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Find
the health food in big-box stores
February 15, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Looking
for good prices on quality, high-nutrition convenience foods
and staples? You might be surprised at what you can find in
the towering big-box store grocery aisles.
Warehouse stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s
sell name brand products as well as natural foods brands and
organic foods at prices as low as one half or more less than
prices at conventional supermarkets. Many of these products
merit a permanent spot on your shopping list. Here are some
examples:
* Fresh, prepared foods. Buy tubs of plain or flavored hummus
(garbanzo bean spread) and tabouli, a Middle Eastern wheat
salad mixed with chopped parsley, mint, tomato, onions, and
lemon juice (good in pocket sandwiches or as a side dish).
Costco sells a 22-ounce jar of a co-branded (CIBO and Kirkland
brands) fresh pesto for half to two-thirds less than other
brands sold in supermarkets. Mix it into cooked whole wheat
pasta tossed with toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh tomatoes.
Other good buys: fresh salsa and party trays of cut up fresh
vegetables or fruit.
* Other convenience foods. Veggie burger patties keep for
several months in the freezer. Pan fry them in a skillet with
sliced onions and serve on wholegrain toast or rolls. Buy
bags of prewashed salad greens and pre-cut vegetables, but
eat some every day so that you use them up before they go
bad. Take tossed salads to work, and add salad greens to sandwiches.
Add cooked vegetables to pasta. Minced garlic in oversized
bottles encourages you to use it by the scoopful in chili,
stew or cooked greens.
* Cupboard and refrigerator staples. Buy whole grain cereals
such as Wheat Chex, Raisin Bran, Cheerios and rolled oats.
Large bottles of extra virgin olive oil are a very good buy
if you cook with olive oil regularly (oil goes rancid over
time). Soy milk, pasta sauce, bottled artichoke hearts for
marinated vegetable salads or pizza topping, sundried tomatoes,
walnuts, almonds, pecans, and fresh fruits and vegetables
are also good deals.
Be mindful that big-box store grocery shopping has some pitfalls.
To shop them to your best advantage, it’s important
to keep these tips in mind:
* It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. An
abundance of food can trigger a desire for bigger portions
and more frequent snacking. If a bundle of six boxes of whole
grain crackers is more than you can resist, you may be better
off paying more for less. In that case, consider smaller containers
of discounted organic and private label products at stores
like Target and Trader Joe’s.
* Large quantities bring storage challenges. Rotate foods
by using older products first and stacking new purchases in
the back. Be careful about storing food in the garage –
bugs can get into cereals, crackers and dry mixes, even those
stored in tightly sealed bags. If space is a problem in your
pantry, remove foods – such as multiple bags of dry
cereal – from outer boxes, which take up extra space.
* Shop with a list. It’s the best way to ensure you
come home with what you need and that you leave the high calorie
junk foods behind.
And once your home is stocked with good-for-you staples, you’ll
be more likely – and better equipped – to prepare
and eat more of your meals there.
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