Right now, I'm busy doing a lot of things.....aren't we all right? But one of the things I AM working on is creating a budget-friendly, healthy menu for a month. When I googled "how much should a family of 3 spend on food for one month" and similar search phrases I got everything from "I don't have to worry about that 'cause I'm on welfare" to "My husband and I cut back to $400 a month for the two of us". Soooooo obviously, it's just a lot of opinion.
MSNBC reports that you should spend 15-20% of your overall monthly spending on Food- groceries and restaurant. Just food for thought. (don't worry, I won't charge ya for that one)
Speaking of Grocery-store spending, my friend let me borrow her New2010 edition of Eat This, Not That. I'll have to say, that I've plowed through this book faster than I used to a bowl of ice cream with sprinkles! Chapter 4: entitled Eat This, Not That! At The Supermarket, gives some helpful advise.
#1. Stay away from the soft, creamy center....of the supermarket that is- "the healthy stuff like dairy, produce, meat, and seafood is usually located around the edges, the interior of the supermarket is almost always packed with highly processed foods made with corn and soy and the 3,000 or more additives manufacturers use to make things that are edible but aren't actually food."
#2. Avert your eyes!... eye level (well, for the average person) around 5 feet is where the store packs it's high processed, high caloric, high priced foods.
#3. Get back to the Earth...You choose: apple, chicken and a potato VS a jar of applesauce, a bag of chicken nuggets, and some chips. :)
#4. Eat more food, eat fewer ingredients...The fewer ingredients on the label, the better something typically is for you. They give the example of applesauce. Yes, apples turn into applesauce, but "they can often double their caloric load because of hte addition of high-fructose corn syrup."
#5. Watch Who's on First...Nutrition labels you're looking for 2 things. "The first is the order of ingredients- labels by law must list them in order of volume. So if the number one ingredient is, say, "spinach," that's good. If it's "sugar" or "high-fructose corn syrup" or "canary droppings," that's probably bad. The second thing to look at is the servings per container." If it's 2 per box, but you know you'll eat the whole thing, then 200 calories becomes 400 pretty quick.
#6. Eliminate the Drive-by...Quick trip to the store = 54% more purchased than planned. Bring a list, and a pen (and might I add, a calculator.)
NOW, LET'S GO SHOPPING!!
3 comments:
OMG.. almost all of the above check points I don't do.. I didn't know that grocery stores are doing those tactics to sell more. It was really informative. Strangely, I do right oppsite of #6. If I plan to buy more than five things, I usually decide to give up one or two of them because of money or changing my mind(I suddenly feel that I can live without those things.)It is my first time to leave a comment here, but yours is really helpful and practical for me! Thanks~
Your blog is such a wonderful resource, i LOVE it! I hope you keep it up after the class : ) I have a toddler, and she is a picky eater, so I always welcome new healthy ideas! Like all your other posts, this one was brilliant. Looks like this book has a lot of great information.
Can't wait 'til your next post!
I really like how the first piece of advise is described like a pastry! A fattening one above all! That is awesome! It is totally true though, all the healthy stuff is around the outer part of the store, or on one side of the store.
Another idea that might work while shopping is to not get a cart. (I realize this idea may not work if a person buys a lot of food for a large family for the week but it might.) Get the small basket or simply carry the food in your arms and hands. This will do two things: 1. Make you think if you really need the food or just really want it. 2. It might help with some small exercises; you know, like isometrics; you will have to carry the items all around the store with you. It might work to if you shop with children to have the carry something that won't matter if it drops. But then you might have to make sure they don't just put it down somewhere. It might work though if the kids are older.
Another thing that I can think of while going to the store is park far away from the door. I know sometimes when I go shopping, if the store has two entrances, I'll park on the non food side of the store. That way it forces you to walk more than you orginally would.
Destiny
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