Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? Or “challenges”
as I called them in a piece I wrote this time last year. If you are one of the
many that tackle weight loss, cooking more, eating out less or anything dealing
with food and nutrition, then consider your grocery shopping habits as one
factor that can positively or negatively affect your goal’s progress and
outcome. Many people just tackle what they eat and how they prepare the food. This
is important, but take a few steps back and consider how you obtain the food. Is it grocery shopping, prepared meal
delivery, CSA/Farm Share box, and/or grocery delivery? Do you enjoy the process
or do you view it as a cumbersome necessity to reach your goal?
When I begin working with a new client, one of my services
includes going on a grocery store tour with them. Why a tour of the grocery
store? How can you obtain the most nutritious food in an efficient manner if
you don’t know how to navigate your grocery store or a new one you want to
visit? Some of the time-saving tactics I suggest include shopping the perimeter
of the grocery store, choosing name brands over store brands for certain items,
identifying effective substitutes, and selective choosing of pre-chopped
veggies and sale items. We all can’t spend hours at the grocery store so the
key is creating the knowledge for efficient shopping with usually less money
spent. Lack of knowledge and time often leads to over spending. Don’t be left making
one of these excuses: “I don’t have time to shop around” or “I have no clue how
to use these ingredients so I’ll just buy this prepackaged all in one item.” These excuses result in dining out more often then in.
What about the size of the grocery store you visit? Is it
massive with aisle numbers well into the double digits? When you forget an item
on one end, does it take you over five minutes to walk to the other side? Is
the size so daunting that you find yourself dreading to go or needing to budget
over an hour just for the shopping and checking-out process? If so, you may need
to rethink your grocery habits. Is there a smaller one closer or farther away?
Sometimes two quick trips are the same as one long one and can lead to more
deals and better quality food. For example, we shop at a Whole Foods that is
farther from us than the Star Market nearby. However, the Whole Foods is
smaller and I can easily navigate it within 10 minutes. I shop the perimeter
mostly and buy about 75% of my items there. The rest come from our bi-monthly
organic vegetable delivery box, sometimes a local butcher, and then random
items at Star Market, which are usually last-minute needs. This has equated to
more piecemeal shopping however, we have saved money because I’m not buying
EVERYTHING at Whole Foods (which can add up). We have guaranteed organic, and
I’m using everything I purchase with no waste. Plus, I love supporting local vendors
when I can!
So choose a store that feels accessible and approachable, not
overwhelming. Familiarize yourself with the store so that at each return trip
you know where to go. Consider proximity, but also think outside the box so
that you can have more variety for your body and mind! Variety creates interest
and ultimately, leads to success in developing and sustaining a new habit.
The benefits are threefold. You’ll learn to like grocery shopping
more, you will ensure you reach your wellness goal by providing a solution that
tackles many impediments to improving health and you may even find yourself
motivated to search out and try new ingredients.
Need help navigating your local Whole Foods or health food
store? Contact
me!
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