Shopping Better to Eat Healthier

By More Food

Nowadays, knowing how to spend your time shopping for the right products at the grocery store can be just as challenging as cooking multiple meals every week for your family. The key to maintaining healthy habits in the kitchen is to set a plan and be knowledgeable on the best foods and sales to not only help your diet, but also your bank account.

Today, we are going over tips from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) on how to prepare for your next grocery shopping trips so you can take the most out of your time as well as your SNAP/FNS benefits or budget.

Planning Ahead

  • Make sure to know exactly how much money you have to spend on food, including how much you have on your EBT card.
  • Take count of the food you already have at home and plan to eat it first.
  • Create a shopping list considering your budget. You can often check for prices of products on the website of your local grocery store.
  • Only buy the food that you can eat before it spoils. Remember that frozen, canned, or shelf-stable foods that will last longer than perishable items.
  • If you plan to buy bulk or large packages of food, be sure to include time in your shopping schedule to divide, package, and freeze foods.

Before Shopping

  • Plan your daily meals for the week, including snacks. This helps you choose your items more carefully and helps you keep track of leftovers.
  • Look online for coupons, sales, and store specials. Make sure these deals give you the best value for your money.
  • Sign up for store discount cards or bonus cards at your store if they are available and if you are comfortable providing any information that might be requested (e.g. driver’s license number).

During Shopping

  • Never shop while hungry. Make sure you eat before heading out so you can more easily stick to your shopping list.
  • Try store brands as they are usually the same quality but cost less.
  • Compare products to find out the best deal.
  • But the freshest item possible by checking the “use by” and “sell by” dates.

After Shopping

  • As soon as you come back home, store your fresh food in the freezer or refrigerator right away.
  • When buying a large amount of fresh food (such as meat, poultry, or fish), divide it into smaller, portion sizes and freeze them. Be sure to label foods with purchase date.
  • Always use food with the earliest expiration date first.

Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/snap/EatRightWhenMoney’sTight.pdf

For questions about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or to receive SNAP Application Assistance contact the More In My Basket staff:

Visit: morefood.org

English Toll Free: 1-855-240-1451

Spanish Toll Free: 1-888-382-7105

Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash