Hello Everybody,
I'm new here and wondering how the honorable members of this forum strike a balance between health, money, and time when making food choices. At the supermarket you blink and you get a food product with some ingredients not being edible strictly speaking; for example, the cheaper the sour cream the longer the least of the ingredients. OTOH, you can spend an infinite amount of money buying meat from Bessy the cow who lived gracefully while munching on the grass of the Alpine meadows, felt nothing but pleasure while being promoted to the cow heaven, and now wishes you a hearty appetite from the other side. You can buy your meals ready to eat. OTOH, you can spend your days baking bread, making mayo, and pickling cabbage. Where do YOU draw the line?
Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
Commercial soylent. It’s expensive ($54/week) but worth it all things considered.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
@ rfgh: Soylent? Wow, that's fancy... I had to google this one! I mostly use a traffic light system to control the cost of food:
1. Green <$2/lb - these are my staples, e.g., organic potatoes, organic carrots, rice, organic drumsticks at Trader Joe's;
2. Yellow $2-4/lb - I still buy these foods frequently, e.g., organic beans, DeCecco pasta, canned wild salmon, Meyer lemons.
4. Red $4-6/lb - I buy these foods less frequently, e.g., bacon at Trader Joe's, organic or grass-fed butter, cheese.
I've reduced my food costs significantly since I've implemented this system. The only item that I miss is maple syrup
1. Green <$2/lb - these are my staples, e.g., organic potatoes, organic carrots, rice, organic drumsticks at Trader Joe's;
2. Yellow $2-4/lb - I still buy these foods frequently, e.g., organic beans, DeCecco pasta, canned wild salmon, Meyer lemons.
4. Red $4-6/lb - I buy these foods less frequently, e.g., bacon at Trader Joe's, organic or grass-fed butter, cheese.
I've reduced my food costs significantly since I've implemented this system. The only item that I miss is maple syrup
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Dream of Freedom
- Posts: 753
- Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:58 pm
- Location: Nebraska, US
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
What about us dishonorable members? Don't we have a say? 
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
@Dream of Freedom: as I've said I'm new here, treat all members as honorable, and hope not to be proven wrong; so Dream of Freedom, please share your ideas on how to optimize your health, money, and time while shopping at the supermarket!
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Dream of Freedom
- Posts: 753
- Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:58 pm
- Location: Nebraska, US
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I asked to be asked but I"m the wrong guy to ask. I'm too much of a foodie.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I heretically don't prioritize food prices but I do remember some good advice from that mustache blogger about goods on sale which went something like: 1) buy as much of x as you will need to last until you think it will go on sale again; 2) if x will never be this low of a price again buy it out. Of course I wanted to do that when sardines were half off at a closing grocery but couldn't overcome my dislike of stockpiling so only went for six cans. Sort of a half-win.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I like the novel stoplight idea! I file this "what to do".
If you have ever visited the mega supermarket on the first of the month, from late morning to late evening, you can observe what not to do. The morbidly obese will be filling the aisles of packaged, over processed, sweet, salty, or fat fortified, never expiring, and easy to prepare food "stuff". And soda pops to wash it down.
If you have ever visited the mega supermarket on the first of the month, from late morning to late evening, you can observe what not to do. The morbidly obese will be filling the aisles of packaged, over processed, sweet, salty, or fat fortified, never expiring, and easy to prepare food "stuff". And soda pops to wash it down.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I buy only organic (except for rare occasions), pastured eggs and dairy products and pretty much the highest quality I can get... and I've still gotten my food spending down to about $50-60 a week. Which is phenomenal, since it used to be crazy amounts per week.
The key I've found is 1. learning to cook, usually in batches of 5-6 meals of each dish at a time and 2. finding the right stores/suppliers 3. Packing meals for work and travel.
Learning to cook is the best way to bring down costs. You don't need to be a gourmet chef - just start with 2-3 dishes you like. I have a green soup is mostly veggies, served with poached eggs and high quality (certified) olive oil and lime juice. I also make a green thai curry, and a chickpea and potato curry topped with steamed kale. I can whip up pancakes from scratch for pennies (Jacob even has a post about pancakes). My eggs cost $6 a dozen, but they are worth it to me since I feel so much better when I eat this way - and my meal costs are still $8 or less per day. I know a lot of people here eat for a third of that, but this is what works for me. I have a lot of histamine and allergy problems. I also can't eat either gluten or rice (which is how a lot of people eat cheaply). This diet maximizes my health - which in the long term is going to save me money. And this is possible without spending too much time cooking - I do one to three batch meals a week.
The second part, finding a place to shop, will save you a lot of time and stress. In the west (I've seen them in Denver and Portland), there is a store called Natural Grocers. This store has good prices on organic items. Even better, it has an entire isle of bulk products, already divided into smaller bags, but still sold at bulk prices. Organic walnuts for $4 a pound, organic dried chickpeas for $2 and change a pound - the same for a pound of organic Sorghum flour. They also sell spices this way.
Lastly, pack lunches for work. If you have your batches of food already made, it's easy. You can even toss in a nice mixed salad. I have two pyrex bowls and a canvas lunch bag that holds both of them - an investment of ~$15 that has paid for itself many times over.
I'll admit, this did take me while on the learning curve.
The key I've found is 1. learning to cook, usually in batches of 5-6 meals of each dish at a time and 2. finding the right stores/suppliers 3. Packing meals for work and travel.
Learning to cook is the best way to bring down costs. You don't need to be a gourmet chef - just start with 2-3 dishes you like. I have a green soup is mostly veggies, served with poached eggs and high quality (certified) olive oil and lime juice. I also make a green thai curry, and a chickpea and potato curry topped with steamed kale. I can whip up pancakes from scratch for pennies (Jacob even has a post about pancakes). My eggs cost $6 a dozen, but they are worth it to me since I feel so much better when I eat this way - and my meal costs are still $8 or less per day. I know a lot of people here eat for a third of that, but this is what works for me. I have a lot of histamine and allergy problems. I also can't eat either gluten or rice (which is how a lot of people eat cheaply). This diet maximizes my health - which in the long term is going to save me money. And this is possible without spending too much time cooking - I do one to three batch meals a week.
The second part, finding a place to shop, will save you a lot of time and stress. In the west (I've seen them in Denver and Portland), there is a store called Natural Grocers. This store has good prices on organic items. Even better, it has an entire isle of bulk products, already divided into smaller bags, but still sold at bulk prices. Organic walnuts for $4 a pound, organic dried chickpeas for $2 and change a pound - the same for a pound of organic Sorghum flour. They also sell spices this way.
Lastly, pack lunches for work. If you have your batches of food already made, it's easy. You can even toss in a nice mixed salad. I have two pyrex bowls and a canvas lunch bag that holds both of them - an investment of ~$15 that has paid for itself many times over.
I'll admit, this did take me while on the learning curve.
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Gilberto de Piento
- Posts: 1950
- Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:23 pm
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I spend some time up front figuring out which items are best for me (relatively low cost, limited "bad" ingredients, etc.) and then mostly buy those items over and over. For example, every time I want yogurt I just buy the brand I bought before. I don't consider all the possible yogurts.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
These are all great ideas.
@Peanut: I second your dislike of stockpiling, because it has never worked for me. I have a personal heuristic rule: if in the morning I buy a bag of organic rice from TX in the evening I read that the rice from TX has elevated levels of arsenic, so it is just sitting in my pantry waiting for its time (some serious differences with DH? ).
@Farm-or: Ha-Ha! I'll do that. I love people watching!
@CS: Pancakes a la Jacob with no gluten? What flour do you use? Also, what's your binding ingredient?
@Gilberto de Piento: I do that too, also with yogurt. It is when my usual brand is out of stock I have to read. My rule is not to google the ingredients. If I don't know what it is I don't buy it.
@Peanut: I second your dislike of stockpiling, because it has never worked for me. I have a personal heuristic rule: if in the morning I buy a bag of organic rice from TX in the evening I read that the rice from TX has elevated levels of arsenic, so it is just sitting in my pantry waiting for its time (some serious differences with DH?
). @Farm-or: Ha-Ha! I'll do that. I love people watching!
@CS: Pancakes a la Jacob with no gluten? What flour do you use? Also, what's your binding ingredient?
@Gilberto de Piento: I do that too, also with yogurt. It is when my usual brand is out of stock I have to read. My rule is not to google the ingredients. If I don't know what it is I don't buy it.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
@clarice
I use buckwheat or sorghum flour. There are others that would work too. I use eggs to bind, but I have used ground flax seed as binder in muffins - it would probably work for pancakes too.
I too, find brands, and farms for farmer's markets, that I like and stick with them. I use sales as an opportunity to try something new - sort of use that loss leader thing to spice the diet up.
I use buckwheat or sorghum flour. There are others that would work too. I use eggs to bind, but I have used ground flax seed as binder in muffins - it would probably work for pancakes too.
I too, find brands, and farms for farmer's markets, that I like and stick with them. I use sales as an opportunity to try something new - sort of use that loss leader thing to spice the diet up.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I've been gradually integrating shopping, preparing and eating into my routine, with some flexibility thrown in.
My diet may be a bit unconventional, but I'm pretty sure it covers most bases in terms of nutrition, and I enjoy it.
• Breakfast - grab a scoop of porridge from big tub-full, which I prepare for the week ahead, usually on a weekend.
• Coffee - have a cheap instant coffee at home so I can make a cup quickly before heading to work. If I need coffee during the day, there's free coffee at work. Then I occasionally treat myself at a nice cafe on the weekend. So I really keep overall coffee costs pretty low.
• Lunch/Snacks - bring a couple of tins of sardines/mackerel with me to work and eat them during the day when I feel hungry.
• Dinner - stop by the shops on the way home and grab whatever vegetables are in-season and cheap, trying to prioritise the most nutritious ones (green/leafy veggies like kale or cabbage). When I get home I quick-steam them and chuck in some healthy fats, e.g. nuts or olives.
• Dessert - throw some frozen berries, a frozen banana and a scoop of yogurt or cheese in a bowl, top with cinnamon. All bought in bulk from the cheapest shop I can find, on the odd weekend.
So all-in-all, my supermarket visits are either occasional bulk-buying on a weekend or daily but quick and small purchases, where I know exactly what I'm looking for.
I've found this to be the best cross-section of health, money and time.
There are downsides. I wish I could eat more vegetables and fruit during the day, rather than waiting until I get home from work. The tinned fish probably isn't the healthiest, either for myself or the environment. Perhaps there are better ways to get food while I'm at work, without spending exorbitant amounts of money at the shops that are close by.
My diet may be a bit unconventional, but I'm pretty sure it covers most bases in terms of nutrition, and I enjoy it.
• Breakfast - grab a scoop of porridge from big tub-full, which I prepare for the week ahead, usually on a weekend.
• Coffee - have a cheap instant coffee at home so I can make a cup quickly before heading to work. If I need coffee during the day, there's free coffee at work. Then I occasionally treat myself at a nice cafe on the weekend. So I really keep overall coffee costs pretty low.
• Lunch/Snacks - bring a couple of tins of sardines/mackerel with me to work and eat them during the day when I feel hungry.
• Dinner - stop by the shops on the way home and grab whatever vegetables are in-season and cheap, trying to prioritise the most nutritious ones (green/leafy veggies like kale or cabbage). When I get home I quick-steam them and chuck in some healthy fats, e.g. nuts or olives.
• Dessert - throw some frozen berries, a frozen banana and a scoop of yogurt or cheese in a bowl, top with cinnamon. All bought in bulk from the cheapest shop I can find, on the odd weekend.
So all-in-all, my supermarket visits are either occasional bulk-buying on a weekend or daily but quick and small purchases, where I know exactly what I'm looking for.
I've found this to be the best cross-section of health, money and time.
There are downsides. I wish I could eat more vegetables and fruit during the day, rather than waiting until I get home from work. The tinned fish probably isn't the healthiest, either for myself or the environment. Perhaps there are better ways to get food while I'm at work, without spending exorbitant amounts of money at the shops that are close by.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
Who says you need a supermarket?
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ThisDinosaur
- Posts: 997
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Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I've got a chart in my kitchen listing every fruit & veggie that's in season locally by month. In season and local usually means cheap and healthy. That plus eggs, milk, and oatmeal is my default shopping list.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I'm surprised so many in the ERE crowd have fallen for the organic mistake.
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George the original one
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Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
Mistake in what way, which sense?
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
For us:
1. No processed food - if you don't buy sour cream, you don't need to look at labels.
2. No meat, especially processed - this will cut down on costs and be very good for health. Very easy to implement.
3. No eating out - if you do eat out, go to a place you know has good options. Indian places always have good vegetarian meals.
Once you have the 3 guidelines above, its pretty easy to get into a healthyish routine. The more you cook at home, the easier it gets. Generally speaking, stick to a wholeish food/vegetarian leaning/almost always cook from home meal plan.
1. No processed food - if you don't buy sour cream, you don't need to look at labels.
2. No meat, especially processed - this will cut down on costs and be very good for health. Very easy to implement.
3. No eating out - if you do eat out, go to a place you know has good options. Indian places always have good vegetarian meals.
Once you have the 3 guidelines above, its pretty easy to get into a healthyish routine. The more you cook at home, the easier it gets. Generally speaking, stick to a wholeish food/vegetarian leaning/almost always cook from home meal plan.
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
I love to cook, and only buy high quality ingredients -zero compromises made.
We still spend about half of what the average person does because of what we eat and how we purchase.
Very little meat, lots of seasonal stuff, buy mostly on sale.
For my American friends: Costco is by a mile the best place to shop for food. The reason is very simple: they have the lowest percentage margins of all retail chains.
I know for a fact that up until 3 years ago (I would be surprised if it's not the case anymore) margins on their dry foods (pasta, oil, rice, etc) were a flat 13%.
Other retailers vary by item, but a good guesstimate is 20-30% for Walmart, 40-50% for Whole Foods, and 30-40% for most chains.
We still spend about half of what the average person does because of what we eat and how we purchase.
Very little meat, lots of seasonal stuff, buy mostly on sale.
For my American friends: Costco is by a mile the best place to shop for food. The reason is very simple: they have the lowest percentage margins of all retail chains.
I know for a fact that up until 3 years ago (I would be surprised if it's not the case anymore) margins on their dry foods (pasta, oil, rice, etc) were a flat 13%.
Other retailers vary by item, but a good guesstimate is 20-30% for Walmart, 40-50% for Whole Foods, and 30-40% for most chains.
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Kriegsspiel
- Posts: 952
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm
Re: Balance between Health, Money, and Time at the Supermarket
http://rootofgood.com/costco-costs-more-bulk-buying/Seppia wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:36 pmFor my American friends: Costco is by a mile the best place to shop for food. The reason is very simple: they have the lowest percentage margins of all retail chains.
I know for a fact that up until 3 years ago (I would be surprised if it's not the case anymore) margins on their dry foods (pasta, oil, rice, etc) were a flat 13%.
Other retailers vary by item, but a good guesstimate is 20-30% for Walmart, 40-50% for Whole Foods, and 30-40% for most chains.
TLDR: Wal-Mart and Aldi were the cheapest of the foods he surveyed.