National Nutrition Month: Save Time & Money at the Grocery Store

There is more variety on today’s grocery store shelves than ever before. With so many choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

Make shopping easier by following these guidelines:

• Don't shop when you’re hungry. You’re more likely to make impulse purchases on less nutritious items that cost more.
• Make and stick to a shopping list. If you keep a running list at home of items that need to be replaced, you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything.
• Organize your list into sections according to the layout of the supermarket. This cuts down on time and the number of passes you need to make through the aisles.
• Check for supermarket specials printed in the newspaper or online and plan your shopping trip around what is on sale.

If you are a single-person household, maximize your food dollars at the grocery store:

• Buy frozen vegetables and fruit in bags so you can take out what you need and freeze the rest.
• Look for foods sold in single servings such as juice, yogurt, frozen meals, soup and pudding.
• Shop from bulk bins so you can buy smaller amounts.
• Ask the butcher or produce manager for a smaller amount of prepackaged items.
• Buy produce that keeps longer in the refrigerator such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and carrots.
• Buy small loaves of bread or wrap and freeze bread you won’t use right away.