Bang for your buck! ~at your favorite grocery store~

Bang for your buck!~at your favorite grocery store~ Yasuko Kato Sodexo 2014 Intern

Learning Objectives • At the end of the “Lunch and Learn”, you will be able to: • Prepare for your shopping • Calculate unit prices • Read food labels • Select lower-cost produce, whole grain, protein and dairy foods

Ice Breaker • What is your way of saving money when you are trying to make healthy choices?

Preparing for your shopping • Be familiar with store layout • More time spent = More $$ spent • Make a list • Check in your refrigerator and pantry before shopping • Set a budget • Avoid shopping when hungry • Eat a snack before you shop • Drink a glass of water

What does store layout mean? Milk Eggs Cheese Lunch meat Fish Produce Meat Poultry Ice cream Candy Flowers Alcohol Snacks Seasonal Items Cashier Bakery/Deli Customer Service ATM

Shopping for Produce • Tip 1: Buy fresh produce in season • Tip 2: Buy whole produce • Tip 3: Buy fresh produce in bulk • Tip 4: Compare unit prices

Comparing unit prices • Don’t be fooled by the “Retail price”

When unit price is not listed • Unit price = Retail price/# of units (Unit price = $1.99  15 oz = $0.13)

Shopping for packaged items • Tip 1: Read Food Labels to check • Tip 2: Aim low on calories, sat fat, sodium and sugars

Food Labels • How much is serving size? • Total calories and fat per serving? • What is % Daily Value? • Fat,  Cholesterol,  Sodium • Fiber,  Calcium, Iron

Shopping for Whole grains • Tip 1: Find whole grains for grain foods • Tip 2: Buy in bulk (store in airtight containers) • Tip 3: Bread or tortillas can be frozen for up to 6 months • Tip 4: Use them in a different ways (french toast, stuffing, bread crumbs etc)

Whole grain • The first ingredient should be a whole grain • Whole (name of grain, like wheat, rye, or oats) • Whole grain (name of grain, like barley, flour, or cornmeal) • Oatmeal, Quinoa, Brown rice, Buckwheat

Looks like Whole Grain but…is it? • Brown bread… it can be brown because of molasses • A fancy name…“multigrain,”“100% wheat,”“cracked wheat,”“seven grain,” etc.

Shopping for protein • Tip 1: Have variety of protein option (meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds) • Tip 2: Buy in large quantity on sale, and freeze them • Tip 3: Look for less expensive seafood options (frozen or canned fishes) • Tip 4: Eggs, beans, and legumes are healthy and tend to be less expensive

Need a new recipe?! • Crunchy cashew quinoa salad • Ingredients • ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, 1-2 cups shredded red cabbage, 1 red bell pepper, diced, ½ red onion, diced, 1 cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ cup diced green onions, ½ cup cashew halves , 1 cup edamame or chickpeas, Fresh lime, for a bit of tang • For the dressing: ¼ cup all natural peanut butter, 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, 3 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, Water to thin, if necessary • Instructions • To cook quinoa: Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa. • To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil. • Fold cooked quinoa and all vegetables except cashews and green onions for garnish right before serving. The recipe is adopted from www.AmbitiousKitchen.com

!!!Breaking News!!! • Starting OCTOBER 2014, WIC will offer only SKIM and 1% milk for 2 years old and up.

Shopping for Dairy • Tip 1: Try gradually moving to lower-fat dairy foods • Tip 2: Mix higher-fat and lower-fat milk • Tip 3: Buy plain dairy foods and flavor them yourself • Tip 4: Larger containers tend to have a lower unit price • Tip 5: Dairy foods can be frozen

Quiz time! • What are two types of milk WIC will offer for > 2 years old after October, 2014?

Call to action • What would you start or change based on the information presented?

Reference • http://realsimple.com • http://www.eatright.org/public/content.aspx?id=1093 • http://www.cookingmatters.org • http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/crunchy-cashew-thai-quinoa-salad-with-ginger-peanut-dressing/

Bang for your buck! ~at your favorite grocery store~