Make your Weekly Grocery Shop a Breeze: Amanda’s Top 5 Tips
Written by: Amanda Li, RD
Updated: November 30th, 2022
Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a Registered Dietitian and Culinary Expert. Today I want to share with you my top 5 grocery shopping hacks to help you make healthy eating the easier choice! Healthy eating begins in your kitchen and the only way to prepare delicious nutrient-dense foods is to have a well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer!
Let’s start with tip #1:
Since your health is so important to you, it’s essential that we prioritize grocery shopping each week. You can do this by scheduling into your calendar and be strategic with the day and time! Most flyers change on Thursday morning, so sale items will be well stocked on that day. If you shop later in the week than you run the risk of low stock. If you want to avoid the crowds, try going early morning or later in the evening. Trust me, you can even do cartwheels through the aisles. 🙂
Now that you have scheduled time in your week to go grocery shopping it’s time to move on to tip #2:
Always brainstorm and prepare a grocery list before heading to the grocery store. Having a list will keep you on track with both time and budget. I recommend categorizing your grocery list into 4 main groups: non-starchy vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, protein and fat. You can always write down a generic type of protein and then select the specific cut when you are in the store depending on availability, freshness or store promotions.
This brings me to tip #3:
Review flyers or better yet, use phone apps such as Flipp to help you decide on where to shop or price-match. Based on the weekly specials you can further narrow down your grocery list and be more specific with the type of vegetables and protein you select for the week.
At this point you would have created a menu template for the week which consists of the different proteins, vegetables and starches that you will be preparing. Before heading to the store, don’t forget this tip #4!
Double check what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer to make sure you aren’t buying doubles or even triples of an item! If you still have vegetables from the week before, try adding that into your weekly meal prep rather than purchasing a fresh new bunch of swiss chard or celery!
Last but not least is tip #5
Do not go grocery shopping when hungry! When you are hangry your willpower is the weakest and you will be more likely to impulse shop, which may lead to unhealthy food choices. Set yourself up for success by eating before you go. If you are running from errand to errand, pack some healthy snacks in your bag to hold you over until you get home, such as some nuts or a protein bar.
And there you have it, by following these 5 simple tips, you will save time, money and most importantly, make grocery shopping a breeze!
Amanda Li is a Toronto-based Registered Dietitian, owner of Wellness Simplified, Professor at George Brown College and a foodie at heart. Upon completing a culinary arts diploma she knew she wanted to bring together her dietetic experience to create a nutrition coaching philosophy that is foodcentric and grounded in teaching individuals a basic life skill – nourishing their body, mind and soul. Her aim is to encourage, educate, and equip individuals with the hands-on food skills to make healthy eating the easier choice!
