Grocery shop like a pro!

Last week we had a pretty chaotic grocery store experience.  As we left the store and pushed our over-flowing cart into the parking lot, we realized that we had just committed some major grocery shopping “no nos.” We rolled through each aisle “window shopping” throwing anything and everything into the cart that sounded yummy (at the time). We were beyond hungry so we grabbed a bag of something salty and crunchy and munched until the bag was empty and at the check out counter, stared in shock as we realized we’d gone way over our weekly grocery budget.  So as we plan this week’s grocery outing, we’ve decided to figure out a few simple ways to make the experience and outcome easy, breezy and healthy.

1. Make a list. The last thing you want to do is browse.  Before you head to the store, figure out what you actually need for the week and organize the list by sections in the store so that you’re not making circles and ending up in aisles you don’t want to be in.
2. Plan a head.  When you make your list, plan for actual dinners and lunches.  But it’s also important to shop for all occasions; be prepared for Saturday morning pancake requests, savory after-school snacks like our Pull-a-Parts which are yummy and contain a serving of veggies in every box.  Don’t forget about that night you really don’t want to cook (which usually happens to us on Friday after a long week).  Your best option is to have lots of Peas of Pies on hand!  Quick, yummy and totally nutritious!  
3. Read and compare labels.  It’s so important to choose food with a few ingredients, if you find yourself reading the label of something for more then one minute, put it back.  You want to look for foods that contain fiber, vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium and foods that are low in sodium, trans and saturated fat and cholesterol.   
4. Don’t go hungry!  Your hunger pangs will fill your cart with things that may sound good at the time but usually they’re food you’ll really regret when you’re unpacking your groceries.
5. Bring a reusable bag.  This not only helps the environment but it allows you to think realistically about how much food you’ll be buying. If you get to check out and you have more food than you do bag space, you might want to rethink those two boxes of brownie mix that were buy one get one free. 
6. Pick out one new food (we highly recommend experimenting with a seasonal vegetables and grains).  This will help save you money (seasonal produce is usually on sale), encourage your family to try new foods and help you liven up your recipes.  Its win, win, win!

Who Does the Shopping?

With men taking on a more active role in the household and parenting duties, guys are doing a greater portion of grocery shopping than in the past. Does this hold true for your household?

Marketing folks are on it. Ads on ESPN now feature Dad and son passing a football out back and then coming in for bowls of cereal. 

photo from www.gourmetads.com

We are curious, have your household responsibilities shifted over time or have they stayed the same? Does the "man of your house" go to the grocery store? Does he go alone or with you... and if he goes alone do you feel he does as good a job with the shopping list?

Come With A Grocery List, Leave With A Flu Shot

Will you and your family be getting flu shots this year? This is definitely a heated topic and we wanted to know where you stand.

Let's start with some facts:

This year's flu vaccine protects against 3 strains, including H1N1. Supplies are plentiful enough that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months receive a flu shot this year. The only exceptions are elderly people with compromised immune systems and people with severe allergies to eggs (because eggs are used in the production of the vaccine).

We checked the CDC's website for the risks of getting a flu shot. "The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. The risk of a flu shot causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. However, a vaccine, like any medicine, may rarely cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. Almost all people who get influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it."

Then we heard this story on NPR which further sparked our interest on the topic:  Come With A Grocery List, Leave With A Flu Shot

" 'For very young infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, the vaccine simply won't be effective,'  says [Dr. Gregory A. Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group]. These groups cannot produce the antibodies they need after getting the vaccine.  So, he says, the only way we can protect them is to have the people around them protected against influenza.

The vaccine is now available at grocery stores, retailers, pharmacies and work sites. 'There are places where you don't even have to get out of your car. You can drive through, stick your arm out the window and get vaccinated.' " 

I asked my co-workers if they were going to get a flu shot this year. I got a wide array of answers. One person said that she never gets the flu shot and that getting sick is a natural part of life, followed up by not wanting to intentionally put something foreign into her body. While another gets one every year and swears by it. This year, the flu vaccine is as available and as accessible as ever. Will you and your family be getting it? What is your stance?