Supermarket Savvy

1. Supermarket Savvy More Nutrition for Your $ Arizona Nutrition Network January 30, 2009 Sharon Hoelscher Day, CFCS Area Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences University of Arizona Cooperative Extension

2. What do families spend?? • How much did you spend the last time you went to the grocery store? • How much do you spend on all food? • Per person per month • Family for a month

3. Cost of Eating Healthy • Billions around the world eat on $1/day • Food Stamp - SNAP • Arizona average $112.38/month per person • $3.73 per day per person • $271.88/ Arizona SNAP household/month • $9.06 per day per AZ SNAP household • Average American spends $7/day Parker-Pope, New York Time, Nov. 3, 2008 AZ DES, Oct. 2008

4. Cost of Eating Healthy • Low-Cost - month • 1 Adult = $195 • Family 4 = $666.30 • Thrifty Plan - month • 1 Adult = $ 154.90 • Family 4 = $525.80 • $17.53/day • Liberal - month • 1 Adult = $307.20 • Family 4 = $1016.90 • Moderate - month • 1 Adult = $239.80 • Family 4 = $821.20 USDA Official Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home Nov. 2008

5. Eating Healthy in the Media • Dollar a Day - couple in CA • http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/ • Food Stamp Challenge • Michigan Governor tried $5.87/day • Oregon governor ate on $3/day Parker-Pope, New York Time, Nov. 3, 2008

6. Cost of Eating Healthy • Low income or high school or less education • More likely to consider food price important • Considered fresh fruits & vegetables too expensive • Consumed less energy • Consumed less milk and non-starchy vegetables • Drank more sweetened fruit drinks • More likely to add fat to vegetables & fried meat • More likely overweight plus health problems Bowman, Qualitative & Quantitative Assessment of Community Based Nutrition Programs, June 2006

7. Price of a Calorie • $1.76 for 1000 Kcalories “energy dense” junk foods • Cost Increased 1.8 percent in 2 years • $18.16 for 1000 Kcalories “low energy”, high nutrition foods • Cost Increased 19.5 percent in 2 years Drewnowski, Univ. of Washington, 2007 Journal of Amer. Dietetic Assoc.

8. Eating Healthy in the Media • Eating local • Eat more plants to save the world! • Slow food • Organics • Vegetarians, Vegans & pescetarians

9. Barriers to Good Nutrition • Money and . . . ??? • Break into groups of 3 and brainstorm for 5 minutes • What are other barriers to good nutrition for the SNAP families you work with? • How can we overcome those barriers?

10. Barriers & Solutions • Lack of storage • Limited cooking skills • Limited cooking equipment & utensils • Poor refrigeration • Limited transportation • Time squeeze with jobs • Vary by community • Others . . .

11. Usual Suspects . . . • Cook from scratch • Use coupons wisely • Purchase fruits & veggies in season • Plan meals with nutrition in mind!!! • MyPyramid.gov • http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/ • Low Cost 2 week recipes - pdf file • http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood.htm

12. Supermarket Savvy • Shop the perimeter • Limit items from the middle of the store • Buy more single ingredient foods • Store brands • Quality & nutrition similar to national brands • Limit processed foods • Anything in a box

13. Store Brand vs. National Fry’s Foods, January 2009

14. Store Brand vs. National Fry’s Foods, January 2009

15. Shops the specials • Plan meals around sale specials • Especially expensive items • Meat and milk • Stock up on canned produce • Choose low cost protein • Rice, beans • Eat more plants, less meat

16. Freezing Meat on Sale • It’s safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its supermarket wrapping but this type of wrap is permeable to air. • Unless the food will be used in a month or two, over wrap these packages for long-term storage using airtight heavy-duty foil, (freezer) plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a (freezer) plastic bag. USDA Food Safety & Inspection

17. Freezing Meat on Sale • At 0 degrees F, frozen foods remain safe indefinitely, but quality decreases. • Frozen raw ground meat maintains optimum quality for 3 to 4 months. • Larger pieces of meat like steaks or chops maintain optimum quality for 4 to 12 months. • The safest way to thaw meat is in the refrigerator on a plate on the bottom shelf so it doesn’t drip on other foods. USDA Food Safety & Inspection

18. Cost of Protein • How much is needed for 20 grams? • 3 eggs • 3 oz chicken or ground beef • 2 cups milk • 3.5 oz cheddar cheese • 2 cups cooked rice • 1 cup soybeans • 3 oz tuna • 4.5 Tablespoons peanut butter • 1.5 cups beans • 10 slices of bread What is Protein?, G. Lauritzen Utah State U. Cooperative Extension

19. Cost of Protein Fry’s Foods, January 2009

20. Cost of Protein Fry’s Foods, January 2009

21. Store Brand vs. National Fry’s Foods, January 2009

22. Store Brand vs. National

23. Healthy Foods Under $1 • Oatmeal • Eggs - half dozen • Kale • Potatoes • sweet or white • Apples • Bananas • Beans • Butternut squash • in season • Broccoli • Whole grain pasta • Milk • Rice Parker-Pope, New York Time, Dec. 29, 2008

24. MORE Healthy Foods Under $1 • Canned Pumpkin • Beets • Carrots • Spinach & dark greens • Tuna • Tea • Sweet potatoes • Yogurt • Canned tuna • Tofu • Frozen berries UA WorkLife Connection 2008 Parker-Pope, New York Time, Dec. 29, 2008

25. Save on Snacks • Buying one less bag of chips weekly • Save $2.50 - $3.80 per week • $130 - $198 in a year • Make your own popcorn • Low cost, high fiber, whole grain

26. Save on Produce • Balance conventional vs. organic • Fruit & vegetables in season • Look for low sodium canned • Frozen fruits and vegetables have similar nutrition to fresh and can be much less expensive

27. Fresh vs. Frozen Fry’s Foods, January 2009

28. Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Frozen Fry’s Foods, January 2009

29. Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned Fry’s Foods, January 2009

30. Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned Fry’s Foods, January 2009

31. Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned Fry’s Foods, January 2009

32. Think your Drink!! • Purchase high nutrition drinks • Milk • 100% juice • Buy a reusable water bottle and fill with tap water instead of buying bottled water • SAVE $4-6 / week • $298 - $312 / year

33. Barriers into solutions • Turn less healthy foods into healthier ones • Ramen noodles - 15 cents for 2 servings • BUT 880 mg sodium and 190 calories/serving • Use half the seasoning packet • Add canned or frozen vegetables • Add left over chicken or canned tuna for entre • Complete meal

34. Keep a grocery list • Saves gas money on extra supermarket trips • Reduces impulse purchases • Easy access in kitchen • Stay flexible for sales • Divide into groups of 3 • Pick 2 stores and select food a day under $10

35. Savings Examples • Save gas for extra trip driving 6 miles to store • $1 - $2 • Save on impulse purchase • $1.50 bottle of soda • $2.80 1 lb. crackers • $4.79 for twelve 1.25 oz Cheeze Its Mini packs

36. Reduce food waste • Money is tossed when food is tossed! • $1 - $10 per week of the trash! • $52 - $520 per year • Buy only what you need!

37. Reduce food waste • “Reuse” it in menus more often – serve more salads; add to sandwiches, tacos or enchiladas; make “wrap” sandwiches • Eating your lettuce before it gets “tired” and needs to be tossed!

38. Savings Examples • Too many mashed potatoes? • Reduce the amount made • Recycle in a day or two as potato patties, shepherd’s pie, potato soup • Bananas too ripe? • Recycle in banana bread or smoothies

39. Don’t Shop Hungry • Extra costs of hunger • $1.40 candy bar to tide you over until you get done • $1.50 bottle of soda • If ONLY once per week, totals$150 in year

40. Pack lunches and snacks • It can be as simple as a peanut butter sandwich and piece of whole fruit • Or, leftovers fromlast night • Save $5 – 1$5/week

41. Choose convenience foods wisely • How much time & money are really saved! • Microwaving regular oatmeal takes only a few minutes more than pouring hot water over a pre-measured package • Cutting your own fruits and veggies saves money – they keep longer than precut ones, too!

42. Choose convenience foods wisely • Buying a carton of oatmeal providing 30 servings vs. buying 3 boxes with 10 instant oatmeal packets each • Savings $5.50

43. Stock up on Staples Sales • Tuna • Cereal • Tomato sauce • Canned vegetables • Store brands are comparable in nutrition to name brands

44. Store Brand Savings Fry’s Foods, January 2009

45. Buy Bulk for Nutrition • Buying a 5-pound instead of a 1-pound bag of rice (if you serve rice frequently) • Only if you can safely store and use it!

46. Bulk & Convenience Savings Fry’s Foods, January 2009

47. Bulk & Convenience Savings

48. Cost of Eating Healthy • A dollar saved is even better than a dollar earned • You don’t have to pay taxes on it! • 10% saved Better than Interest %

49. More information Sharon Hoelscher Day shday@ag.arizona.edu Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension USDA, New York Times, NBC Alice Henneman, MS, RD University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension • http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/supermarket-savings.shtml Brand names are only used as examples and no endorsement is implied