Grocery Shopping Part II
Let’s talk about grocery shopping!!! Continuing our conversation on time and scheduling in meal prep, we know that grocery shopping is an important part of this process. Once you have your nutrition plan or meal plan and you know your macros, it’s much easier to plan what you are going to eat. When you plan your menu, write out your grocery list with all the items you need to cook those meals. Some people do this in reversed order…they have the general grocery shopping list (much like what I post a few days ago), and then create their meals based on the ingredients they have. However you do this is fine, just find a system that works best for you.
You’ve all heard this before, but some important tips on grocery shopping:
1. Never go grocery shopping hungry! You will inevitably spend more and buy less healthy foods
2. Stick to the perimeters of the grocery store and avoid the inner aisles as much as possible. The items on the perimeter are the fresh, whole food ingredients (produce, dairy, meat/poultry/seafood), while the aisles contain all the processed food that we want to minimize in our diets as much as possible
3. Have your list ready to go to make your trip faster, save time and stay on track with your plan. Use the old fashioned pen and paper, or you can use your phone to create your list with the reminders app and other grocery shopping list apps.
4. Always buy in bulk. This will save you money over time. Items like dry beans and lentils, grains, oats, nuts, seeds, flours, etc., buy them from the bulk containers and jar them when you get home to keep them fresh.
5. if you have a super busy schedule and want to grocery shop less often, plan ahead and buy for an extra week. Wash, cut, package, freeze, etc. all the extra to store appropriately for a longer shelf life.
Another way to save time on grocery shopping, and only buy what you need to support your plan, is to utilize the new grocery delivery services! These are fantastic. I use them regularly for my family and when cooking for clients. It saves me so much time! Services like Amazon Prime Now, InstaCart, and Yummy. Depending on where you live, not all these services may be available to you, but research what is in your area. Amazon is great because it is widely available across the country. Most of these programs offer free delivery, which saves you even more money while still cashing in on the convenience. They tend to offer deliveries in as soon as 2-3 hours, or you can schedule your delivery for the next day. Take advantage of the technology!
Enjoy this short video clip that emphasizes some of these tips as well as others.
What tricks do you have around grocery shopping and saving time in this area? Comment below to share! Happy shopping!
