Grocery store dysfunction

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24

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  • aliciamariaq
    aliciamariaq Posts: 272 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Plan meals. Make a grocery list. Eat food you like.
    Log food you eat. Stick to your calorie goal.

    ^^This 100%
    If you plan ahead, make a list, stick to your list that should help you stay on track.
    Oh and definitely avoid going shopping when you are hungry. I always end up buying stuff I shouldn't when I go to the grocery store hungry.
  • 12Sarah2015
    12Sarah2015 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Find a good cookbook of recipes you like and then shop to make those foods
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    pebble4321 wrote: »
    .Then I look in the panty and freezer and make a shopping list...

    Well, that's one place to keep the grocery money.

    Hehehehe, nice catch. I'm giving away all my secrets!
    Um... I look in the pantRy.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    What's all this about "perimeter" and "centre aisles"? Do American supermarkets have standardised aisle layouts or something? They're all different here.

    Officially, no, but I'd say 99% of markets I've seen will have produce, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats around the outside walls and canned and boxed goods in the center. So in other words, most American markets have fresh foods on the outside perimeter and processed foods in the middle.

    They have non-perishable foods in the center is how I would put it. Cut or ground meat, lunchmeats, yogurt, cheeses are as processed as things like canned vegetables, dried beans, rice, flour or spices which are in the center of stores.
    Most grocery stores do have things arranged in a similar way even if sometimes the order is flipped. The perimeter is where the perishable foods are located.
  • sallygroundhog
    sallygroundhog Posts: 133 Member
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    If you aren't following any of those plans now, none of that matters. Buy enough protein and veggies (ones you like), bread, condiments, and cereal if you eat them, and maybe some kind of treat, then go home, log onto MFP and start playing food tetris.

    "Food Tetris" Well said!
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    Calliope610 wrote: »
    My standard grocery list:

    baby spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots for salads, fresh produce/fruit when in season and cheap
    boneless, skinless chicken breasts - bulk package, turkey breast deli lunch meat, occasional lean ground beef
    whole milk, full fat cottage cheese, greek yogurt, havarti and/or muenster cheese slices, flavored coffee creamer, real butter, eggs
    lo-carb tortilla wraps, pasta, couscous
    unsweetened applesauce, canned black beans, chick peas
    frozen broccoli, cauliflower, other veggies, frozen blueberries
    diet Coke, zero calorie flavored sparkling waters, Crystal light, etc
    occasionally some ice cream or cheese cake


    ETA: hummus, I can't believe I forgot the hummus


    Good list. I could totally eat at your house. Just need popcorn and some chocolate IMO.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    sallygroundhog wrote: »
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    If you aren't following any of those plans now, none of that matters. Buy enough protein and veggies (ones you like), bread, condiments, and cereal if you eat them, and maybe some kind of treat, then go home, log onto MFP and start playing food tetris.

    "Food Tetris" Well said!

    I learned it from someone on here, but I can't remember who. :(
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    What's all this about "perimeter" and "centre aisles"? Do American supermarkets have standardised aisle layouts or something? They're all different here.

    Kinda yeah. And as someone else said, separating it into perishable/non-perishable is a better way of putting it. The perimeters have all the fridges for the dairy and proteins and produce. The inner aisles have all the non perishables and household products. But where everything goes other than that isn't standard.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    That's weird about the supermarket aisles, ours are not arranged like that at all. Fresh fruit and veg usually has a big open area somewhere, but apart from that things can be anywhere. Fridges and freezers are as likely to be in the middle as the edges. The bakery, deli etc are usually at the edge as they need access to the back shop, but otherwise there are no rules.
  • akf2000
    akf2000 Posts: 278 Member
    edited June 2016
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    If you aren't following any of those plans now, none of that matters. Buy enough protein and veggies (ones you like), bread, condiments, and cereal if you eat them, and maybe some kind of treat, then go home, log onto MFP and start playing food tetris.

    sorry but 'food tetris' wins the message board! I do this too, shuffling things around to hit macros/cals.

    I can see MFP in the distant future adding suggestions or a Food Wizard to help us plug holes.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    There's no need to worry about silly things like shopping the perimeter, as there are things that are fine to buy throughout the store (and my store has the bakery and soda on the perimeter, among other things, so what that means depends on the store).

    I'd say just have a plan before you go. Make a list if that helps. I always go into the store planning to buy specific things (or for fruit and veg, maybe whatever looks best or catches my fancy) and don't even look at anything else. I pride myself on being a super efficient shopper. From your first post it sounds more like the issue is not knowing what you want to buy, so thinking through what you want to cook and have on hand for snacks (if you snack) is the first step.
  • akf2000
    akf2000 Posts: 278 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I use online grocery shopping which is brilliant as I can add to it through the week, from my phone or laptop, all nutritional info is right there on the product page, no need to peer at the label in-store. No loss-leaders and stacks of chocolates by the checkouts where they have you captive! It's so conducive to healthy living (apart from losing the exercise lugging the bags to the car).
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2016
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    That's weird about the supermarket aisles, ours are not arranged like that at all. Fresh fruit and veg usually has a big open area somewhere, but apart from that things can be anywhere. Fridges and freezers are as likely to be in the middle as the edges. The bakery, deli etc are usually at the edge as they need access to the back shop, but otherwise there are no rules.

    Yeah -- the refrigerator in mine is on the side, as is the bakery and deli and meat and cheese area and soda and a bunch of misc pharmacy things since it's a pharmacy too. Fruit and veg (and tubers) are in a big open area that's kind of in the middle. The frozen section (including both ice cream, frozen meals and pizza, but also lots and lots of frozen vegetables) are in the middle. Canned goods, including canned tomatoes (which I use a lot when tomatoes are not in season) are in the middle. Whole grains and dried things are in the middle. I really hate this idea that you should avoid the middle -- among other things, it assumes people can't come into a store with a plan or use their own good sense and logic to decide what they want to buy. Ugh!

    I mostly buy meat elsewhere (farm or meat market or fish shop) and get vegetables and fruit from a CSA or green market when they are in season, so when I run into the grocery store I look to see if there are any fruits and veg I want to bulk up my supply with and then go to the middle to get things like oatmeal and pasta and pepperoncini and canned tomatoes and maybe some ice cream. Guess I don't shop right! ;-)
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    I second the point about getting some recipes that you like and cooking to those. I always have a list based on what I am preparing for dinners that week, and whats on sale from the recent flyers (they come out on Thursday - today!) I only concern myself with dinners as I use leftovers for my lunches, which I take to work 99% of the time. Unless our son visits and grazes the fridge, then I have to rethink my strategy!! Lots of chicken breasts and thighs, extra lean ground beef, pork tenderloin; lots of veggies - I always have mushrooms, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and either broccoli or cauliflower on hand as they are so versatile. I have learned what snacks I enjoy and that I can fit into my calorie budget, and I only buy those, like no sugar added jello puddings, rice krispie treats, special k cracker chips - without those little perks, I know I would have caved in to cravings months ago, and not been as successful in this weight loss adventure as I have been. People are now asking me how I lost so much weight (over 80lbs), and I have no trouble saying that I stopped eating too much. The look on their faces is priceless. Oh, I guess that went a little off topic.....................

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