When making your grocery list, or grocery shopping, how do you make sure you stick to healthy(er) food items? I'm REALLY bad at this, if something like chips or cookies sounds good, I get it and then by the time I make it to the produce section I'm close to my budget. I don't want to give up treats entirely, but I want to put priority to healthier options. Any tips when cravings tend to take over? Also, healthy food is so pricey, so grabbing for other items that are cheaper tends to win me over as well.
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I "when I plan" try to shop for meal items first!
Then go for the snacks or what we can afford to not purchase if budget is offBut who am I kidding I do this like once a year.....lol
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I make a list and try to stick to it. We always shop produce first, although I don't keep track of my spending as I go through the store. Maybe let yourself choose one treat item?
Generally I tell myself "if I'm buying a couple bottles of wine I shouldn't buy ice cream or chips." -
I guess we don't buy a lot of snack food. We do keep crackers in the house. for snacks we do fruit, nuts (which we have on hand for cooking), maybe popcorn, cheese, hummus with veggies
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I shop online for my groceries, and it has been amazing for keeping me on the right track as far as making healthy choices. If I don't see the treats in front of me, then I'm not very likely to purchase them. Our local grocery store has a deal for $5 a time or $95 a year where you can have unlimited online shopping. You just browse their inventory online, add items to your cart and then you pick it up curbside at the grocery store. I don't even have to step inside! So not only am I not buying things I shouldn't, I am saving time too!
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Same as @Silva: make the list based on your specific recipes (Pinterest saves me!) and start in the produce section. We also sign up for a local CSA so there are always veggies in the house. It forces us to meal plan and try healthy new recipes.
I also make sure I have my one thing in the house to indulge our sweet tooth! I have no guilt about ice cream
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I make a very detailed list before going to the store and I stick to it. I don't go down an aisle unless I need something, in fact I really try to avoid most of the middle aisles. I know my store layout really well so if I do need to go down a snack filled aisle I walk directly to what I have on the list and just don't look at the rest.
Also, this always sounds like a cliche thing but I don't go shopping when I'm hungry. If I am hungry every single thing tempts me.
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@YogiRunner: I have a giant Costco bag of chocolate chips
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@catgirl: yeah- this. I don't go down an aisle unless I have to and I can skip most of the aisles.
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I shop once a week and I always start at the produce section. I also think of how I want the proportions of my cart to look at the end. For example, I want it to be 1/3 produce, 1/3 protein, and the rest divided between grains, dairy and snacks. It works for us!
The snacks would be cereal bars, blue corn chips or popcorn. Very minimal sugar if at all. Someone is always giving us something sweet as a gift so we are not totally deprived. -
I make a list on my phone before I go to the store and stick to it. I don't even go down the chip/cookie/soda aisles so I'm not tempted. You could also do online ordering/grocery pickup if that's available near you.
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@YogiRunner: @Silva: I do make a list for my meal items but it's all the other snacky stuff that gets in the way! End cap of some delicious display of something, smell of donuts, whatever it may be. I'm just a terrible eater and when I should be selecting fruit to snack on, I just don't.
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I don't go to the store hungry! Then I start in the produce section.
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I try to meal plan for the week before I shop so I have a list of exactly what I need. When I do this I spend less and buy less extras or junk.
I also shop the produce section first, mostly because it is the first department in the store I shop. I do like to go up all the aisles even when I don't need something. I like to see if there are any deals on items we use a lot of. If I really planned I would just look at the flyer before I went.
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@Bao: if I don't have it in the house I will rarely go get it now that that means bringing two kids to the store with me. So think of it this way: you only have to make the healthy choice while you are at the store! If it's not in the house you won't eat it!
What if you ate an apple or sipped a coffee or something while you grocery shopped? -
Like others have said, I write a detailed list and start out in the produce section. We load up on produce for cooking and snacking, which helps keep me from being too tempted elsewhere. I just avoid the snack aisles.
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@Silva: haaa delish, that bag might last two days in my house. I'm actually about to fish out the chocolate chips from the "healthy" trail mix I made. It's fine.
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@Silva: yeah I think like @Boogs: said I need to not go hungry. As I'm sitting here starving bc I have nothing to snack on
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@YogiRunner: stupid nuts and raisins getting in the way.
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I always go shopping with a tasty beverage - could be ice water, could be a coffee or pop, but something to sip on.
I also make a list and do my fresh shopping first, then get dry (aisle) stuff, then frozen. Then I tryyyyy to limit a treat to one thing. Either it's going to be one package of something or a tub of ice cream for the week that DH and I are going to share or it's going to be a small individual thing like a candy bar or a donut to eat that night.
I try to keep easy snacks at home that are cheap and healthy - popcorn in the air popper is always a winner as long as I remember to keep corn in the house - and lots of fruit. So when we get the snackies at night we can eat that. Or there's some Halloween or holiday candy we jacked from DS1.
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I have literally cut my grocery budget by like $40 a week by shopping online. I am buying our "usual" snacks and dinner items and that's it. I find it way easier to manage my spending doing it this way. I also just don't walk down those aisles if I'm in the physical store and the most common tip, make sure you're not hungry! Produce is extremely important to me though so I'm more likely to put a snack time back than skip buying a produce item. But what do I know, I tend to want to take grocery budget lessons from you!
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This is why i can't shop at trader joes. i always end up with lots of stuff i dont really need and spend too much $$.
I do most of my shopping online or at costco. I know exactly what i buy where and when. it's super boring. but when i buy other stuff it sits around for ages.
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I make a list and stick to it. I start in produce, then go to meat, then dairy. I buy DH and I one treat per week (for health and budget). Sometimes it's chips, sometimes cookies, etc. Once it's gone it's gone. We aren't big snackers but we both have a sweet tooth!
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I always get basics to have on hand- greens, apples, carrots, oranges, frozen blueberries, bananas, frozen green beans, frozen peas and veggies and mangos etc., sweet potatoes, onion, garlic. I consider these necessities, at my top priority. Anyway, I believe in indulging, but I treat myself to the "honor" of fresh things- if that makes sense.
Extra fruits and veggies I consider luxuries every once in awhile, eat more fresh in summer from local markets.
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@Greentea: those are or necessities too! And with all that produce, who needs a packaged snack when you can grab a banana and blueberries?
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We don't buy junk, we seldom shop for cookies and such. Prior to going to the grocery store I came up with a list of recipes that I will cook that week. I have an app on my phone that I can quickly select the recipes and it generates a shopping list for you. I browse through all the recipes I see, and mentally I know which one is healthy and which one isn't, and I save the ones that are healthy. Whenever I see a recipe that ask for a lot of butter, sugar, fat and such, I just skip them. If it were generally an OK recipe and it asks for a tablespoon of butter, i will substitute it with a tbs of coconut oil...etc. If I want cookies, I make them and I find healthy recipes for it.... but we seldom make cookies, mostly muffins and pancakes. My mind is now really trained as to what we want to eat (meat and fish, asparagus, kale, broccoli, green beans, nuts, fruits, ..etc.) and what we do not want to eat, so there is really no impulses on buying junk.
Before kids we used to buy a ton of junk, soda and instant noodles. So I am thankful that I am able to mentally switch like that. It is a lifestyle that you have to change yourself and embrace it. Now our grocery cart often fills with a ton of protein (eggs,meat and fish), and a ton of vegetables and fruits. My unhealthy cravings from my past life is replaced by fruits.
Some things come to my mind.... try shopping at a farmers market for a change? Sometimes it is the environment that inspires you to cook healthy. Farmers' market provides 30 times more healthy food choices compared to a regular grocery store, and they are usually very cheap too. Also, have you tried a delivery service like "Plated" or "Sun basket"? I always saw their ads on FB and it looks so tempting. All healthy stuff and you won't impulse buy cookies
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For me, snacks becomes a discipline issue because my kid will be trying to get it from me all the time. Snacks and juice have become no nos at my house because I feel like if I bring it in, I have to find a way to dole it out, and that is too frustrating for me to deal with, so I just don't buy it. Our main indulgence is going out for treats: ice cream, bakery, etc. That's where we get ourselves into trouble...
Maybe find a substitute you really, really like but that is healthier, and restrict yourself to that? For example, a nice bar of chocolate, or some really yummy cashews, etc?
We've basically transitioned to mostly buying organic, etc., but it took time and I ended up sort of changing the way I buy things. For example, I was the type of person who would make bacon-wrapped chicken for dinner. But I can't afford bacon AND chicken at the same meal. In fact, now that I buy mostly organic, I can't even afford meat at every meal. So now I have the rule that there can only be one form of meat at a meal (you'd think this is a no-brainer but think about the times you might make vegetable beef soup and serve it with a turkey sandwich, etc.). And then we even try to eat more eggs, nut butter, stir fried tofu, or beans. Also the kids eat more oatmeal because yogurt is expensive. It took time and a progressive approach to get to that point, though. My family had to adapt.
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@Bao: I usually go hungry, but try so hard not to get stuff because after bedtime I like to snack. So, if I don't have it I can't eat it lol.
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100% of treats get made at home. So if I want cookies I have to make cookies. Or if I want cake I have to make it. Or if I want cheesy crackers I make them. One exception is ice cream. But I do make yogurt pops at home in the summer.
I also consider expensive fruits to be a sometimes luxury (like grapes and berries).
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I rarely buy really junky food (but do buy snacks like rice cakes, dried fruit, etc) and avoid the aisle if I don't need anything in it. I have tried to do meal planing but I'm just not good at it. Instead, I look in the fridge before going to pick up the kids and decide if I need anything. I go to the grocery store nearly every day (small fridge, tiny kitchen), so I usually just buy 24 hours worth of food. It helps cut down on waste.
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@Boogs: omg this! Do not EVER go to the store hungry. I often pack a bunch of snacks for DD and I and we graze in the car on the way over and while we shop. I'm way less likely to put junky foods in the cart if I'm full or actively eating.
I also like to price out my list at home before I even step foot in the store. I meal plan based on sales, check my freezer and pantry, then make a list. I write an approximate price next to every item so I will have a general idea of what I'm gonna spend. I tend to budget for one or two treats a week (typically a salty snack to go with sandwiches for lunch and I will often make a dessert with whatever I have laying around).
When I get to the store, I shop the perimeter first (produce, meat, frozen, bakery) and then go into the middle aisles. I don't go down aisles when I don't need anything. Blinders on- don't look at the yummy displays!
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@gingerbebe: LOL! I am also a holiday candy thief. We keep anything DD gets in the freezer and she forgets about it. I'm supposedly saving it as a treat for her but often it's a treat for DH or me.
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I start in meat/deli move on to produce and then dairy and then I wind my way through the middle of the store. I try to stick to a list based on recipes I hope to make for the week. I do buy a sweet treat, my husband and I enjoy dessert at night, but often its something I have to make instead of prepackaged stuff. My grocery store has an app that tells me where in the store things are, so I don't need to aimlessly wander the aisles.
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When you say healthy items are more expensive, what are you referring to? Like organic snacks?
I typically only shop around the perimeter of the grocery store unless i need specific things like peanut butter, jam, or coffee. I'll sometimes wistfully look at the box of oreos but know that they will be demolished by yours truly within 1 day and that causes me to keep walking.
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@Freckles: we don't buy organic, but berries for example are so much more expensive than a bag of cookies.
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What about buying snacks online, maybe that would help you to be able to know you have something and not impulse buy?
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@Silva: Those chocolate chips from costco are my MAJOR weakness.
We try to keep "cheap" fruit always on hand for the kids. Bananas, apples, clementines and canned fruit. From there we supplement with only whats in season.
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@Bao: Ohhh yeah, i get that. But you definitely don't have to buy organic in order to be healthy! Unfortunately, DD is so picky with fruits that we end up buying strawberries in the middle of winter...which are so expensive, but we figure it's better than her getting scurvy.
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@Freckles: I don't think I've ever bought an organic produce item in my life lol, it's definitely not important to me. But for example regular berries can be $4-$5 a container! That's insane to me.
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@Bao: It also sounds like maybe taking a good look at your diet (not just meal plan but also snacks and all foods in general) would be good. What are things you could sub for snacks that are healthy? Have a plan before you go to the store. I feel like with kids snacks are a necessity but yes, berries and such are expensive! Do you do those little single servings cups of snack fruits? They go B1G1 at our store with 100% juice. We make our own apple sauce pouches or give kids bowls of apple sauce as a snack. Pretzels and PB are a good snack. Raisins mixed with a few craisins
Another option I've heard about is to go ahead and put it all in your buggy but have them ring it up as two transactions. All of the necessities first and then all the special treats/snacks second. If nothing else it makes you realize how much your spending on snacks.
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