Supermarket Bliss
by Tess F. |
January 17, 2012 05:26 PM |
2 comments
Tess F.
Location:
Cranford, NJ
Favorite Flavor:
Pumpkin Spice
If you could travel back in time, what era would you live in? I like where I am now. Facebook. iPhones. Movies on Demand.
How do you unwind after a long day? DVR'd TV with my husband, who always makes me laugh.
Three things you cannot live without…My family, my iPhone, my coffee.
I am a member of the Coffee-mate Brew Crew.
I’m not gonna lie. I love grocery shopping. Sure, the bill freaks me out every week (our monthly food expenditures are undoubtedly on-par with my monthly salary my first year out of college—after taxes, of course). And since I’m a bit of a germaphobe, it’s definitely essential to keep one of those spray sanitizers in my pocket at all times.
But what I really look forward to is the opportunity it gives me to escape. I throw on my earbuds, tune out my fellow shoppers, and just enjoy the time to myself.
Over the past year or so, I’ve also started to relish in my role of “smart, savvy mom-shopper.” (wow, I’m getting old!) This involves not only a keen eye for savings (10 for $10 is a big favorite), but also a considerable amount of attention to nutrition and health.
But here is where I am amazed. With everybody so health-focused these days, the food industry has absolutely stepped up to the plate. At my local supermarkets, there are entire aisles dedicated to smarter choices, not to mention gluten-free, sugar-free, lactose-free, and the like. Most of our favorite varieties and brands (including Coffee-mate with its Natural Bliss line), have developed “whole-grain,” “all-natural,” and “low fat” options. That’s not even considering entire operations like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s that cater to the more health-conscious crowd.
With my kids at least, I feel like it’s super-easy to make whole-grain pastas, breads, crackers, and waffles, low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, all-natural peanut butter, and lots of and fruits and veggies mealtime staples. It’s all I’ve ever served them, so their virgin palettes don’t know anything else.
With my husband it’s tougher, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. For example, he’s often so wow’ed by alfredo sauce instead of our usual marinara, that he doesn’t notice there is a much larger ratio of vegetables and chicken than there is (whole wheat) pasta and sauce. It’s also easy enough—in fact, much easier—to throw his favorite beat-up steak supper in the oven rather than fry it in a greasy pan.
So what’s your take? Do you find it simple or challenging to make health-conscious choices for your family? What are your favorite tips, tricks, and products? And what would you like to see more of on grocery shelves?