Grocery shopping can be fun. It is important that you stock your fridge and pantry with good and healthy foods for the week. My job as a mom is to ensure that I come up with a menu for the week but at the same time, think about our budget. Did I forget to say that I also coupon and price match. I take grocery shopping seriously! I am a savvy shopper and I am quite aware on how much things should cost and I am frugal to say the least.
My weekly shopping trips hasn't changed too much but I added even more fruits and vegetables and try to limit buying processed foods.
So here is a quick shopping guide in aiding you to better grocery shopping.
I start by looking at Flyers. Here in Toronto, flyers are distributed on Thursdays. I usually lay out the flyers and make a list of what is on sale and where. Did you know that the best deals are usually on the front and back pages. I gather all my coupons and see where the best place to use them in are. I would have to have another post on couponing cause that is another entirely exciting thing. But back to grocery shopping now...then I aim to do my shopping on the Friday or early Saturday. I find these days the best since all the items are usually in stock and produce is fresh. And then I head out...
Most of my grocery shopping is done at No Frills. My No Frills is awesome. It is clean and usually has all the items that are on sale. I usually buy the grocery essentials here like bread,milk,eggs. It is also the cheapest place to get pantry essentials like canned foods and baking supplies.
What I buy at No Frills
-Whole grain bread. Forget white and whole wheat. First ingredient should say whole grain. If you're making the transition, then whole wheat can work. Look for breads that are less than 100 calories per slice. English muffins and rye bread taste good and are filling. I usually buy this as well as regular bread for the kids.
-Packaged baby spinach and mixed greens. Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce is good and you can cut it up and thoroughly wash and dry it and then put it in a container in the fridge. The problem I find is that you have to eat it within 3 days or else it gets bad. I really like baby spinach because its great in salads, stirfrys and soups. It cost more but it last longer.
-Seasonal fruits. Bananas are so good and compact that every household should have it in stock. It is cheap and we go through at least 3 a day. You have to look at the flyers and see what's on sale. Like this week, $1 pineapples. It doesn't get cheaper than that so I bought some for the kids snacks and myself.
-Eggs. Omega 3 eggs is ideal when I can get my hands on coupons or it's on sale. It's perfect for breakfast either hard boiled or scrambled with your favorite filling.
-Milk. There was a time when my fridge was stocked with 3 different types of milk. Skim for myself, 2% for Kaya and Almond milk for Austin. If you drink a lot of milk then skim milk has the least amount of calories but I don't drink a lot and for space saving issues in our fridge, I only buy 2% milk nowadays. Almond milk is really good choice for shakes because it is relatively low cal and high in protein.
-Meat. Whatever is on sale is our meat of the week. But I've made the choice to cut back on pork so we eat a lot of chicken and beef. I really like ground beef because it can be transformed to many things. I buy and stock pile meat in the freezer.
Bulk Barn is said to be Canada's largest bulk food store. I love being able to buy a teaspoon of something for baking or trying a new ingredient before buying a whole bag of it. They carry a lot of gluten free items, organic products as well as a whole lot of new health food items. Bulk Barn is not the cheapest store to buy things but I come here to buy certain products. Plus their monthly coupons are awesome.
What I buy at Bulk Barn
-Chia Seeds. These amazing little seeds contain healthy omega 3 fatty acids. I add it in my yogurt primarily. It expands when you mix it with any liquid so supposedly it expands in your stomach keeping you full. I don't know how true this is but I like the omega 3 fatty acids part. All you need is a tablespoon of it. Chia seeds are quite expensive at $15/lb! When it is on sale at the Bulk Barn as well as using the coupon, it is the cheapest place to buy it.
-Flax Seeds. To be honest I am allergic to flax seeds. I am slowly trying to incorporate it into my diet but my swollen tongue can not take it for too long. But my kids aren't so I add flax to their oatmeal, yogurt and shakes. Here are just some of the benefits of flax seeds. And guess what, it is super cheap. I buy the ground flax so you can get all the essential nutrients from it easily.
-Salad toppings. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and raisins to name a few. Buy in small batches to ensure freshness.
-Nut butters. Peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter that is 100% all natural and you can decide how much to buy. What's not to like about that. I like that there is no added sugar in the butters.
A trip to Costco that is less than $50 is a miracle so eventhough we have membership, I only buy sale items and these items mentioned below.What I buy at Costco
-Coconut Oil. I've made the switch to Coconut oil for my cooking. Costco sells organic coconut oil that is large enough to last me for awhile. We also use it as a moisturizer, make up remover and hair conditioner. I have yet to find a cheaper place that sells coconut oil.
-Cereals. When it is on sale, their yummy granolas and large bags of oatmeal is hard to beat. If you have the space, then it is worth stocking up on quick cooking oatmeal. It can be used for baking as well.
What I buy at Chinese Grocery stores
-Green Tea. A box of fifty 100% Chinese Green Tea for less than $3! Love my green tea and this is the best place to get it from and there are atleast 15 different brands to choose from.
-Vegetables. Although my local grocery store carries more and more varieties of vegetables, the prices are not comparable. Sweet potato at $.49/lb versus $1.29/lb at No Frills. If I have the chance to get into a Chinese store, then I buy my vegetables from here. Other vegetables that I like to buy that is really versatile in cooking are squash, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers. You can practically create a hundred different things with just these vegetables.
Preparation! That is all it takes to eat healthy. Plan your meals according to what is available in the stores seasonally. Not only is it better this way but it will be more cost effective.
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