When planning on the ideal shopping for family, it is necessary to ensure you get the best out of your shopping. Reading labels, inquiring to know the source of the foods you are buying and checking the expiry dates is a great way to do a family shopping. Taking the kids with you and having them help you with picking items also trains them on the whole aspect of shopping.
Food labels are a great way to learn how some foods are better for you than others.
Take a trip to the farmers market and choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are firm, ripe and unblemished.
Look for fruit packed in its own juices or light syrup.
Let the kids help put the fruit or vegetable into the grocery cart.
Teach them how fruits and vegetables give us clues on how ripe they are.
Take an outing to a local farmers market to teach kids about where their food comes from. See what fruits and vegetables are in season.
While shopping for food, check out the sell by dates to make sure they are current.
Take your children to the grocery store to help you shop for food. Have them choose one new fruit or vegetable to try each week.
Ask them “What is this banana telling us?” “Is it ready to eat yet?” “Should we pick that bunch?”
Select your cold foods last so they ll stay cold until you get home and prevent food illness.
Sourced From: http://www.nourishinteractive.com/healthy-tips/categories/1-kids-family-grocery-shopping-helpful-tips
Grocery shopping is an activity for every family. But good preparation is important for one to manage their shopping well. Having a shopping list, being flexible on a number of various products and knowing what to take and what to leave out on the shopping
Come prepared. Create your list ahead of time to help guide you as you shop and avoid purchasing less healthy items. Search for items that meet our nutritional requirements for a heart-healthy food.
Be flexible with the produce section. Look for produce that’s in season – TIP: You may be able to tell by looking at the price because food items in season are usually cheaper (and taste better too!) so does a little exploring before you start stocking your cart.
Don’t shop on an empty stomach – this can lead to impulsive purchases out of hunger.
When buying canned fish or lean meat, look for items packaged “in water” and not oil, and labeled no salt added or lower sodium (lean meats are those with less than 10g total fat per 100g serving of meat).
Buying canned or frozen fruits and veggies helps avoid food spoilage, which can waste money and food. When buying canned veggies, buy items that are labeled “sodium free” or “no salt added”. Buy frozen veggies without sauces, seasonings or salt. Before cooking or serving canned veggies, rinse them off to get rid of excess sodium. When buying canned fruits, look for items canned in “water ,” “100% pure fruit juice,” “natural juice,” or labeled as “no sugar added.” Buy frozen fruit without added syrups, sweeteners or sugar. Remember to look for these labels on canned goods too: “light,” “salt free,” “high fiber,” “made with lean meat,” “low sodium.” Get more tips on how to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Look for the grains. When buying grains and breads look for items that list “whole grain” in the ingredients instead of “enriched flour” or “multi-grain.”
Sourced From: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyKids/More-Grocery-Shopping-Tips_UCM_310810_Article.jsp#.V-N8YIh97IU
Frequenting that grocery store down the street can be tedious at times. Other times we are just too busy to go shopping all the time. This is where online grocery shopping comes in. This may sound complicated to those who have not tried it yet, but it is a better way to go. It is easier, convenient, and comfortable.
For those who haven’t tried it, let me regale you with reasons why I love online grocery shopping. The retailer I use, Safeway, has eliminated the need to keep a shopping list. Past orders are saved in their system, making it easy to add items to the cart from the order history page. I no longer wrack my brain trying to figure out what item I’m forgetting and I don’t randomly buy items to compensate for what I’ve forgotten.
I’ve found that it’s easier to identify and compare cost per unit online. I don’t have to be the jerk in the grocery store blocking products while struggling to do the math converting pounds to ounces. I can comparison shop and get a good deal in the comfort of my own home, which is also very nice for my sleep deprived mommy brain.
Items on sale are highlighted and categorized. I can browse the sales category and the “buy one, get one free” offers before I do anything else. I saved $26 on my $140 Safeway order this week between sales and a free shipping coupon, and I didn’t buy anything that I wouldn’t normally buy.
Sourced From: http://www.savings.com/blog/post/grocery-shopping-online.html
