Grocery Shopping

[poptart]

Ok, this is a dumb question, I know, but I have to ask. I am terrible, TERRIBLE at grocery shopping. I am tired of not having anything other than pasta ready to cook. So HOW do all of you shop efficiently? I want to be able to start cooking more, without having to go on a huge shopping spree every time I want to make a meal. Any suggestions, essentials to buy, how to make a good list?? I swear, I can do ANYTHING except grocery shop. It just makes no sense to me, and I always get the horrible urge to buy a couple of everything, just in case! I need assistance. Thanks in advance!

*M*

 

[jcrow]

haha. i''m not really good at it either, but i''ll throw in my strategy and hope to gain insight from others

i always have brocceli, frozen shrimp, pasta, olive oil, lemon juice, spegetti sauce, shreded cheese, corn. (i''m sure there are more)
basics to have on hand that can make a variety of things.


i try to have other veggies on hand too. squash, zuchinni. and cucumbers. onions, bellpeppers.
if i have fresh stuff, i tend to use it so that it doesn''t go bad. therefore i''m more likely to cook than eat out or eat frozen.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

I generally don't buy fresh veggies but I always keep potatoes, bell peppers and onions on hand.

Everything else I use frozen (broccoli, spinach, peas, corn on the cob) or canned(green beans, fruits, kidney beans, rotel with chillis)

I make Rissoto and paella dishs alot so always have rice, salsa and canned diced tomatoes as well as chicken and beef boullion for soups and casseroles.

I keep chicken breasts, pork chops, salmon filets, shrimp and ground beef in the freezer.

Fridge contains beer (haha) breakfast basics (eggs, milk sausage and bacon), variety of dressings, pre minced garlic, various cheeses.

I make Spagetti Bolognaise ALL THE TIME as it's bf's fav. I used to make from scratch but Prego traditional is equally as good and obviously I have three or four types of pasta.

Pantry staples include taco shells, flour, uncle bens chicken and wild rice, flour tortillas...


Not sure this helps but I cook random stuff all the time!

Good Luck.

 

[Julianna]

Do what my lovely mom does: plan your meals (at least dinners) a week in advance. It only takes a minute or five to sit down and say "what am i eating this week" and then pull the recipes and write down the ingredients that you know you don''t have. Then you come home with the whole week o'' food.

I''m not saying I do this personally, as I am more likely to walk in the store and make it up as I go along (mmm E L Fudge...mmm ice cream...mmm steak).

But that''s what mom does and she''s done it ever since I can remember. And she''s very...erm...frugal...so it should save you some cash as well.

 

[neatfreak]

I make sure that I always have a lot of easy dried grains in the closet: pasta, rice, couscous, falafel mix, quinoa, etc.

Then I buy fresh fruits and veggies that are good in a number of dishes, so they are super versatile: broccoli (or broccolini), peppers, garlic, onions, eggplant, etc.

I also buy a fair share of Trader Joes semi-prepared stuff, which helps a LOT during the week when we're busy.

My pantry is stocked with good quality herbs and spices. I also LOVE the herbs from TJ's that are in the freezer section in cubes. Fresh basil, cilantro, etc. are always at my disposal with those things.

I usually freeze the little bit of meat that I buy (FI is a vegetarian) and then defrost as necessary.

With these staples I can make a LOT of different things, and most of them are very quick. It also makes shopping easy because I always buy these same things, then supplement with whatever is in season, or whatever looks particularly good that week.



Honestly though? I often make the same dishes over and over, week after week, with a bit of variation. So it's easier to go shopping every week. FI is usually the creative cook (not always a good thing but the poor man tries hard!), and usually he will make a special run for the ingredients he needs if necessary.

 

[poptart]

jcrow: Thanks for your help. I am so bad when I do buy vegetables because I think, oh I''ll use it in a couple days. A week later... not used and not good anymore. I hate grocery shopping so much!! DH loves veggies though, so I should probably start buying them. I know my friend gets frozen ones and then uses them in stir fry. That seems to work, and only takes about 15 minutes to get ready.

iwannaprettyone: Thanks! You sound like a great cook! I can cook great meals... if I have a recipe, or DH''s inspiration, lol. Thanks for reminding me about breakfast stuff, I always forget to grab eggs and bacon, and then always have to have cereal...

Julianna: My mom did the same thing when I was young! I should probably try that, huh? I guess I could try that for a week and see how it goes. I''m a walk-in-throw-in-cart type of person, too. DH actually makes the shopping list, lol! How sad is that? I can live on my own but can''t feed myself, hahaha! Thanks for your suggestion

Neatfreak: Thanks for the advice! Having essentials is something I really need to do. And having them in a place I can access them. I hate having to climb all over the kitchen just to get food ready (I''m really short). I always end up standing on chairs or the counter in order to reach the potatoes. Now that you mention it, I think I''ve got some rice sitting somewhere... I do the meat freezing thing. Pretty good at that. What is falafel and quinoa? I have never heard of them.

*M*

 

[Mara]

poptart...haha i am like you in that i tend to get 'big eyes' about fresh foods and what we can actually consume before it goes rotten hehe. i have gotten pretty good at packing the freezer with items from TJ's as they have REALLY tasty frozen items...so i almost always have stuff in there, greg jokes we can live for about a month off what i have in the freezer and he is probably right. at any given point in time i have shepherd's pies, chicken pot pies, salmon stuffed with shrimp and dill, taquitos, enchiladas, a bag of TJ's fajitas with chicken and veggies, just ready to stir fry, veggies like sweet organic corn, mixed veggies, edamame, and then fruit like mango chunks, blueberries, raspberries. and then ice creams and various other 'dessert' items. oh and i always have a few LC's or something for work if i get desperate, and alexa baked fries are so tasty.

above and beyond the freezer, i swear by TJ's pre-packed fresh items for us during the week. we love their pre-made pizzas (healthy and yummy), rosemary chicken and rice, they have mixed egg salads, shredded bbq chicken breast, all types of salads, etc...i tend to mix and match for during the week...or sometimes i'll make us something and then use a pre-made TJ's salad or something. i always have salad fixins in the fridge, a pack of spinach, some cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, and balsamic vinaigrette make a tasty and healthy/packed with nutrients salad.

i tend to buy fresh fruits and veggies as well but only like one type of fresh veggie per week, like a pack of asparagus so that i am SURE we can eat it. i eat a lot of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries in smoothies and also in breakfast cereal. i eat a lot of yogurt as well where i can mix fruit into that as well. so anyway i tend to buy the stuff i know i will use on a daily or weekly basis and try to resist the urge to 'try' something else unless i know for sure we have a 'free night' we can eat it...OR it's frozen or a pantry item that i can store for a long period of time and won't go bad.

i already have a pantry full of spices and rices and various types of items like mac and cheese, pastas, sauces, etc so that if i ever want to make something from scratch, i just have to get a few fresh items and supplement the pantry items. anyway hope this helps!!

 

[elsie]

Good question -- we''re still trying to figure how to shop efficiently, too! Usually, DH makes a list of things we feel like cooking that week and calculates how many meals we''ll be able to get out of the recipes, then we write the ingredients down, I look through my coupons, and then we go. Our typical staples we keep are things like chicken broth and frozen items or soup mix that we can cook easily when we run out of fresh food. I also have a dry erase board that I write on whenever we run out of something, so it''s a quick thing to check it and add it to the list.

One good way to get in and out of the store quickly is to list your items in the order you''re going to find them in the store -- that way, you''ll be able to pick ''em up as you go and not have to circle back if you''ve missed something!

 

[monarch64]

I think if you stock your pantry first (dry goods, i.e. pastas, rice, canned goods, cereals, etc.), and do your freezer second (veggies, meats, frozen meals, and a tiny bit of junk), then you''re in good shape. Next you just have to get the fresh things (fruits, veggies, lunch meats, cheeses, dairy) and keep those stocked more frequently than the dry or frozen things you''ve already bought for the most part. Maybe also keep a journal of foods/meals you are eating each day for a couple weeks and make a list of necessities from that, along with some things you would like to add in? DH and I are always experimenting...he travels a lot and never has the same schedule week-to-week so it''s tough for me to "plan" meals, but I know what to have on hand in case he wants to have dinner at home. Likewise, he likes to go grocery shopping himself (somehow it is relaxing for him?--wish it was for me!), and he will return with all kinds of fun things, which is nice. We just kind of wing it and don''t really stick to a budget since it''s just the two of us and we maybe eat out once or twice a week.

 

[Miranda]

Ewwwww...I HATE grocery shopping!!!! Bleck!!!! I love cooking, but, NOT grocery shopping. As a stay at home mom it is in my job description, though, so I do it. Sometimes I plan the menu. Sometimes I just make sure there is enough meat, potatoes, rice, pasta, sauces, and veggies for the week. At least once a month DH goes to the store to bring home different and interesting things I wouldn''t ''see''. I tend to stick to a list and get out of there as quickly as I can. He can browse for 2 hours there. Cooking and shopping just take practice.

 

[door knob solitaire]

To expand on the thoughts of Julianna and Elsie...I will share my secret...but it has to be between you and me! (you know me...have no problem expanding...)

Paper, pen, good drink, comfy chair, cook books.

Ok...what cha do is take the paper and fold it in thirds or mark three vertical lines. The first column is the space for the recipes/menu (spagetti, tossed salad, garlic bread, etc.). The second column is the grocery list. The third column is the same list, just organized in the department order in which you make your way through store.

Why three? Well, you have to have the recipe cliff notes/menu written down as you can't always find the exact thing on your list. So with recipes it is easier to substitute. The second column will list the ingredient list. This may not be the real list...because one head of lettuce will suffice for the Lettuce Wraps on Monday, The BLT on Tuesday and tacos on Wednesday. So in your third column divide horizontally in department sections...(produce, meat, dairy, dry goods, frozen...etc.) lettuce is mentioned ONCE. And it is in the produce section next to tomato, and cucumber that you will use on Thursday. So in the third column I have lettuce...with 3 marks, slashes or dots next to it...I know i am going to get three uses out of the lettuce. This allows me to decide how many head I will need. Same thing for the eggs. dot dot dot...and make the count so you won't run out of eggs before cornbread and chili on Friday. ( it is all a system...well oiled...and effcient. ) Ready for you to improve on it.

Ok..recap three columns. Recipe (column 1)....Ingredient list(2)...actual shopping list(3).

Here is the beauty. You NEVER throw this paper away. NEVER NEVER NEVER. Guess what you do with it? No silly, not that! You use it again!!! Shazaam!! Eureka!! You kidding? No I'm not kidding. Do this same thing 4 weeks in a row...you will have 4 ...never have to repeat it again forever timesaving meal planning recipe organizing grocery list system!!

You don't have to look the recipe up again...you don't have to take the time to make the list...grab it and go! Serve the list backwards next time for variety.

Another tip. If you are getting a large basket full...get you heavy canned goods, & dry good first...in the bottom. Then maybe produce...bread...then dairy...then your frozen stuff last. The frozen stuff will get into the bag and nestle together keeping your cold stuff cold longer...ie fresher flavor etc. So as you remove the items to the conveyor belt...take all the frozen stuff, then the dairy, then the produce, etc. etc. (when you get home...time saver as all frozen is located together.)

I try to multitask my time in cooking once home. A large pot of pinto beans can be used for chili...refried beans...and also as a side dish. So I cook more than one days servings and use it later in the week. Same with brown rice. Use it for stirfry...then mexican...then maybe stuffed peppers. Just a FEW of my thoughts. Hope they help. Shhh...don't tell any one else

...let them wonder how you are so effcient.

DKS

 

[poptart]

Mara: Thanks! That was a good point you made about only buying one fresh veggie per week so we are sure to use it. I hate wasting food! I forget that you can also buy frozen veggies and fruit (duh), and I think if I remembered that we could get a lot more meals out of what we buy. I do need to load up on spices and cereals as well... There are so many different spices out there that I need to learn about.

Elsie: Thanks for your suggestion! Grocery shopping really is a mystery to me. Not sure why, but it is. Good idea about listing the items as they appear in the store... although I don''t know if I am that good yet, lol!

Monarch: Thanks for your thoughts! It seems like having a good backup of dry and frozen goods seems to be constantly repeated on here, so I guess I should take that into account. I like your idea of keeping a recipe journal. I have some good cook books and home recipes from my gramma and aunt, so I should probably start putting those to use. My DH comes and goes frequently, too, and that is part of the reason I have trouble getting a lot of food at once, since I never full out cook for myself. But freezer meals are a good alternative.

Miranda: Thanks for your help! My DH is the same way about grocery shopping. He doesn''t like it, but he can sure spend quite a bit of time in there. I get so confused and overwhelmed by all the choices that within a half hour I am ready to split! Having the staples like meats and potatoes is a great idea. And thanks for reminding me it takes practice (I hate practicing).

DKS: Wow! Thanks! That''s a system if I''ve ever heard one! I need to make a list at some point today since we are going to the store (gag) this weekend. So I''m going to try your system to the letter and see how it works out. I like the idea of keeping the list (kind of like Monarch mentioned) so that I can just alternate meal plans and know immediately what to get. Good thinking, and great system! I''ll let you know how it works out!

Thanks everyone for your help! I have to go back to job hunting and applications now (even MORE fun than shopping).

*M*

 

[Rosebud8506]

I hate grocery shopping too!!!!!!!! I go at least once a week, and my DH could go through and eat everyone and thensome.

I usually will buy the staples too, shredded cheese, eggs, milk, etc. We also have a ton of spices. I''m also trying to grow my own basil and I want to get some other fresh spices, since those grow back pretty fast, and don''t go bad as when you buy them at the store.

I will usually stock up on ground sirloin, pork loin, chicken breast, center cut bacon, and then freeze all of that until I need it.

 

[Mara]

oh and the other thing that saves me many times is that trader joes, where i get a ton of pre-packed meals for us during the week, is cheap. i find it's much cheaper than building the same meals 'from scratch'...aka a salad for $1.99 including dressing or a ready-made just stick in the oven pizza is like $3.50. not bad for a dinner...and many times when i go to the market to buy stuff to make from scratch it ends up being more due to the meats i buy or something. so honestly for me it's WAY less hassle, time, mental investment, to just go and buy the pre-packed stuff at TJ's. and i watch what i eat for the most part and i like that they have all their nutritionals on their pre-packed foods...and whole foods does not. another example is TJ's shredded bbq chicken breast. you can put it on flatbread with cheese to make a pizza...or i put it in tortillas and make quesadillas on the stovetop on the flat grill. or you can just warm it, stuff it in a pita and go. they also have a great egg white salad with onions and chives that i just take to work, toast 2 pieces of wheat bread and make an egg white salad sandwich. i could go on...hehee.

oh and another sidebar, frozen fruit comes in very handy for things like sangria or smoothies as well. so i always try to have at least blueberries and mango in the freezer. last nite i made TJ's chicken drumettes for greg (freezer) then made myself a TJ's chili chicken lime burger and some egg whites scrambled with cheese, asparagus and tomatoes.

lastly, as i have learned to cook more and more and become more savvy with what we will and won't end up eating, mostly due to ttime constraints before food goes bad...i end up wasting way less and saving more $$. i think you might just do the same over time, as you become better and better at it the longer you do it.

 

[chrono]

Date: 7/11/2007 6:05:20 PM
Author: Julianna
Do what my lovely mom does: plan your meals (at least dinners) a week in advance. It only takes a minute or five to sit down and say ''what am i eating this week'' and then pull the recipes and write down the ingredients that you know you don''t have. Then you come home with the whole week o'' food.

Ditto. This is what we do at home. We plan the meals, write down what ingredients we need to make those dishes, then do food shopping using the list. Hassle free and no rummaging through the refridgerator wondering - what can I make today...

 

[eks6426]

I do the weekly plan thing but sometimes I run out of time and we are just making due with what''s in the house already. I find allrecipes.com really useful because of their ingrediant search. So, let''s say I have asparagus, pasta and chicken on hand. I can enter those 3 ingrediants and it will come up with a list of possible recipes. Works great for using up things that have been hanging around too long. I like the reviews of the recipes done by regular people because a lot of times the reviewers have good suggestions for substitutes or improvements.

I also tend to plan my menu around what is on sale at the grocery store I use. So, ad in hand, I look up the recipes that I keep on my PC (ones I liked or ones I want to try sorted by food type--salalds, side dishes, poultry, vegetarian etc.) I do my menu planning in Excel and do the grocery list at the same time...kind of the electronic version of paper thing. I assign an aisle number to the grocery list in a separate column the sort by that column. Puts my shopping list in order and I do all my grocery shopping on my lunch hour...(I''m lucky enough to live close to work so I can drop off the groceries and put away frozen/fridge stuff.)

I often go back to menus I''ve done in the past. I think now I have 30 or 40 menus to use. When I save the menu file I save it with the date because I have found that the stuff on sale is very seasonal and so if I''m in July looking for a menu, I''ll go back to my July 2006 menus because likely the same stuff is on sale now as was last year. Also, I tend to eat more salads & light grilled stuff in summer and more hearty soup type stuff in winter.

Good luck!

 

[gingerBcookie]

lol...you sound like me! despte me living with, shopping with, and cooking with my mom the super efficient, super saver, super cook super mom..i am still unable to do as she does! so what i''ve started doing is
1) try to keep pantry and spices stocked with bread, rice, pasta, canned broths/veggies/soups/fruits
2) keep fridge stocked with staples like eggs, ham, cheese, butter, PB, jam etc
3) then buy fresh meat fruits and veggies for no more than 3 dinners at a time

I''m not a huge freezer person and I''m AWFUL at remebering to thaw things the night before so almost anything that goes in there stays FOREVER (with the excepton of the Omaha steaks which we love and gobble up pretty quickly).

I only shop for 3 meals at a time becauase in case we get sidetracked, i throwing away large amounts of food. With three meals worth, we can usuall finish it within that week, then go shopping again.

I love the idea of keeping set menus for the week. I may have to try that method, sunds very efficient!

 

[firebirdgold]

I always have on hand: rice (both dry and in the microwave pouches), several types of pasta including udon, lots of cans of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, the sealed packages of extra firm tofu that have a long shelf life, those little one cup size packages of chicken or veggie broth, frozen halibut, frozen ground beef, frozen ravioli, frozen packages of stir fry veggie mixes, TJ''s frozen breaded tilapia (It doesn''t have to be defrosted before use), pouches of tuna and salmon, lemons, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumber, crumbled feta, bell peppers, red onion, lettuce, garlic, butter, black sesame seeds, red, white, and rice vinegar, olive oil, and a jar of green peppercorns. Plus potted fresh herbs like rosemary and oregano. I also have at hand at least two different pre-done stirfry sauces like oyster sauce or this Hawaiian terriakyi sauce.

This way I always have at hand emergency meals to make and the basis of loads of other meals. (Our favorite is tilapia with a browned butter, lemon, chicken broth, and green peppercorn sauce served with asparagus and microwaved rice. Total time for prep and cooking: 20 minutes) Those meals include: 4 different stirfry dishes, 3 fish dishes, 3 different kinds of pasta sauces including rosemary meat sauce, japanese rice balls, cucumber noodle salad, Greek salad, several other salads including (with the addition of a fresh rotisserie chicken from the market) an amazing chicken salad, and few other dishes.

(Well, almost always... right now we''re trying to eat our way through our canned and frozen goods before we move. It''s requiring some extra creativity in thinking up meals.

)

In the winter I add beef broth, frozen beef stew meat, and some extra canned goods for a couple different slow-cooker meals.


For new meals I go through my cookbooks and pick ones that take the least amount of time and the least new items. I hate cooking light because for 1 recipe I can easily make there are 10 others that require ingredients I don''t have and will never again use. (Cream sherry??) My favorite cookbook is one with easy recipes that often include a complete dinner menu and it has on the side of the page a shopping list for all the ingredients. I''m traveling now so when I get back I''ll post the name of it.

Oh, also we have this cool antique built-in shopping list thingy in our kitchen. It has a clip for a pen or pencil and a roll of paper. We can easily write down our shopping list as we think of items and then the next person to go to the market just pulls the paper past the holder and rips it off! Instant shopping list. There must be something modern like that! If I had to remember for more than 30 seconds that we need X, it''d never show up in our kitchen for another month!

 

[Rock Candy]

Date: 7/12/2007 11:46:53 PM
Author: door knob solitaire
To expand on the thoughts of Julianna and Elsie...I will share my secret...but it has to be between you and me! (you know me...have no problem expanding...)


Paper, pen, good drink, comfy chair, cook books.


Ok...what cha do is take the paper and fold it in thirds or mark three vertical lines. The first column is the space for the recipes/menu (spagetti, tossed salad, garlic bread, etc.). The second column is the grocery list. The third column is the same list, just organized in the department order in which you make your way through store.


Why three? Well, you have to have the recipe cliff notes/menu written down as you can''t always find the exact thing on your list. So with recipes it is easier to substitute. The second column will list the ingredient list. This may not be the real list...because one head of lettuce will suffice for the Lettuce Wraps on Monday, The BLT on Tuesday and tacos on Wednesday. So in your third column divide horizontally in department sections...(produce, meat, dairy, dry goods, frozen...etc.) lettuce is mentioned ONCE. And it is in the produce section next to tomato, and cucumber that you will use on Thursday. So in the third column I have lettuce...with 3 marks, slashes or dots next to it...I know i am going to get three uses out of the lettuce. This allows me to decide how many head I will need. Same thing for the eggs. dot dot dot...and make the count so you won''t run out of eggs before cornbread and chili on Friday. ( it is all a system...well oiled...and effcient. ) Ready for you to improve on it.


Ok..recap three columns. Recipe (column 1)....Ingredient list(2)...actual shopping list(3).


Here is the beauty. You NEVER throw this paper away. NEVER NEVER NEVER. Guess what you do with it? No silly, not that! You use it again!!! Shazaam!! Eureka!! You kidding? No I''m not kidding. Do this same thing 4 weeks in a row...you will have 4 ...never have to repeat it again forever timesaving meal planning recipe organizing grocery list system!!


You don''t have to look the recipe up again...you don''t have to take the time to make the list...grab it and go! Serve the list backwards next time for variety.


Another tip. If you are getting a large basket full...get you heavy canned goods, & dry good first...in the bottom. Then maybe produce...bread...then dairy...then your frozen stuff last. The frozen stuff will get into the bag and nestle together keeping your cold stuff cold longer...ie fresher flavor etc. So as you remove the items to the conveyor belt...take all the frozen stuff, then the dairy, then the produce, etc. etc. (when you get home...time saver as all frozen is located together.)


I try to multitask my time in cooking once home. A large pot of pinto beans can be used for chili...refried beans...and also as a side dish. So I cook more than one days servings and use it later in the week. Same with brown rice. Use it for stirfry...then mexican...then maybe stuffed peppers. Just a FEW of my thoughts. Hope they help. Shhh...don''t tell any one else

...let them wonder how you are so effcient.


DKS

DKS, I LOVE your system. Think I''ll have a go at your secret shopping method!