What's on the perimeter in your grocery store?

diannethegeek

This subject pops up every now and again when someone suggests "shopping only the perimeter" of your grocery store and I'm curious to know how it works for people around the world.

What could you eat shopping only the perimeter of your grocery store? What would you miss out on?

The perimeter of my regular grocery store:
floral department
raw veggies
"bulk foods" (nuts, snack mixes like trail mix or chocolate covered almonds, and some grains that are not pre-packaged, sold by weight so you can buy as much or as little as you need)
salad bar
eggs
cream cheese and cheese
milk (but not the fancier kinds -- they're in the next aisle)
coffee creamers
beer (in Kansas we can only buy alcohol that's 3.2% alcohol or less in grocery stores -- they make special weakened versions of many beers to sell here)
yogurt (but only the cheaper, more mainstream brands (yoplait, oikos, etc) the fancier brands are in the next aisle)
sour cream and refrigerated dips
butter and margarine
ready-made cookie dough and break & bake cookies
meat
lunch meat and bacon
other processed meats that need to be refrigerated
deli counter (includes deli meats and cheese, but also things like ready-made potato salad & coleslaw)
hummus
bakery, cakes, pies, breads of all kinds
beef jerky
nuts
makeup


Some of the staples of my diet I would miss out on:
canned tuna
canned beans
canned tomatoes
frozen fruits & veggies
dry beans
rice
coffee
protein bars
protein powder
peanut butter
Greek yogurt if I want Fage or any of the other fancier brands
oatmeal
almond milk
spices
olive oil
my multivitamin


Can I ask that we not debate whether or not "shop only the perimeter" is good advice or bad and just talk about cool food items around the world and grocery store layouts? I suppose no one looking for a debate will even get this far into my post, anyway.


edited because punctuation is hard.

queenliz99

Frozen foods, beer, milk, vegetables, meat, deli, cheese, and then bread. In the middle is the wine. Good thing I like beer.

ETA: staples I would miss out on would be: nuts, coffee, fruit, snacks, canned items and paper products.

DaddieCat

On the perimeter:

Produce
Frozen Food
Dairy
Packaged Meat
Butcher
Deli Counter
Alcohol
"Natural Living" also known as Health and Beauty
Candy Bars
Soda
Firewood
Magazines

Miss out on:

Anything packaged and not soap or vitamins or anything listed above.

*Edited because I can't spell, apparently.

minniemoo1972

The perimeter of ours.....Clothes, pharmacy, milk,bread,cakes,alcohol...

cwolfman13

doughnuts
bread/bagels and other baked goods
ice cream
frozen vegetables
eggs and dairy
fresh veg and fruit
The deli
meat, poultry, fish
more deli selections (bacon, hotdogs, cheese varieties, etc)
pickled goods
booze
bulk items like beans, rice, oats, etc
Coffee/tea selections

janejellyroll

My perimeter includes produce, bakery items, cheeses, pre-prepared foods/deli items, meats, dairy, juices, and frozen foods.

Some staples I would miss: tea, coffee, beans, pasta, oil/vinegar, nuts, spices, nuts/nut butters, hot sauces, oats, rice, flour, mustard, soy sauce, canned tomatoes, olives.

JeromeBarry1

This is the nearby Wal-Mart. Right side is deli, fruits and veg, meats, cheeses, and at the back are yogurts and dairy. Left side is school supplies, garden supplies, toys, sports, auto supplies, and at the back home supplies and paints.

zyxst

Perimeter (against the outer wall of the building) of my usual store:

- floral department
- bakery
- coffee beans (can grind own coffee)
- gluten-free frozen foods
- meat/seafood department
- dairy department (milk, cheese, margarine, cottage cheese)
- frozen foods (Lean Cuisine, Hungry Man, various potatoes, various frozen veggies, various frozen fruits, pies/pie crusts, bulk meats like chicken strips and meatballs, lasagna)
- ice cream
- gourmet dog/cat treats
- wood for fires/rock salt in winter
- bagged ice

I wouldn't starve, but I'd miss out on plenty of products not just for eating.

Gamliela

I would miss dairy, pasta, teas, herbs, fresh fruit and veg, cleaning supplies, nuts, vinegar.

So what I would get from shopping the perimeter is fresh fish, big dried salted cods, butcher fresh meats, fresh baked bread and pastries, wine, oils, and home supplies like dishes, towels etc.

Its different over here.

Gisel2015

diannethegeek wrote: »

This subject pops up every now and again when someone suggests "shopping only the perimeter" of your grocery store and I'm curious to know how it works for people around the world.

What could you eat shopping only the perimeter of your grocery store? What would you miss out on?

The perimeter of my regular grocery store:
floral department
raw veggies
"bulk foods" (nuts, snack mixes like trail mix or chocolate covered almonds, and some grains that are not pre-packaged, sold by weight so you can buy as much or as little as you need)
salad bar
eggs
cream cheese and cheese
milk (but not the fancier kinds -- they're in the next aisle)
coffee creamers
beer (in Kansas we can only buy alcohol that's 3.2% alcohol or less in grocery stores -- they make special weakened versions of many beers to sell here)
yogurt (but only the cheaper, more mainstream brands (yoplait, oikos, etc) the fancier brands are in the next aisle)
sour cream and refrigerated dips
butter and margarine
ready-made cookie dough and break & bake cookies
meat
lunch meat and bacon
other processed meats that need to be refrigerated
deli counter (includes deli meats and cheese, but also things like ready-made potato salad & coleslaw)
hummus
bakery, cakes, pies, breads of all kinds
beef jerky
nuts
makeup


Some of the staples of my diet I would miss out on:
canned tuna
canned beans
canned tomatoes
frozen fruits & veggies
dry beans
rice
coffee and tea
protein bars
protein powder
peanut butter
Greek yogurt if I want Fage or any of the other fancier brands
oatmeal
almond milk
spices
olive oil
my multivitamin


Can I ask that we not debate whether or not "shop only the perimeter" is good advice or bad and just talk about cool food items around the world and grocery store layouts? I suppose no one looking for a debate will even get this far into my post, anyway.


edited because punctuation is hard.

All the bolded items plus cleaning products, cereals (we don't eat much of it), pasta, ethnic foods, etc.

The fresh and frozen vegetables are in the perimeter so I should not have bolded them but I don't know how to -unbold Fage and all diary are located in the perimeter of the store.

I am respecting your wishes of no debating if shopping the perimeter is a good advice or not , but I really never understood that motto.

LaceyBirds

My store is similar to yours:

diannethegeek wrote: »

floral department
raw veggies and fruit
some salad dressings
vegetarian food
salad bar
eggs
cream cheese and cheese
milk and juices
coffee creamers
beer and wine, mixers for hard drinks
yogurt
sour cream and refrigerated dips and guacamole
butter and margarine
meat
lunch meat and bacon
other processed meats that need to be refrigerated
deli counter (includes deli meats and cheese, but also things like ready-made potato salad & coleslaw) and rotisserie chicken
bakery, cakes, pies, breads of all kinds
sushi
Buitoni pasta and sauces buitoni.com/Pasta-Products.aspx
Vitamins

Some of the staples of my diet I would miss out on:
canned tuna and salmon for me
canned beans
soups, I eat Amy's low-sodium soup often
condiments
more salad dressing, the kind I eat, like Ken's Lite
frozen fruits & veggies
canned/boxed fruit, like mandarin oranges, and drinks like V8, prune juice
coffee and tea
spices
olive oil and vinegars
nuts, seeds
Non-bakery bread, including Thomas' English Muffins
cereal - I eat Fiber One every day
ice cream, like Skinny Cow

_Waffle_

On the perimeter we have:

Prepared foods (Pizza, cooked meats, sandwiches, pasta, etc.
Deli (meats, cheese)
Vegetables and fruits
Fresh fish
Fresh meat
Packaged meats
Dairy
cheese
ready bake cookies
juice
Pharmacy stuff


What would I miss?
Beer, wine
Water,
baking
Cereal
bread
candy
condiments
glassware (Stuff in jars)
Greeting cards
pet supplies.

RachelElser

bread, raw fruits and veggies, meats, seafood, milk yogurt, cheeses, juice, and the deli bar! I would miss out on cereal, sauces, dressing, anything to bake with, tuna, rice, mashed potatoes mix and stuff to clean with. I usually toss some meat in the crock pot with a sauce/Italian dressing and then make up rice or mashed potatoes when I get home so this would not work for me.

jemhh

Starting at the door, going around the store counter-clockwise:

• seasonal items such as graham crackers, marshmallows, and Hershey bars (it's s'mores season)
• produce
• bakery breads/donuts/cakes
• deli items (meat, cheese, macaroni salad, etc.)
• meat
• paper plates and kitchen tools
• books and magazines
• pharmacy
• soaps and lotions
• state liquor store
• general alcohol (not sure what the difference is)
• lottery tickets.

williams969

Depts touching the walls of my store

Casino (I live in Las Vegas, gambling is everywhere, lol)
Toilets
Floral
Deli
Bakery (cakes/sweets; bread is on an interior aisle)
Produce
Meat
Dairy (milk/butter/eggs; cheese and yogurt interior aisle)
Snack cakes
Bottled water/big cases of soda pop
Pharmacy
Books/magazines
Bank
Customer service


Not a debate, but I do notice that some of the "traditionally" perimeter items are in the aisles of my local store: fresh bread, frozen veg, natural foods/bulk, half the meat and dairy, etc.

Seems confusing, but I think perhaps an attempt to get "perimeter" shoppers to traverse the entire store to get all their goods. Conversely true for "interior" shoppers. It's either clever marketing, or poor floor planning, lol.

CorneliusPhoton

The majority of my shopping cart is from the perimeter because we have so many food issues in our household, it's just safer and easier for me to buy individual meats and vegetables than anything that is pre-mixed.

My grocery store has a Starbucks counter in the perimeter, so I'd be able to get coffee! The store down the street has the freezer section on the perimeter, so if I alternate my shopping between the 2 stores I think I'd only be out of luck for...

cereal, oatmeal
rice, beans, baking needs
canned stuff

I am not counting anything that is not food, because "shopping the perimeter" discussions are usually in the context of things to eat. So I'd still be able to get my shampoo, toothpaste, and girlie items.

I'd definitely have to prepare and cook more. I wouldn't love it, but it's doable.

Francl27

Produce, deli, meat, fish, dairy section, frozen breakfast foods - I guess that last one throws things off a little bit LOL. That's Shop Rite.

Acme is produce, bakery, meat/fish/deli, refrigerated prepared food, dairy, then pharmacy. Wegmans is prepared food, fish, meat, deli, dairy, alcohol (lol).

cerise_noir

Fruits, veggies, some juices and dips, nuts, all dairy, ice cream, soda, chips and nuts, booze, candy, lunch meats, deli food, frozen foods, butter/margarine... It can vary from store to store.

Yeah, I've often wondered about how those 'shopping the perimeter' people do hygiene.

WinoGelato

So are we limited to only the true perimeter, the outer wall?

Let's see then, mine has:
Sale Items (usually things like Chef Boyardee, Kraft Mac n Cheese, Hamburger Helper, juice boxes, store brands)
Produce
Donuts
Cakes
Store Made Foods (dips, toasted ravioli, chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, coleslaw, rotisserie and fried chicken)
Deli Counter
Fish Counter
Meat Counter
Frozen Items like corn dogs, chicken nuggets, white castle sliders, but no frozen vegetables and fruits.
Velveeta Products and Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese in the big green can
Dairy including: Sour Cream, Butter, Margarine, Cream Cheese, Milk, Creamer, Cheese, Yogurt
Juices
Pudding and Jello
Pillsbury stuff like crescent rolls, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls
Break and Bake cookies
Pharmacy
Hair Product
Makeup
Magazines
Seasonal Items
Lottery Tickets

I would miss:
Bread & Bagels
Quinoa, Rice, Pasta, Tortillas
Canned Tomato Products/Sauces
Dried and Canned Beans
Canned Vegetables
Oats and Cereal
Protein Bars, Granola Bars, Poptarts
Beer, Wine, Alcohol
Frozen Meals, Frozen Veggies, Frozen Pizzas, Ice Cream
Chips and Crackers
Organic and Gluten Free Packaged Foods
Paper Products
Dog Food

b3achy

Perimeter:
Floral department
Dairy (milk, cheese, eggs, butter)
Lunch meats
Premade cookie mixes
Salad bar
Deli
Fresh meat
Packaged meat
Fresh seafood
Wine
Produce (fruits and veggies)
Ice cream
Bakery

Innards:
Canned veggies, fruits, meats
Fruit juices
Prepared foods - soups, cans and boxes (like Beef a Roni, Hamburger Helper, Noodle or Rice mixes)
Baking items (flour, sugar, spices, oils)
Ethnic foods (Mexican, Asian, Jewish, Middle Eastern)
Pastas, Rice, Dried beans
Beer
Snack foods (chips, popcorn, jerky, nuts)
Frozen foods
Breakfast items, coffee
Condiments and sauces
Candy, cookies, crackers
Household goods (TP, paper towels, baggies)
Detergents/cleaners
Cosmetics/Personal items
Pet food

grinning_chick

The bakery and a beer growler filling station, to name two. Oh, and all the wine. And the discount bins of everything pulled from the center aisles.

The whole "eat the perimeter" is bunk and lazy. Also pretty sure it was initially coined for the low carb crew as that's the first time I ever encountered the mantra. Maybe back in 2003 when I started my very first diet – err, I mean WOE – (Atkins NDR 2002) only meat, dairy case, vegetables, fruit, and the frozen food reefers were to be found along the perimeter of grocery stores. Not anymore. Plus then we enter the whole moralizing food debate of what's in the center aisles is "bad" for you/people.

lemurcat12

I figured this out for the other thread: In my mainstream grocery (also a pharmacy) there's now a section in the middle that you see when you come in for fruits and veg (it's a lovely section, but not on the perimeter). So the ridiculous advice about the perimeter gets you (going clockwise): donuts and other pastries, breads, deli meats and prepared salads, better cheeses, dips, and party platters, fish counter, meat, pop, dairy and eggs and pasta that need to be kept cold (like various sorts of ravioli), some cookie dough and yogurt of all sorts, tofu and soy-based products that need to be chilled, misc seasonal stuff, various pharmacy things, magazines. Oh, and there are some stacks of wine on the perimeter sometimes, although the liquor section is upstairs (everything kept chilled, mainly beer, some wine) is on the perimeter up there.

What I'd miss out on: fruits and veg, frozen fruits and veg (in winter), dried pasta, oatmeal, canned tomatoes and beans, dried beans, ice cream, paper products, detergent/cleaners, pepperoncini and giardinera, pickles, various condiments, vinegar, spices, stuff like that, quinoa, barley.

pebble4321

Fancy bakery items - cakes, biscuits (cookies), sourdough bread
Refrigerated prepared meals
Deli section - sliced cheese, processed meat, fresh chicken and fish, a few prepared things like chicken skewers, schnitzels, Kiev etc
Frozen seafood
Fresh beef, lamb, pork, chicken
Frozen desserts and meals
Barbecue gear - charcoal, utensils etc
Cleaning equipment
Toilet paper
Seasonal section - currently blankets, cushions etc as its winter with no special occasions coming up.

I'd miss:
Fruit, veg, eggs, grainy bread, oatmeal, lentils, milk, yoghurt, butter, frozen and canned veg, coffee, spices .... ie, things which make up the majority of my shopping list most weeks.

There's no booze in our supermarkets, so that doesn't enter into the equation, you still have to go to the bottlo for that.

xvolution

At our local Kroger:

Fresh vegetables/fruits
Bread
Seafood
Meats [beef/chicken/pork/lamb]
Luncheon meats
Breakfast meats [sausage/bacon]
Cheese/Cream Cheese
Yogurt
Canned biscuits
Butter/Margarine
Sour Cream/Cottage Cheese
Milk
Juices
Breakfast Items
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

upoffthemat

Yep there is a lot of goodness in the interior of my grocery store. All the organic stuff, bulk items (rice, quinoa, pasta) Dog food, oils, spices, tea, frozen vegetables, any canned goods.

There is actually a lot of rather diet dangerous items on the perimeter as well, ice cream, tv dinners, pizza rolls, candy, energy drinks. So many things are said that just don't really make sense when you really think about them

chocolate_owl

Oh gosh ok. I shop in three places.

Kroger is pretty standard for American chain grocers:
Flowers
Sushi
Deli meat/cheese
Bakery
Produce
Fresh meat and seafood
Packaged meat
Juice
Dairy
Eggs
Ready-bake cookies
Pharmacy

Staples I would miss:
Tea
Rice
Beans
Pasta
Canned tomatoes
Canned artichokes
Crackers
Mustard
Pickles
Olives
Nuts
Canned tuna
Frozen shrimp
Frozen edamame
Soup
Asian sauces and pastes
Noodles
Wine
Beer
Ice cream

Sprouts is less standard, it has an open floor plan with produce and bulk foods in the center. Perimeter is:
Bakery
Sushi
Deli
Fresh meat and seafood
Frozen seafood
Leafy/refrigerated produce
Vegan
Frozen veggies
Dairy
Ice cream
Frozen dinners
Wine
Beer

Things I would miss:
Most everything from above except frozen shrimp, edamame, wine, beer, ice cream
60% of the fruits and veggies that I eat

Central Market saves me the headache by not having an accessible perimeter. It's like Ikea and winds you through the entire store. I think that means I can shop for ALL the foods!

swheeler0602

I shop at two different stores and here is what our perimeter foods look like:

Hy-Vee
Fresh produce
Bulk nuts/snack mixes
Deli meat counter and artisan cheeses
Fresh Bakery
Salad bar
precut fruit
raw seafood
raw meat
milk (almond and cows)
yogurt
eggs
some refrigerated cheeses
frozen vegetables
health section: gluten free/dairy free/organic

Fareway (much smaller store)
fresh produce
canned food
processed cheeses and meats
raw meat/seafood counter
dairy products (milk/yogurt)
all frozen foods

Some reasons for "perimeter shopping" is to help you avoid high carb foods and high processed foods (although there are still some in the perimeter). I don't believe you they want you to only shop the perimeter but to start with it and get as many products as possible so you are getting less processed foods. Then grab any other essentials (peanut butter/tuna/whatever is needed for you) in the aisles. But you also have to remember that not everything in the perimeter is good for you.

I see it as a well to help you start to make better decisions: I need green beans (grab fresh instead of canned) or I need fruit (grab a fresh peach in stead of sliced peaches in sugary syrup). This can be helpful for someone trying to look for new alternatives but doesn't know where to start.

nvmomketo

In a Canadian Superstore the perimeter (exclding their clothes and household items) has (for my LCHF diet):

Produce and refridgerated salad dressings
Meat, processed and deli meat
Frozen meat products and seafood
Dairy (whipped cream, cheese, butter, cream cheese)
Olives and pickles
Eggs
Dips (babganoush and artichoke and asiago dip)
Bulk nut bins

In the middle I would miss:

Salsa and taco seasoning
Seasoning and salt
Coffee
Protein powder
Canned coconut cream
Coconut oil
Mayo
Stevia
boullion
peanut butter
cocoa
And other items that my family would miss like rice, rice crackers and noodles, coconut flour, flax meal, chia ad hemp, Udi's bread, ketchup and other condiments... their list is a bit longer than mine.

PaulaWallaDingDong

To the left: ice cream, ice cream cakes, other frozen novelties, the bakery (fresh breads, cakes, pies, danish, bagels, donuts, etc). To the right: produce, deli and florist. To the back: meat, seafood, dairy, eggs.

diannethegeek

grinning_chick wrote: »

The bakery and a beer growler filling station, to name two. Oh, and all the wine. And the discount bins of everything pulled from the center aisles.

The whole "eat the perimeter" is bunk and lazy. Also pretty sure it was initially coined for the low carb crew as that's the first time I ever encountered the mantra. Maybe back in 2003 when I started my very first diet – err, I mean WOE – (Atkins NDR 2002) only meat, dairy case, vegetables, fruit, and the frozen food reefers were to be found along the perimeter of grocery stores. Not anymore. Plus then we enter the whole moralizing food debate of what's in the center aisles is "bad" for you/people.

I don't think you read to the end of my post. I'm far more interested in how grocery stores differ from place to place than yet another boring debate about this rule of thumb.

diannethegeek

WinoGelato wrote: »

So are we limited to only the true perimeter, the outer wall?

Let's see then, mine has:
Sale Items (usually things like Chef Boyardee, Kraft Mac n Cheese, Hamburger Helper, juice boxes, store brands)
Produce
Donuts
Cakes
Store Made Foods (dips, toasted ravioli, chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, coleslaw, rotisserie and fried chicken)
Deli Counter
Fish Counter
Meat Counter
Frozen Items like corn dogs, chicken nuggets, white castle sliders, but no frozen vegetables and fruits.
Velveeta Products and Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese in the big green can
Dairy including: Sour Cream, Butter, Margarine, Cream Cheese, Milk, Creamer, Cheese, Yogurt
Juices
Pudding and Jello
Pillsbury stuff like crescent rolls, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls
Break and Bake cookies
Pharmacy
Hair Product
Makeup
Magazines
Seasonal Items
Lottery Tickets

I would miss:
Bread & Bagels
Quinoa, Rice, Pasta, Tortillas
Canned Tomato Products/Sauces
Dried and Canned Beans
Canned Vegetables
Oats and Cereal
Protein Bars, Granola Bars, Poptarts
Beer, Wine, Alcohol
Frozen Meals, Frozen Veggies, Frozen Pizzas, Ice Cream
Chips and Crackers
Organic and Gluten Free Packaged Foods
Paper Products
Dog Food

If I kept my list to just the outer wall then scratch bread, nuts, jerky, hummus, any yogurt, butter, sour cream, the salad bar, and bulk foods. I used anything reachable while making a loop around the store without turning into any of the aisle for my list.