My first job was a grocery store cashier at a Southeastern chain called Publix. When I left Miami for college in Pittsburgh, I was really sad to leave such a great grocery store… and was very disappointed in the Pennsylvania chain Giant Eagle. It just wasn’t the same!
We’ll have a Costco when we move to Charlotte, but we won’t have a Publix anymore – I’m sad! Isn’t it funny how attached we get to certain grocery stores?
As I’ve written about before, the Husband and I split our shopping between Publix and Costco. We buy a lot of “dry†products at Costco and fresh produce at Publix.
Here’s a list of what we buy at Costco.
At the regular grocery store, I make a real effort to ‘shop the perimeter’ because most of the junky, highly processed, and nutritionally void food-like substances (whew!) are in the middle aisles.
Of course, I do venture into the middle aisles for some healthy items, but I do spend most of my time (and money) in the produce section. I’d say that most of the food we buy at Publix is produce.
One thing I struggle with is deciding between conventional vs. organic produce. Maybe you assumed I eat mostly organic produce, but actually – I don’t. Sadly, the reason is mostly cost-based, as our grocery bills are already insanely high (maybe $300 to $400 a month?). I try to choose local produce whenever possible, though. But sometimes I forget and just toss blueberries from Brazil or something NUTS into the cart. 🙁
Coupons help!
Here’s what I grabbed today (from memory, so this is an incomplete list):
- Chobani yogurt
- Organic eggs
- Pinto and black beans
- Whole wheat wraps
- Parsnips
- Sweet potatoes
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Zucchini
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Squash
- Melon
- Organic Ketchup
- Broccoli
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Sprouts
- Balsamic vinegar
- Arnold Sandwich Thins
- Chips + salsa
- Dog food
- Organic Chicken Nuggets <— for my friend’s toddler. They are coming to visit us tomorrow night for a week. I refused to buy him Tyson chicken nuggets, so I hope he likes these! I almost got him vegetarian soy nuggets but decided I would probably end up with nuggets on the floor. And his parents might hate me.
All in all, a pricey excursion but now my fridge is stocked! Nothing feels as good as a stocked fridge after a long vacation.
Breakfast:
I had a wonderful bowl of oatmeal with two special ingredients!
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1 banana
- P{inch of sea salt <— made the flavors come out! Must add salt to my oatmeal everyday now!
- Toppings: Cashews, strawberries, and sesame seeds. The sesame seeds were an awesome addition!
Snack was some Dakota bread.
And lunch was an AMAZING grilled veggie sandwich (on more Dakota bread!).
Hey, I might live in a tiny apartment (for the next 21 days!) but I can still grill with the best of them thanks to my George Foreman!
On the sandwich:
- Grilled zucchini
- Grilled squash
- Grilled mushrooms
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Drizzle of balsamic reduction
Balsamic reduction > cheese!
All together now… with strawberries:
Back to work I go… after pretty much being away for 2+ weeks, my desk is EXPLODING with paperwork.
Are you super-attached to your grocery store? What’s your favorite grocery store? Do you shop at multiple stores to secure the best deals?
My favorite grocery store (Newflower Farmer’s Market) just CLOSED. And I am super depressed. It had everything. And it was cheap. But it was never busy so I’m not surprised that it closed. It is down the street from Whole Foods which I’m sure did some damage to its customer base.
Now I usually do my shopping at Sprouts. However, I’ve been really struggling with my finances so I’ve had to do my shopping lately at Wal-Mart (boo hiss!) and I hate giving them my business on a regular basis if I don’t have to.
So for now, I’m getting my finances back in order so I can regularly shop again!!
I’ll be making your biscuit casserole tonight! I just have to pick up some hummus.