Posted Jan 27, 2013
1. Lettuce. Pound for pound, iceberg and romaine at my supermarket are comparable in price, but not in terms of nutrition. Romaine has much more Vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce. The full bunch of romaine has more of these vitamins than the stripped and more expensive romaine hearts. Think about that, the smaller, less nutritious product costs more than the larger healthier option. Guess which one I recommend?
2. An apple a day may cost you dearly. Don’t fall into the trap of buying the same fruits week after week. Apples can soar to $1 each. Rotate your fruit selection depending on the season and choose apples, oranges or bananas and you will save.
3. Substitute. An orange will provide all the Vitamin C you need in a day; so will 2 cups of chopped green cabbage, which costs about 2/ 3 less. You may not want to substitute cabbage for orange slices at breakfast, but consider tossing finely sliced cabbage into soups, salads, coleslaw or stir-fry for more nutrition.
4. Waste not. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that households waste between 10 to 40 percent of their grocery dollar. Purchasing bagged items means buying smaller fruits and vegetables, which can cut down on waste. Clean out your produce drawers when you make your shopping list. If you don’t have time to make soup, then cut the veggies up and put them in a freezer container. When the container is full, make soup out of it. When bananas are too ripe, then peel, slice and keep them in the freezer to add to blended drinks or banana bread.
5. Don’t fall for pricey add-ons. Those fresh, lovely strawberries are begging to jump into your cart and they are on sale. Right next to them, the store’s employees have helpfully arranged sponge cake and whipped topping, creating visions of strawberry shortcake dancing in your head. Resist the temptation to pay premium prices for convenience.
Stephanie Nelson, couponmom.com