We will be having a Supermarket tour on Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 10-11am.

Let our Registered Dietitian teach you how to get the most out of your Grocery Shopping.

Learn how to:

Read Food Labels

Shop the perimeter of the store

Choose lean meat, fish, and poultry

Choose how fat dairy products

Choose healthy snacks

And a lot more...

 

 

Join Monika Kraus, RD for a Supermarket Tour

When: Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 10-11am

Where: Harris Teeter 120-100 St Albans Drive, Raleigh NC 27609

  

Please Contact us at at 919-232-9436 to sign up.

Only $5 to attend – preregistration is required

There are only 5 slots available. Don't miss out, sign up today.

 

Healthy Eating on a budget

Healthy Eating On a Budget 

It is important to eat healthy for your well-being and it is important to eat on a budget for your wallet. So how do you do both at the same time and be successful. Preparation is key. Below are some tips for success.

Before you shop

1. Look at weekly supermarket circulars in the newspaper, online, and in your weekly mail. They will give you great information about what products are on sale for the week.
2. Sign up for local supermarket discount programs. This can save you a lot of money at checkout. Many markets will also give you an option of receiving emails with current discount offers including double and triple coupon weeks.
3. CUT COUPONS – this is a great way to save money. You can find coupons in the newspaper, online, and at the market. Only keep the coupons you will actually use, otherwise you end up with a big pile of coupons that can be cumbersome to sort through. Some great online coupon sites include: smartsource, couponnetwork, and redplum. You can even buy coupons at a discounted price on ebay.
4. Be sure to develop your weekly meal plan prior to going to the market. Try to plan your meals around healthy foods that you already have at home, the foods on sale in the market, and your current coupons.
5. Look for healthy recipes. Try to develop a list of 10 easy to prepare healthy favorite recipes that you can cycle through. Each month try to add at least one recipe to the list and put away older ones that you no longer would like to use for awhile.

Food Shopping

1. Be creative as to where you shop. Try the market, superclubs, the local farmers market, or join a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA).
2. Shop with a plan – always have a list – and stick to it. Develop a shopping list based off of your weekly meal plan. This will help decrease impulse buys.
3. Limit your visit to the market to 1-2 times a week. Additional trips mean additional risk of impulse purchases.
4. Never go to the market hungry. It will lead to impulse buys.
         
5. Try to go to the market at less crowded times. Weekdays or early mornings on the weekends are often best. It is easier shop for healthy items when the market is less crowded.
6. Look high and low. Often the less expensive brands of food are not placed at eye level.
7. Try to shop the perimeter of the store for fresh foods. Try to avoid purchasing a lot of processed foods (which tend to be in the center of the market).
8. Purchase local produce that is in season. It is often picked only a day or two before you eat it – meaning more nutrients and better taste. It is also often less expensive. Farmers markets are a great place to find reasonably priced local produce.

Preparing Meals

1. Set aside time to prepare meals. It is a lot easier to prepare extra food when your schedule is less busy than coming home from work late and trying to put together a healthy meal.
2. Try to stick to your weekly meal plan. It will help to save time and money.
   
3. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and/or freezer (and remember to use them). This is a great way to save money and makes meal preparation easier when you do not have time to make a meal.
4. Have a vegetarian based meal 1-2 nights a week. It will likely be healthier and is less expensive than a meat based meal.
5. Invest in well-made freezer containers to store leftovers for future meals.

$$$ Enjoy your improved health and financial savings $$$