Grocery Shopping When We’re Hungry=No, No, No!

Grocery shopping when we’re hungry is not a healthy way to approach food shopping and will most likely result in buying foods that we weren’t aiming to buy in the first place– wasting MONEY, CALORIES, and TIME! (I’m guilty of this!)

Eating a light snack before grocery shopping or after eating a larger meal such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner is key. We will see numbers go up on the scale from buying foods we were tempted to eat when we were hungrier (and these foods are most likely not healthy options!) Keep it simple, stick to a list, aim for FRESH foods!

It’s extremely important to have a list with us at all times and ONLY buy what is on that list.  We should all get into a habit of writing down foods during the week that our families can agree on and only stick to those foods. Aim for a time in the day that works best to go grocery shopping– when we are relaxed and our tummies are feeling full!

Photo credit: www.writeonnewjersey.com

Do you have any suggestions/tips/comments on grocery shopping?

How Do I Save Money & Eat Healthy?

Here are some wonderful tips by Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D to keep your meals cheap and healthy at the same time! We all sometimes feel like we can’t afford the healthier items in a grocery store, but with careful planning.. we certainly can!

• Start buying in bulk — Example: bagged apples are cheaper than individual apples
• Keep a list & plan ahead — Budget experts say that making a list and sticking to it can help save you hundreds of a dollars a year on your grocery store bill.
• Look for the healthy deals — Dried beans, nuts, whole grains, lean meats and dairy, and herb products and produce are items that you’ll want to stock up on when a sale occurs in your local store. Meats and whole grain products can be easily frozen for use at a later date.
• Buy generic: You most likely won’t be able to tell the difference between brand name or a generic version!
• Make sure to sign up for a store card! You never know when you will receive sales from using it!
• Do not give into buying anything conveniently ready for you (ex. pre-sliced) it will always be more expensive!
• You can always freeze food items, so instead of making a food item go bad.. make more and get creative on how to use it for different recipes!

• Read more: http://www.youbeauty.com/nutrition/columns/eat-pretty/get-ready-to-eat-pretty-on-the-cheap#ixzz2YI2e7J24 Follow: @youbeauty on Twitter

Eating Right When Money Is Tight!

When you’re on a budget and you’re looking for healthy foods, here are some suggestions that won’t hurt your wallet!

• Produce: variety of in-season selections
• Bakery: whole grain bread loaf
• Canned Food: canned (or dry) beans
• Grain: brown rice or quinoa
• Cereal: whole rolled oats
• Dairy: large container low-fat Greek yogurt
• Proteins: a dozen eggs
• Freezer: frozen veggies of choice
• Bulk Bins: various nuts

You can enjoy the taste of eating right … even when money’s tight!

For more information: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442463962

 

Obesity Health Crisis

“Obesity is a bigger health crisis globally than hunger, and the leading cause of disabilities around the world, according to a new report published Thursday in the British medical journal The Lancet.

The report revealed that every country, with the exception of those in sub-Saharan Africa, faces alarming obesity rates — an increase of 82% globally in the past two decades. Middle Eastern countries are more obese than ever, seeing a 100% increase since 1990.

And for the first time, noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, stroke and heart disease top the list of leading causes of years spent sick or injured. On average, people are plagued by illness or pain during the last 14 years of life.”

All of these problems are all tied to obesity. We need to change this! It’s all about awareness and education– we can stop this together!

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/13/health/global-burden-report/index.html?hpt=he_c2 Danielle Dellorto, CNN

Eat Right When Money’s tight

USDA’s Nutrition Assistance Program: Eat Right When Money’s Tight. This PDF gives good tips on how to budget your food planning.

Some tips:

• Know how much money you have to spend on food
• Make a shopping list based on the money you have to spend
• Buy only amounts of fresh foods you can use before they spoil
• Consider frozen or shelf stable items that last longer
• Before going to the grocery store, check what foods you have already: What meals and recipes can you make with the foods on hand already?

Before shopping:

• Make a shopping list to help you stay within budget
• Plan your meals– use leftovers if you have to!
• Look for coupons, sales, specials
• Sign up for the stores discount card

During shopping:

• Don’t shop when you are hungry
• Try store brand items– they usually cost less
• Compare products for the best deal
• Check the selling dates and choose the freshest possible

After shopping:

• Store food right away
• Freeze any frozen food to prevent spoiling
• Use foods with the earliest expiration date first!

Breads and Grains :

• Look for bargains on day old bread, it costs less but is still nutritious
• Buy regular rice and oatmeal instead of instant to save on money, sugar and calories

Vegetables and Salad:

• Buy large bags of frozen vegetables
• Avoid pre-bagged salads. They are usually more expensive and spoil faster

Fruits:

• The cheapest fruits are the ones that are in season
• Frozen and canned fruits are a good choice all year

Low fat dairy:

• Buy in the largest size that can be used before spoiling. The bigger, the cheapest

Meat and Beans:

• Dried beans and peas are a good source of fiber and last a long time
• Chuck or bottom round roast has less fat and cheaper than sirloin
• Buy meat on sale for big savings

For more information: http://www.nal.usda.gov/snap/EatRightWhenMoneysTight.pdf