Groceries

     The other day I was at the grocery store and was buying up their kale.  I buy a lot of kale because I have green smoothies.  The cashier asked so what's with all the kale.  I told him we don't eat meat, and kale has a lot of protein in it.  He wasn't really into listening, so the conversation ended there. 

     You can tell a lot about people by what they have in their grocery carts.  Please don't think from this article that I'm judging people in any way, but you really can tell what kind of people they are by what they eat.  At Walmart when I bought all that kale, there was a family with a mom and dad and children, all very large and over weight.  The dad was in a motorized cart, telling the kids what to put into the cart, all of it processed foods.  I thought to myself how sad that you are relatively young (middle 40s) and not walking through the store.  His ankles were huge.  I can't imagine the life they lead.  Now okay, he may have just had surgery or had a sprain, but those foods certainly were not going to help his situation. 

     How do I grocery shop you ask?  I stay out of the middle sections of the store where all the processed foods reside.  I do venture into where the soy milk is so I can make yogurt.  Or I do happen into where canned and dry beans are and sauces for Mexican foods, but for the most part I stay in the fresh produce isle. 

     Have you noticed how foods are marketed?  They are eye catching.  They market to children, with fun logos ie Skittles "taste the rainbow" or all the cereal boxes with Disney characters on them.  So inviting to small eyes.  I remember Frosted Flakes with Tony the Tiger.  Okay everyone, I'm almost 60 years old, and to this day I still remember his name, and how he used to say "They're Great!"  It has stuck in my brain all these years.  He is still on the box!

     Have you gone into the produce isle?  I have to be honest.  When we were struggling more than once in our married lives we would go to the store, coupons in hand and get things cheap!  All the wrong stuff I might add.  The produce isle seemed too expensive.  I couldn't afford that stuff for my family!  Well, since going plant based I have discovered just how inexpensive it is, unless of course you live in Hawaii, but that is another subject.  LOL  If you aren't buying all the processed, dairy and meat items, then living a plant based diet is relatively inexpensive.  It does cost a bit to get set up with spices and appliances, but once that is done you are good to go.  On average we (meaning my husband and I) we spend about 300.00 per month on groceries.  That might be a bit high though as some weeks we don't go to the store.  It all depends on how the produce holds up.  Looking back now, I wish I had understood what a plant based diet could have done for my family.  We do have some health problems that I'm positive could have been avoided.

     I have noticed that we buy about the same things when we do shop and that is a lot of potatoes, salad makings, and Mexican items like tortillas, beans and such.  Rice is another item that we buy frequently, and I try to buy that in big quantities then I don't have to buy it very often.  I buy Dave's Killer bread, and freeze it.  I do buy lots of frozen vegges so that if I'm too lazy or in a hurry to eat fresh I always have it on hand.  I also purchase vinegars, mustard and of course nutritional yeast for flavoring dishes and getting the vitamin B12 that is a must for vegans. 

     All in all grocery shopping is a breeze these days.  I must say though it's been a bit of a learning curve as we ate the SAD (standard American diet) all those years. 

     If you need help with grocery shopping, and you live in the Boise area let me know if I can be of service. 

     Contact me at nrrook@gmail.com or 208-640-3890       

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