Tips to make grocery shopping less stressful

Trying to fit everything in while accommodating new routines and timetables can be challenging for anyone, with or without a family. If you are someone who finds grocery shopping a challenge, these five simple tips will help take the stress out of grocery shopping.

1. To start with, I find that getting organised to go grocery shopping starts well before I walk into the store. When making a grocery list, I group the items into the sections where I will find them in the store. This mean that I group all my fresh produce together, then condiments, dried foods, tinned foods, frozen and then dairy. Instead of just following a list and walking several times into the same food section, I can go through each section, making sure that I have everything I need without having to double back.

2. Having reusable grocery bags is a good idea but knowing where you store your bags and making sure that you keep them in the same place will save you from having to hunt around your home to find them. I tend to keep them in a cupboard by the back door so that when I head to the store, I simply take them with me on my way out. I also leave a few in my car for any unexpected trip to the store, then there is always a bag on hand.

3. Some of us find ourselves with more flexible working hours, so you might want to rethink when you go grocery shopping. If you are someone who saves their grocery shopping for the weekend you may find that everyone has had the same idea, meaning that the grocery store will be quite busy, and it may end up taking you more time than you thought. An article in Business Insider shows that, in general, the busiest times for grocery stores are in the evening between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. when people are leaving work and on the weekend, with Saturday afternoon being the busiest. If you are looking to keep away from the crowds and go when it is quieter, you might want to think of making your trip in the morning, especially as this is the time of day when grocery stores receive their fresh produce, or later in the evening when most people are home.

4. If you are doing your grocery shopping before heading off to work or running other errands and are not going straight home, make sure to have a cooler with you this will allow you to pick up dairy and frozen foods keeping them fresh in your car until you get home later in the day.

5. Finally, once I have all my groceries, I try to pack my grocery bags by grouping food items together according to where they are stored in the house. This makes unpacking so much easier. When I get home, all frozen foods go straight to the freezer, pantry items are quickly stored and then fresh items in the fridge.

It really is about finding ways that work for you, your lifestyle, and your family so that grocery shopping slips easily into your routine. 

Send your nutrition questions to susan@susanalsembach.com

Photo: Istock