Supermarkets are typically laid out to encourage costumers to make as many purchases as possible. The most frequented areas of the grocery store, such as the ends of aisles, are occupied by highest bidder. These choices are driven by profit margins, and not with the shopper’s health in mind.
But what if encouraging healthy purchases were a grocery store’s priority? The Marketplace Health Desk at WHYY public radio in Philadelphia takes a look at this topic. They interview Karen Glanz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has done extensive research in consumer habits in supermarkets. She explains that she’s “trying to learn from what commercial marketers have been doing all along, see if we can’t turn that to health advantage.”
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Turn on the television or pick up a magazine and you can’t avoid seeing the latest craze – Extreme Couponing. It’s a full time job for many women and it’s become the next big thing. TV shows spotlight shoppers who pay next to nothing for cart after cart of merchandise, and cameras focus on closets of toothpaste and basements full of toilet paper. You can’t help but be interested; after all, who among us hasn’t fantasized about being paid to shop and bring home food for free?
Having a larger than normal size family, I’m always interested in trying to cut my large food bill. The most I’ve ever been able to save is about $25, and although I’m happy to accomplish at least that much of a savings, I’d love to do better. I’ve thought for quite a while about trying to use coupons more successfully, but having spent some time cutting coupons from my local paper I’ve noticed that there’s just one small problem: The vast majority of the coupons I’ve seen have been for heavily processed, high fat or high calorie foods that my family just doesn’t eat. Is it just the reality of extreme couponing that you will have to sacrifice eating healthy in order to save money?
Stephanie Nelson, the Coupon Mom, has a philosophy she refers to as strategic shopping to help save money at the grocery store. “Strategic shopping is not changing the way you eat, it is about changing the way you buy the food that you like. If you are working on losing weight, improving your health, improving your family’s health or all of the above, it is possible to do that while saving money on groceries when you know how to be a Strategic Shopper.”
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Whole Foods Market often gets a bad rap for being overpriced, as do many other grocery stores or markets that specialize in organic or natural products. Making a commitment to buying just organic produce may mean spending a greater percentage of your disposable income on food. That said, here are few ways to cut down on your grocery bill at Whole Foods Market.
First off, avoid the pre-prepared dishes. At almost any grocery store, there’s a higher mark-up for convenience items, and Whole Foods is no different. You’ll pay much more per ounce for a salad that is pre-prepared than you would buying all the ingredients individually. The same goes for pre-packaged produce items. For example, any produce that’s been chopped and shrink wrapped will be more expensive than something sold by weight.
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I have been undergoing treatment for acid reflux for about two months, with the guidance of Dr. Jamie Koufman, one of the authors of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure. Like many people who suffer from heartburn, I had a pretty clear idea of my worst trigger foods before seeking medical attention. Coffee, citrus, alcohol and tomato sauce all had me reaching for the Tums.
What I learned from Dr. Koufman is that acid as a food additive is also a contributor to reflux. Acid is added to foods because it prevents the growth of bacteria, but few consumers are aware of the potentially negative consequences of this practice. Things containing ascorbic acid, citric acid, and acetic acid should all be avoided by people suffering from reflux. You should also look out for foods and beverages that are “vitamin C enriched” or “vitamin C enhanced,” which is usually done through the addition of citric acid.
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What will technology come up with next? Kraft has done it again! According to Kraft, 70% of the people that enter grocery stores do not know what they are going to have for dinner that night. So, Kraft has designed a grocery store kiosk that allows you to do pretty much anything under the moon when it comes to grocery shopping.
One of the coolest features is that it can scan your face and literally provide you with dinner options and recipes. The camera scans your face and the ”anonymous video analytics technology” predicts what you might want eat it for dinner that night. For instance, it will determine if you look like a mom, the kiosk will recommend Oscar Mayer weiners and some Mac ‘n’ Cheese. If you look like a a college student with bloodshot eyes, it will send you to the frozen pizza aisle. How sweet is that?
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