Surviving the Grocery Store

Negotiating Grocery Store Shopping

Okay, so many of us hate the grocery store, especially if you are dragging around tired and cranky kids (or spouses!). So, in our family we have found some excellent ways to mange this.

First of all, in order to get products at the best price, we buy a lot of things through Amazon.com. If you subscribe to their “subscribe and save” program you can get a large discount on tons of everyday products. We buy wipes, diapers, laundry detergent, granola bars, coffee, splenda, and toothpaste through Amazon. Two day shipping is FREE through this service if you subscribe to “Amazon Prime” (which is $70 a year, and trust me it pays for itself). In comparing prices we discovered that Amazon is cheaper than popular “superstores” such as Costco and Sam’s Club.

We also have started to use online shopping and delivery available at many stores. Stop and Shop has a very reliable and timely delivery service of groceries through PEAPOD. We were shocked that we could simply go online and have our groceries delivered the next day!

Best Grocery Products for the Whole Family

Okay, so when we do make that dreaded trip to the store, we found that being armed with a list of healthy, family friendly, and reasonable products makes a difference!

So what are good groceries?

We love organic products, and although we admit they are expensive, we feel better about eating them.

In the “fresh food aisle”

Earthbound lettuces are a must. They have a variety of good lettuces including mesclun, mache, romaine, baby leaves, etc. They are fresh, healthy, organic, and good!

Sunshine grape tomatoes are great for young children, kids, and adults alike. Either pop them in your mouth or put them whole in salads or pastas.

Organic apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, grapes, and berries are also a must. These products are even better if you can get them from a local farmer’s market. If you want to know why, read Omnivore’s Dilemma about how and why to choose local, fresh, and if possible organic foods.

We love squashes and all sorts of potatoes, which is an easy meal with steamed brocolli and cheese.

In the Meat Aisle

If you can find gourmet sausages, organic chicken, and/or any Apple Farm products - BUY THEM. They are made without pesticides or antibotics, which is very important in this day and age.

In the Grains/Rice/Pasta/Soup Aisle

Barilla Organic Pastas, Cous Cous, Newman’s Products, and Amy’s Products (including soups and pastas) are a hit in our family.

In the Bakery Aisle

Of course we love Lindt & Ghiradelli chocolates and Hodgen’s Mill products (they have great muffin mixes and organic flours).

In the Baby Aisle

We love the baby Earth’s Best products, they are organic and taste good! Increasingly, Gerber also has a good organic line of baby foods.

In the Cereal Aisle

We like the ever increasing organic varieties of everyday cereals (including Cheerios) and Health Valley Granola and Granola Bars.