Where exactly are these "on sale" grapes you speak of? I don't think I've ever personally witnessed grapes on sale. About twice a year I see an empty bin with a "grapes on sale" mark down, but there are certainly no grapes in them!
Are sure they exist?
Grapes are frequently on sale in the stores here... one of the items they often put on sale to draw in customers. This year I notice though that it is hard to find the 99 cents a pound ones like usual; they are generally $1.99 instead.
And Jill, I too go ahead and buy the fresh produce I want, within reason. I wouldn't pay $8.99 a pound for fresh cherries when I can get them so much cheaper elsewhere and if I waited a couple of weeks until more came in... but for the most part I just pay it. I'm putting too much effort into getting healthy not to carry that into buying the freshest, most healthful foods I can find.
Where exactly are these "on sale" grapes you speak of? I don't think I've ever personally witnessed grapes on sale. About twice a year I see an empty bin with a "grapes on sale" mark down, but there are certainly no grapes in them!
Are sure they exist?
hehe, we do have the on sale here for 99 cents/lb, but they're at the chain with the icky produce. I did go and look because I like to buy seedless red grapes and freeze them in little snack-size ziploc baggies (don't take up much freezer space that way). However, I got there, and all the grapes had a bunch of gross smushed ones at the bottoms of the bags, the bags were all dirty with some sort of grayish-brownish film (leading me to believe that I'd have to wash those grapes for FOREVER just to get to the actual grape ), and they were all tiny little grapes (think peanut M&M size), whereas the place with better produce has normal-sized (about the size of a nickel?) grapes that aren't all squished for a higher price. So yeah, I pay the higher price because I know I'd be more likely to eat the juicy, healthier-looking ones rather than just let the tiny, gray film-covered ones go bad
One of my grocery stores here had a sign posted with their strawberries that said something to the matter of, "Due to the flooding in California, the strawberry crops are not as high quality as normal. We are doing our best to provide you with the best produce possible." So maybe that has something to do with why I don't see as many low prices on things like strawberries and why so much of the produce around here looks, umm, unappealing
Now I'm all for advocating people to buy a bag of apples rather than a bag of chips, but for those of us who are in the process of weaning ourselves from junk food and easing into a healthier lifestyle, there is an alternative to potato chips. It's called SunChips, I'm sure many of you have heard of this brand and they're TO DIE FOR delish! They're expensive - $3.00/bag - and I can scarf down a bag in two days, but for someone transitioning or someone who wants a "bad" treat from the old days, it's a better choice. Not THE choice, a better one.
I have small freezer syndrome too I wish I had a chest freezer!!
I would have to change a lot of things without my freezer. It helps when purchasing items but moreso when preparing meals. I make large batches of soups, stocks, etc etc to freeze. Certain leftovers that you know would just go bad in the frig can be put in individual pyrex containers and frozen. I'm sure the money I spend in electricity is negligible compared to what I save.
Now I'm all for advocating people to buy a bag of apples rather than a bag of chips, but for those of us who are in the process of weaning ourselves from junk food and easing into a healthier lifestyle, there is an alternative to potato chips. It's called SunChips, I'm sure many of you have heard of this brand and they're TO DIE FOR delish! They're expensive - $3.00/bag - and I can scarf down a bag in two days, but for someone transitioning or someone who wants a "bad" treat from the old days, it's a better choice. Not THE choice, a better one.
Rather than having a regular sized bag of SunChips, or Baked Lays or what have you in the house (because even though they are baked, etc. I still tend to overeat them-even if I stay in my calorie range.) I like to get the "single serving" size of a low fat chip and that way, when it is gone, it's GONE. If I only buy one serving...it is all I can eat. They sell the single serving size bags at any Subway restaurant.
It often seems like I pay more for food than I ever did, but it can be a bit misleading just looking at how much I pay at the supermarket. Yes, the bill is more, but because I plan my food carefully that's pretty much the only money I spend on food each week. I take my breakfast and lunch into work (and an evening meal if I'm going out after work), and I buy everything in one shop rather than stocking up every day or so and risking temptation when I go in there.
It probably does cost more than if I took the same approach with unhealthy food, but it costs less than the way I used to eat unhealthy food. And anyway, the results are definitely worth it
Rather than having a regular sized bag of SunChips, or Baked Lays or what have you in the house (because even though they are baked, etc. I still tend to overeat them-even if I stay in my calorie range.) I like to get the "single serving" size of a low fat chip and that way, when it is gone, it's GONE. If I only buy one serving...it is all I can eat. They sell the single serving size bags at any Subway restaurant.
I actually saw at my grocery store for the first time this week: 100-calorie packs of Doritos and SunChips. If you do better with having the servings already sorted out for you, then these are probably an excellent choice. Sometimes, I can have just one pack at a time, but sometimes it;s a danger to even have multiple small packs in the house because I will then eat multiple--all depends on how much self control you have or how compulsive of an eater you are, I suppose. Thought it was a fitting suggestion, though BTW, I was only in the chip isle to buy some baked, low-fat Tostitos (90 calories per serving) so I could make a healthier alternative at home to restaurant nachos (1 can of low-fat turkey chili, some reduced-fat shredded cheddar/Mexican blend cheeses, some low-fat cream cheese, chili powder, and onion all melted in my crockpot served with the chips and some fat-free sour cream--YUM! and I shared them with my boyfriend so I wouldn't eat them all myself ).
Thought about this thread last night at the QFC - awesome sales. Big bags of spinach were buy one get one free, blueberries were buy one get one free, yellow peppers were 3 for 1.50 (usually 1.99 EACH). Mangos were 5 for 5.00. Copper river salmon was on sale too I looked at my receipt and I saved over 14.00 from my total bill. Gotta love summer
Speaking for myself, although I do spend more in the supermarket when I eat healthy, OVERALL I spend a lot less money because I am not constantly grabbing take-out which adds up very quickly. I go to the supermarket, buy food and don't spend money on food until the next time I need to buy food for the house. When I eat crap, I stock up, usually binge on it the entire day and am right back at the store a day or two later to get more. So yes, if I'm doing major food shopping the bill is higher when I eat healthier. But when I eat crap, I make more trips to the supermarket plus I eat take-out on top of that and I find that I my money stretches longer when I eat better.
Thought about this thread last night at the QFC - awesome sales. Big bags of spinach were buy one get one free, blueberries were buy one get one free, yellow peppers were 3 for 1.50 (usually 1.99 EACH). Mangos were 5 for 5.00. Copper river salmon was on sale too I looked at my receipt and I saved over 14.00 from my total bill. Gotta love summer
Is the QFC a store or is it some sort of farmers' market or something? Sounds to me like the west-coasters get all the good deals...maybe I need to move. Of course, the grass is always greener...
I was shopping the other day and saw we have bags of spinach on sale buy one, get one free--I was so excited until I discovered that it only applied to regular spinach and not baby spinach I don't like regular spinach in my salads or sandwiches at all, only baby spinach. So, maybe one of the reasons I have to spend more money, too, is that I'm just plain a picky eater. I love Little Debbie snack cakes of any variety, almost any kind of chips, but come produce, I'll only eat certain things (and not for lack of trying, believe me! I can't even fathom how much I have spent on new things to try only to end up throwing them away ).
When I lived alone, I didn't eat as healthfully as I do now (I worry about my boyfriend because he eats fast food for lunch nearly 5 days a week, so I make sure we have healthy dinners and breakfasts at home and usually only fruit to snack on), but I still wasn't stopping for fast food all the time. I was spending less than half of what I spend now, and I even brought my dinner to work with me every day even though I worked at a restaurant (wouldn't chance the calories in THAT food!). Like I said, I wasn't eating as healthfully--I was counting calories, but still eating junk (processed microwavable mac n cheese, chef boyardee meals of beefaroni, spaghetti o's, things like that). So for me personally, the fast food factor has been pretty consistent no matter what--granted now it's more likely to be Subway than Wendy's
Is the QFC a store or is it some sort of farmers' market or something? Sounds to me like the west-coasters get all the good deals...maybe I need to move. Of course, the grass is always greener...
I was shopping the other day and saw we have bags of spinach on sale buy one, get one free--I was so excited until I discovered that it only applied to regular spinach and not baby spinach I don't like regular spinach in my salads or sandwiches at all, only baby spinach.
Yeah, QFC (Quality Food Center) is a NW chain, it's just a regular grocery store, nothing fancy like a farmer's market. I know I can use my QFC shopper card at Ralph's in California and Kroger's in North Carolina, so it must all be owned by the same company.
What about wilting spinach? I put about half a bag in a saucepan with a tiny bit of oil, garlic and lemon juice until it reduces. I love wilted spinach Raw spinach is good for you, but cooking spinach gives it different nutritional qualities.
), and they were all tiny little grapes (think peanut M&M size), whereas the place with better produce has normal-sized (about the size of a nickel?) grapes that aren't all squished for a higher price. So yeah, I pay the higher price because I know I'd be more likely to eat the juicy, healthier-looking ones
I wish I had a chest freezer!!
BTW, I was only in the chip isle to buy some baked, low-fat Tostitos (90 calories per serving) so I could make a healthier alternative at home to restaurant nachos (1 can of low-fat turkey chili, some reduced-fat shredded cheddar/Mexican blend cheeses, some low-fat cream cheese, chili powder, and onion all melted in my crockpot served with the chips and some fat-free sour cream--YUM! and I shared them with my boyfriend so I wouldn't eat them all myself 
).
I don't like regular spinach in my salads or sandwiches at all, only baby spinach. So, maybe one of the reasons I have to spend more money, too, is that I'm just plain a picky eater. I love Little Debbie snack cakes of any variety, almost any kind of chips, but come produce, I'll only eat certain things (and not for lack of trying, believe me! I can't even fathom how much I have spent on new things to try only to end up throwing them away 