Shopping for Food

Where to Shop Supermarkets Warehouse stores Food cooperatives Health food stores Specialty stores Convenience stores Farmer’s markets

Supermarkets  Large stores that sell food and other items Warehouse stores  Prices are lower, limited variety of items Food cooperatives  Low-cost option, members, mutually owned and operated by a group of people. Members buy food in quantity, sort, and unload food themselves.

Health food stores  More expensive, sell foods seldom found elsewhere Specialty stores  Limited to specific items such as meat, baked goods, delicatessen foods, ethnic foods, etc. Convenience stores  Open early, close late, do not carry full line of groceries. More expensive. Farmer’s markets  Greengrocers- Specialize in fruits and vegetables.

When to Shop How often should you shop?  Depends on storage space  Over half of all American families shop once a week

Which days should you shop? Advertise on Wednesdays for special prices on Thurs-weekend

What time of day should you shop? After mealtimes Studies show people spend 15% more with empty stomachs Steer clear of early evenings and weekends (very crowded)

A Shopping List (Market Order) MAKE ONE!  It saves time and $$$$

Food Labels Basic Information “You may not be able to tell a book by its cover but you can tell what’s in a food product by its label.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does regulate what goes on food labels.

Basic Information on Food Labels What food is in the container? How much food is in the container? Who manufactured, packed, or distributed the food? Where is the company located? What ingredients are in the food?

Nutrition Information Serving Size Calories Nutrient amounts and Daily Values

Label Language “High in…” - One serving of the food provides at least 20% of the Daily Value for the specified nutrient “Good source of”- This means that one serving of the food contains 10 to 19% of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient

“Organically grown” - Fresh or processed food was grown or produced—typically, without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Low- Food can be eaten frequently without exceeding recommended amounts of the indicated nutrient  Fat, saturated fat, sodium, calories

“….Free”- A food package that uses this claim has an amount of the ingredient in question so small that is not likely to affect your body

“Reduced…”, “Less….”, or “Fewer….”- Product must have at least 25 percent less of something than a comparable food

Product Dating “Sell by” date “Use by” date