Smart shopping
Experts provide their tips for people to get the most bang for their buck at the grocery store
Government officials suggest Atlantic Canadians only go to the grocery store once a week for essentials.
But with some people stockpiling food, it’s sometimes difficult to find necessary ingredients. Added to that, many people have lost jobs and are on limited budgets.
Grocery shopping is more difficult than ever before, and it’s becoming increasingly important to learn to meal plan and budget to get the best bang for your buck in the limited shopping time.
The first step is to get organized, beginning by taking inventory of what is in the house and what needs to be used first before it goes bad. Jen McKenna from Creative Kitchen, a personal chef, caterer and meal prepping service in Hunter River, P.E.I., says to always shop in your kitchen first, as people tend to forget what’s hidden in the back of the fridge or freezer. She suggests first making a list of what is in your fridge that needs to be used up, followed by the freezer, then the pantry.
The next step is to create a meal plan. Victoria Power, an in-store dietitian at the Dominion Grocery Stores in Grand Falls-Windsor and Gander, N.L., suggests starting by planning just suppers. Lunches can be added in, depending on how much flexibility you desire.
“Brainstorm as a family to create a list of favourite go-to meals, side dishes and entrees,” says Power. “
Then, determine which days you will have time to cook and which days you will need leftovers or something super-quick.”
McKenna says the focus of the meal plan should be what you already have at home.
“Usually from there, you will only have to pick up a few things or nothing at all from the grocery store,” McKenna said.
Hayley Ewing, an in-store dietitian for the Bridgewater and Liverpool Atlantic Superstores, says to create a grocery list of the things that you need to complete each recipe.
“A list will help get in and get out as quickly as possible, while still making sure you’re picking up your key items,” says Ewing.
Organize the list by department to make it easier to follow the flow of arrows through the store, and, she says, be prepared to make substitutions for brands or items that may be unavailable.
VEGGIES AND FRUIT
Fewer trips to the grocery store could mean less access to fresh fruit or vegetables. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Lori Moore, a holistic nutritional consultant and culinary nutrition expert in Kingsport, suggests buying extra vegetables like peppers to chop and freeze for future meals likes chili, soup, pasta sauce, omelets or rice dishes.
“Purchase fruits and vegetables with a longer storage life, such as root and winter vegetables, apples and pears,” says Moore.
“Besides, these fruit and vegetables are more readily available locally, so we can support local farmers in the process.”
If you have time, plan a few hours to prep extra meals for the freezer using your fresh items, McKenna adds. Later in the week or even the following week, you’ll have some balanced meals to pull out of the freezer and heat up for dinner.
Proper storage goes a long way to extending freshness. Wrap greens in a damp dish towel, stand fresh herbs and asparagus in a glass of water and keep fruit on the counter to ripen, then store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Never shy away from frozen options, as they are just as nutritious, Power adds. Canned is also cost-effective and can last a long time.
She recommends looking for fruit packed in water and no salt added vegetables.
Try using healthy filler ingredients to bulk up your meals, like lentils, chickpeas and beans.
“These are dirt cheap but also great for fillers in any sort of meat dish that you want to make go further,” says McKenna.
“For example, if you are using ground beef, try adding some mashed, cooked green lentils to it. It will help keep you fuller for longer and make more portions. Think
“Brainstorm as a family to create a list of favourite go-to meals, side dishes and entrees. Then, determine which days you will have time to cook and which days you will need leftovers or something super-quick.”
Victoria Power
dietitian
From B1
shepherd’s pie, pasta sauce and meatballs.”
WHAT ABOUT MEAT?
As meat can be expensive, Power suggests trying other protein options, like dried or canned beans, lentils, eggs, skim milk powder and canned seafood and meat.
Another cost-effective measure is to take one meal and turn it into several others. Ewing suggests cooking larger portions of meals.
Prepping rice for supper with stir fry? Double up the rice to throw into burrito bowls or a chicken casserole.
Making penne pasta with sauce for dinner? Cook up the whole box to turn into a side Greek pasta salad.
Cooking ground meat or lentils for taco Tuesday? Make a bigger batch and remove half the cooked meat before adding spices and sauce at the end. Use the extra meat for a fast spaghetti sauce or chili, suggests Ewing.
Moore also suggests cooking a whole chicken, then using the bones to make a stock for soup, as well as saving vegetable scraps for the same reason.
COOKING FROM SCRATCH
With added time at home, McKenna has noticed more people wanting to learn to cook from scratch, while others find it harder with everyone home from school and work.
Ewing advises people not to put too much pressure on themselves.
“Just because someone posts about their amazing fromscratch meals on social media, do not feel pressured to do this, too, if cooking is not what you enjoy,” she says. “No one should ever feel badly for relying on convenience items when life gets busy or not putting together photo-worthy meals day after day.”
Instead, Power recommends starting small and choosing easy-to-follow recipes you’re comfortable with, while McKenna suggests asking family and friends for tried and true recipes.
Moore also suggests substituting regular ingredients to increase nutritional value. Try baking with whole grain flours and using maple syrup or honey instead of sugar.
“We can build our immune systems by cooking from scratch, eating more vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables and fruit, and avoiding processed foods,” says Moore.
Overall, Ewing says to enjoy the extra time and, if possible, get kids involved in meal planning and preparation.
“This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, try new things and spend quality time together,” she says.