with a degree in nutrition and 30 years of experience in the health care field. I do not recommend extreme reductions in carbohydrate (except in certain medical conditions). The goal of the low carb diets is to put your body in a state of ketoacidosis - the very state we strive to prevent with diabetics. Most of the low carb plans encourage the testing of urine to see if you are in ketosis. Even the recommendations of the American Diabetic Association support a diet that has 50% of the calories from carb. In the average 2000 calorie diet, that equates to 250 gms of carbohydrate. It IS important however to choose whole grains and complex carbs as opposed to the simple sugars. The US government has bountiful free information about the Food Guide Pyramid as well as planning economical and healthful meals. I’ll step off my soap box now…..

  7. Mike responded:
    Posted: August 1st, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    I would highly recommend the book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes.

    He raises plenty of questions on just how accurate that “free information” is. The “Food Pyramid” is as accurate as any government information.

  8. CanadianKate responded:
    Posted: August 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 am

    Tricia, you seem to have struck a nerve!

    I’m struggling with my weight lately so have no answers. My weight gain coincides precisely with my decision to stop buying new things (except food and medical). And it adds up to 28 lbs over the past year. I’m now medically overweight and within 13 lbs of being medically obese.

    Since giving up buying new things, I’ve tried to increase my healthy food as well and have given up aspartame (and my chronic eye inflammations are almost history - yay!) and am now working on cutting high fructose corn syrup from my diet(last item to eliminate is regular soft drinks.) I’ve always had my 64 oz of water a day (and 2 glasses of milk) but I used to drink 2 - 3 cans of soda a day and am struggling to switch to soda water (or seltzer) mixed with fruit or juices. A hard habit to break.

    So we can debate processed/whole and carbs/protein and government misinformation/diet books designed to make people rich as much as we like but there is a HUGE emotional eating side of things that makes implementing healthy eating very difficult.

    So shop the outside aisles of the grocery stores. You might also try shopping more frequently (for 1 - 3 meals of food at a time) just as the Europeans do. I’ve found, contrary to expectations, it has cut my grocery bill because I’m no longer wasting food. I still buy meat on sale to store in my freezer, but fresh fruit and veggies are bought several times a week and seldom go bad in the fridge anymore.

    I’ve started buying groceries only from the two closest villages (3 and 5 miles away, I live rurally) since I have no reason to drive to other shopping areas (because I’m not buying anything new.) If you are within walking or biking distance, perhaps you can shop the way Europeans (or New Yorkers, for that matter) do and increase your physical activity associated with food prep.

    The more you have ‘invested’ in the meals you prepare, the more you’ll enjoy them and the more you enjoy them, the less you’ll eat because you’ll be satisfied with less.

    I suspect that feeding one’s soul as well as one’s body at meal time is the key to losing weight.

  9. Rob in Madrid responded:
    Posted: August 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am

    I used to eat processed meals all the time, what did the trick for me was puting leftovers into single portions, now instead of an instant meal I take something out of the freezer and “nuke” it, just as fast and better

    Another side effect of learning to cook, less stress, you’ll notice that spending time in the kitchen is a wonderful way to reduce stress. very relaxing.

    My biggest problem is eating everything I cook, I’m trying to find more single portion meals (wife travels alot) for me.

  10. MB responded:
    Posted: August 5th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    On Gary Taubes:
    He has some interesting things to say but he can be anti-science. I’m in epidemiology, and he thinks we are a waste of time. I suggest reading Taubes with a grain of salt.

  11. david responded:
    Posted: August 8th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    Agree. Shopping the outside of the store is the best for us. Max the fresh stuff and limit the aisles (however dont forget the ice cream !)

  12. Jerry responded:
    Posted: August 14th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Minimizing the levels of processing that go into your food leads to better health overall, both for the body and the pocketbook. It also gives you some insurance that you will actually know what goes into your meals, which is nice!
    Jerry

  13. Uncommon Advice responded:
    Posted: August 17th, 2008 at 11:48 am

    You are right. By cooking your own food you will know exactly what it is you are eating, be naturally healthier, save money and reduce sodium intake.

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