Nowadays, it's easier than ever to buy the freshest produce at your local grocery store. There are several smart strategies you can use to ensure that you get the most out of every dollar you spend on groceries. After reading this article, you'll know how to get the most bang for your buck.
You can save money by not buying perfect fruit and vegetables. If you know the staff at your grocery store, ask them for samples or discounts on past-due produce. Not shopping hungry is also an effective way to purchase just what you need & not over-spend. If you are flexible with your fruit and vegetable preferences, wait until they hit their peak season before purchasing them. Peak season fruits and local produce are usually less priced than items that are imported from other countries.
Tip 1: Shop Around
The prices for fresh fruit and vegetables vary greatly between grocers because they all sell similar products. If you want to buy the freshest produce, shop around. The grocer with the lowest prices isn't always the best place to buy groceries. If you're on a budget, focus your shopping at discount retailers like Aldi. However, if you want to make sure that you leave the store with the freshest produce possible, find out which grocer in your area has the best quality fruit and vegetables at the best price before you go grocery shopping. Knowing delivery times of local groceries will also ensure you get the freshest produce.
Tip 2: Don't shop hungry
Not only will shopping when you're hungry cause you to overspend on things that aren't food, but it can also encourage you to purchase more than you actually need. Before going grocery shopping, eat a meal so that you can make realistic decisions when you're in the store. Grocery shopping on an empty stomach will also make you buy unhealthy foods due to cravings. There are many research papers that talk about this issue: people tend to buy increasingly unhealthy foods when shopping hungry, therefore resulting in increased weights and other health issues. Here is one such paper that talks about this problem: Fattening Faster by Tal and Wansick.
Tip 3: Buy Imperfect
Not everything at the grocery store has to look perfect. Some people avoid buying anything that looks less than pristine because they want their produce to look aesthetically pleasing. However, there are actually a lot of benefits to buying produce that isn't picture-perfect. For one thing, produce that isn't ideal for display is usually much cheaper than other produce. For another, this produce is just as good for you and tastes the same as its appearance-impaired counterparts, but it's picked when it's ripe instead of having to wait for it to get there naturally. You can take advantage of these benefits by buying "ugly" produce like potatoes with various blemishes or fruits that don't match the norm. One such program that delivers imperfect food to your doorstep is Imperfect Foods. Just as the name suggests, they deliver less than perfect fresh produce to your doorstep - this not only reduces food waste on a national level but also gives local farmers a chance to sell their produce which grocery stores refused to purchase.
Check out their website for more information: https://www.imperfectfoods.com/
Tip 4: Check Out Your Local Farmers' Markets
Just as shoppers who go to a discount retailer save money, those who shop for fresh produce when it's in season can also save money. If you want to buy produce that will taste great and stay fresh for as long as possible, purchase what's currently in season. One simple way to buy what is in season is to visit the local farmers' market. These markets not only showcase fresh produce, but you can also get some really nice options for homemade and homegrown cheeses, breads, eggs, and fresh meats.
Bonus Tip: Most sellers at farmers markets are SNAP-eligible. So, these markets are a great way to shop fresh on a budget.
Just remember that these markets have specific schedules. For example, some markets open only on the weekends and in the mornings. So, make sure you are aware of these hours before you plan on visiting a farmers market.
This is a great resource to find a market close to you: https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/state-map/
Pro-tip: If you see an "outdoor" market closed for the Winters, make sure to find out if there is an "indoor" equivalent to that market. Some indoor farmers markets stay open throughout Winters!
Tip 5: Use Your Freezer
Ideally if you are shopping fresh, you want your produce to stay fresh till the time you use it. But fresh produce goes bad really fast. To make the most of your bulk purchase, make full use of your freezer.
Most items will low water content will hold in the freezer really well.
I recommend washing your fresh produce in cold water (except veg like onions), air drying it, and then chopping it roughly to store it in the freezer.
Here are some items you can store in the freezer with minimal prep:
Peppers and chilies: just wash and freeze. You can chop bell peppers into chunks, but not needed.
Garlic: peel and freeze. Grate when needed.
Ginger: wash, dry, and freeze. No need to peel if you cleaned it well. If you want to peel the skin, peel before freezing. Grate when needed.
Onions: peel, chop, freeze
Peas: de-shell & freeze
Broccoli, cauliflower, corn, carrots, squash: clean, chop ( remove from cob) and freeze.
Kale, spinach, other leafy vegetables: You can either sauté them in very less oil OR wash them & freeze when they are wet. Washing & freezing wet leafy vegetables is what manufacturing units do. Make sure there is not too much water. Keep your vegetables wet but not soaking wet.
Herbs: these can be frozen in olive oil. Just get an ice tray, fill it with some oil (no water) and add your herbs. Freeze! When you want to use it, just pop 1-2 herb cube on the hot pan and the oil will start to melt.
There are some items you can not freeze though because they have a high water content and will crystallize when you thaw them. Items like tomatoes and cucumbers are an example.
But you can cook these down to freeze them. For example, you can make a quick tomato sauce and freeze the sauce. OR you can make a quick cucumber soup and freeze that.
The cooked food will hold well in the freezer as opposed to uncooked food with high water content.
To sum up:
Shopping for fresh produce can be expensive, but there are a few strategies that you can use to bring the price down. Don't shop hungry and don't worry about buying perfect-looking produce. Buy fresh, in-season & local fruits and vegetables from the farmers market. Use the freezer to your advantage!
Keep these tips in mind and you can enjoy fresh, great-tasting fruit and vegetables without breaking the bank.
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