Successful Shopping Strategies

• Try to list out balanced meal ideas for the week, keeping in mind the days you'll have time to cook from scratch and days you'll be pressed for time.
• When time is short, opt for nutritious convenience items. For instance, couple frozen entrées with ready-to-eat produce.
• If you plan pizza one night, shop for salad, low-fat milk and fruit to balance it out.
• Make a grocery list, stick to it.

• Look for "round" or "loin" for leaner meat cuts.
• Look for "whole grain" when choosing breads and pastas.

• The salad bar is convenient, but items on it are typically costly.
• Purchase in-season produce.
• Buy only the produce you can use in 3-4 days. The nutritional value and quality decline beyond that time.
• Purchase canned and frozen fruits and veggies, too—they’ll last longer.
• Use local farmers markets when possible; the foods are fresher.

• You’ll be able to stick to your list better on a full stomach.

Be a Food Inspector

• Examine your items.
• Make sure they’re free of cracks or dents.
• Check expiration or sell-by dates.

• Identify the content of key nutrients, such as saturated fat (choose less), trans fat (choose less), fiber (choose more) and calories.
• Make calories count. Compare the calories to the nutrients you'll be getting. When one serving of a food has over 400 calories, it's high in calories.
• Ingredients on the label are listed in decreasing order by weight. Make sure added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. These include: sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup and fructose.

Save Money

• Clip coupons or find stores that price match.
• Review store ads before shopping; check for reward offers while shopping.
• Stock up on sale items in amounts you can use in a timely manner.
• Shop up and down, since costly items are often placed at your eye level. Store brands are often (but not always) cheaper than popular brands.
• Buy in bulk, when it's of good quality and value.
• For the best value, compare unit-prices.