Grocery shopping as a hobby
 

Since I started this, the grocery store has become more exciting to me than the mall. I go a few times a week and spend at least an hour! I love to take my time picking out the best looking fruits and vegetables, planning meals, reading labels, talking with the butcher, learning about spices and seasonings. Its funny to me how I am paying so much more attention to food now than I ever did before, but I am eating less and less and enjoying it more and more. No more throwing it down the hatch without tasting it just to fill the emptiness. I hope this is healthy and normal and not some sort of crazy grocery store obsession.

I like to shop, too! The stores often have cards with nutritional info and serving suggestions up by the produce, which I never noticed before. I try to have a new fruit or veggie every week or two, either from the store or the farmer's market. It is fun finding new things to enjoy that are part of a healthy lifestyle!

Lyn
TWENTY FOUR pounds gone!
My Blog:
www.escapefromobesity.blogspot.com

I spend so much more time shopping. But sometimes it's overwhelming! I used to just go to one or two stores, but now there are at least half a dozen -- each carries different products I now just "have" to have. I don't go to more than 2 or so in a week, but there are weeks I know I just have to get to Trader Joe's to stock up on edamame and frozen fish... for example... gets a little :crazy: soemtimes

Before my new lifestyle, we used to hit the snack aisle first lol.

Now we avoid it like the plague. Instead of going down the chip and pop aisles, we head for the juice and crackers.

We've been eating more fish, chicken, pork and shrimp. More veggies, I make sure that there is at least one serving of veggies with each meal.

My kids only like fried (battered) fish, so I've been trying different recipes. Haven't come across one that they like yet. Lately I've just been frying them (not deep frying) with some olive oil and lemon/pepper seasoning. Todd and I love it.

I haven't had much red meat lately. Over the past few months, just the thought of ground beef makes me ill. So we've been substituting it for ground turkey. Turkey tacos rock! We've tried the ground meatless substitute, but it lacks that extra flavor.

I'm trying to eat more fresh foods now, instead of canned or frozen.

Btw - heather, you look ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!

I LOVE to shop for groceries as well. Dh and I can easily spend an hour in the store if we dont have the kids with us. We have to be a little quicker when we have them or they get impatient. My Dh is a butcher so we are always talking about lean meats, etc.

I totally agree with everything that you wrote, word for word, 100%. Those are my EXACT thoughts.

This whole new lifestyle has definitely become a sort of, kind of, hobby for me.

I think it's incredibly healthy and (mostly) normal. I think what I was doing BEFORE was not so normal. Buying everything in sight, without giving it much thought.

As far as I'm concerned, I think a little bit of obession, or dedication as I sometimes prefer to call it - is a good thing. A VERY good thing. ;)

I stay out of alot of the middle aisle's now that I am eating different, before I bought much more packaged food, now I buy more fresh things. I also shop at more than one store.. Sam's club for my bulk things, Walmart for most groceries, but I also shop at Harris teeter.. a upper scale supermarket.. I find great things there, I also go to asian/latin markets for specialty items, and farmer's markets for fresh veggies..
cheryl

It's funny you should say that - my husband just told me today he was going to move me on base so that I could go to the comissary everyday. I love going and seeing what new stuff is out.

I actually have more fun scouring recipe sites and letting my sweetie do the grocery shopping. Although, I really should go with him since he called me four times yesterday to ask questions about items I didn't give enough info on. :D

My Hubby and I now have a weekly venture to Whole Foods! We go every Monday together and get most of our shopping done then. It is something I really look forward to now too, getting the groceries and a nice evening out with him!:D

My husband doesnt like to go with me to the store anymore, cause he gets tired while I am reading labels and ingredients and stuff. I take forever anymore! It is funny though because my cart is mostly loaded with fresh produce and vegetables and such, used to it was junk only. Now if I can just stay out of the familys junk I will be alright!

We both read the labels now! I have trained him on the things we eat now, and he enjoys it as much as I do ~ which is really cool, IMO! ;)

Wow...this thread is bringing me back to my roots....when I first started last year I had a new found enjoyment in grocery shopping... I'd set aside some time...work my way through slowly and make it more of an engaging event than a task where I just threw crap in a carriage.... I'd pop on my ipod...almost always found myself dancing in the aisles (I'm a total idiot in public and love it)

I haven't done that for a while...I've been so busy that I'm back into the once weekly drive bye at the crappy grocery store that I don't like....and it feels like a task again. Not necessarily buying crap but not enjoying it.

Thats it....I'm going back to my roots!

Y'all get away with 2-6 stores? I am so envious! Sort of... LOL

I have a flexible routine. I go to a minimum of 4 stores every 2 weeks plus any farmers markets I can get to. Sometimes it is up to 12 stores depending on what I need. Oh and I have no problem driving 3 hours each way to get the beef I want.

*blink*

hehehe There is nothing obsessive about 1 hour on produce or organic dairy products right?

Nice observation, Marseille.

I enjoy grocery shopping - always have. I deliberately avoid the chain stores, and I prefer to get my meat from a local meat market. I have a locally owned grocery store on my block, so I go there most of the time, about once a week. Every so often I hit a farmers' market, Trader Joe's, a co-op, or an upscale grocery store.

My new hobby is coming home and allowing an extra hour to chop up all the vegetables.