What's on the perimeter in your grocery store?

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    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
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    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
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    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
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
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    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
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    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
    swheeler0602 Posts: 110 Member
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    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
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    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
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited August 2016
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    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
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    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
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    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.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    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).

    In both my mainstream grocery and my WF the bakery stuff and the pre-made foods (i.e., lots of so called high processed and high carb foods) are on 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.

    Why pretend like people are dumb (not you, whoever made up this idiotic rule) and cannot figure out how to shop and what fits well into their version of a healthful diet (based on actual nutrition principles, as well as personal taste)? That's what I find annoying and insulting about this rule. Well, that and besides in bears no relationship to where things are actually located -- there are as many healthful staples (including fruits and veg) not on the perimeter as located there, at least in my store
    I see it as a well to help you start to make better decisions: I need green beans (grab fresh instead of canned)

    Neither are on the perimeter in my mainstream grocery, but let's say it's winter -- why on earth would "fresh" (out of season and carted in from far away) be a "better decision" than frozen veg? I am likely to buy the fake fresh anyway since I prefer cooking with them, but they are more expensive and NOT a better decision from a nutrition POV. That's why these kinds of rules bother me -- they aren't really about what's good from a nutrition perspective and they assume people are idiots.

    I really don't think anyone needs help understanding how to shop -- again, the idea is bizarre and insulting.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Produce, including refrigerated dressings, herb pastes, minced garlic
    Bakery (donuts, cakes, etc) including commercial bread & bagels
    Deli....this is partial (the salad bar and pizzaria is in the middle aisles).
    Meat (fresh, frozen & processed)
    Dairy, dips, eggs, refrigerated bisquits, bagels, etc
    Cards & flowers
    Alcohol
    Seasonal items (typically candy).
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Cereal, tea and coffee
    Bakery section
    Jams, spreads and condiments
    Chiller with salad and soft fruit (the rest of the fruit and veg is in the middle)
    Big chiller with all kinds of deli stuff, ready meals, sausages, bacon, haggis, hot dogs, cold meat and cheese (the other chillers for fresh raw meat and fish, and the freezers, are in the middle)
    Dairy section
    Eggs, flour, sugar
    Toilet rolls and kitchen towel
    Booze
    Fresh flowers and potted plants

    I'm in Scotland but I shop at a German discount supermarket. You have never seen so many different types of hot dogs.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    35dollars wrote: »
    Hmm. I'd be able to buy cameras, phones, pharmaceutical products, seasonal toys, clothing, bread, beer and pet food.

    Not a wildly nutritious selection, to be honest.

    Lots of inorganic fiber though! YeeHaw
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,123 Member
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    What is around my local stores' perimeters
    • Produce
    • Salad bar
    • For some stores, "health foods" (the all-natural, gluten free, organic, etc. stuff).
    • Hummus/cheeses
    • Floral
    • Fresh/frozen seafood
    • Fresh meat
    • Deli counter
    • Grab and go hot foods
    • Prepackaged lunch meat/more processed meat products (chicken sausages is a staple for me now)
    • Dairy
    • Eggs
    • Frozen foods (often ice cream)
    • Bakery

    What I would miss out on
    • Coffee
    • Sweetener
    • Chocolate
    • Low blood sugar treatment
    • Canned vegetables/beans
    • Protein bars (except in one store where it's located in the healthy foods section along the perimeter versus in the pharmacy area)
    • Peanut butter
    • Nuts/Seeds
    • Frozen fruit/vegetables
    • Frozen dinners
    • Salsa
    • Popcorn
    • Vitamins
    • Spices/sauces
    • Canned tuna
    • Olive oil
    • Vinegar
    • Diet pop
    • Gum
    • Shelf-stable almond milk (I typically get the refrigerated kind, but it's nice to have one shelf-stable container in the pantry)

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    At Meijer:
    Produce
    Deli/rotisserie chicken case
    Bakery
    Packaged lunch meats
    Seafood case
    Meat case
    Self serve meat case
    Butter and other things (cookie dough, refrigerated rolls, etc.)
    Milk, eggs, juice---yogurt, cheese on the opposite side of the aisle

    Plus if you continue past the juice, there's the pet department, toys, electronics, etc. You'd avoid the section I work in, actually.

    Kroger differs a bit, especially since it's a Marketplace:
    Produce
    Deli/olive bar
    Bakery
    Bread
    Meat/seafood cases
    Self service meat
    Lunchmeat
    Cheese
    Eggs, rolls
    Yogurt, butter
    Milk, juice
    Then you go around the corner and come up to the pharmacy.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    35dollars wrote: »
    Hmm. I'd be able to buy cameras, phones, pharmaceutical products, seasonal toys, clothing, bread, beer and pet food.

    Not a wildly nutritious selection, to be honest.

    Yeah, the pharmaceutical counter is on our perimeter, so all the prescription drugs plus Sudafed, oh, my!
  • Luna3828
    Luna3828 Posts: 21 Member
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    I go through all the aisles because I want to see what's out there and what's new. I do buy most of my items from the perimeter of the store but that's just me, it's a habit. Everything I buy is already listed above.
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
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    Only one in mind as I have many that I miss, but our local Sainsburys is Cafe, clothes, toys, electronics, meat counter, deli, bakery, jam and spreads, cereals, freezers (usually the puds), Spirits, read wine.

    Nearest (small, city centre) Waitrose is coffee dispenser, organic veg, pizza and fresh pasta, ready meals, cheese, butchery, fish counter, wine, bread, spreads, tea &coffee, biscuits, toiletries.

    I think I'd have to stick with Waitrose, under them rules!