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Shopping Matters: A Trip to the Grocery Store
As parents, we want to feed our children the healthiest meals possible, and many of us are trying to do that on limited budgets. Yet when we enter the supermarket, , we are confronted with an array of products. While we know that some are not good choices, we may be confused about what the best choice is.
But there is help for us. Shopping Matters, a program of Share our Strength, helps people “learn to buy delicious, healthy groceries on a budget.”
On Saturday, January 19, I attended a demonstration of the Shopping Matters experience as part of the National Day of Service that preceded the inauguration of President Obama. Hundreds of people came through the Shopping Matters experience on the National Mall to find out more about making healthy, budget-minded choices.
Here are the three of the most important things I learned.
- Compare the unit pricing. For example, you may have two bags of brown rice. One may cost 4 cents per ounce and another smaller bag may cost 8 cents per ounce. Even though the smaller bag is “cheaper.” the unit cost is more, and you are not getting the best deal.
- Read the label. The nutrition label tells you not only the ingredients, but also how a serving fits into your daily nutritional needs. Ingredients are listed in order of occurrence in the package. The label also tells you how big each serving is. For example, a can of beans may be 3.5 servings
- Look for whole grain. Whole grain foods offer more nutrition than processed grains.
The great thing about Shopping Matters is that you don’t have to go to the National Mall to experience it. Organizations around the country host Shopping Matters tours as part of their anti-hunger work. NEA HIN is proud to partner with Share Our Strength in getting this information out. Coming soon, Share our Strength will launch a web portal where you can sign up to be trained to lead Shopping Matters tours or to find out about tours in your area.
Share you healthy food tips on NEA HIN’s Facebook page.
