Food Shopping can be hard work...

And it can be a RISKY business, if you are trying to manage your weight

Weaving your way through the maze of a supermarket and abundance of products out there can be a challenge.  Keep your wits about you and become a SAVVY SHOPPER!

Here are some FABULOUS hints to help you:

1. Shop online!
2. Write a shopping list
3. Read ingredients lists and be suspicious of anything with a "health claim"
4. Don't shop when you are hungry.
5. Shop once a week for dry groceries and more regularly for fresh produce such as milk, bread, fruit and vegetables.
6. If buying in bulk, ensure the food is of good quality and will keep well.
7. Check out supermarket specials- they can save you money if they are items you use regularly, but beware of buying specials you don't really need.
8. If you can, compare prices and quality of items at different stores.  Read labels and check the weights.
9. Plain label of "house" brands are usually very good value for money, and no less nutritious than the more expensive "name" brands.
10. Don't go aisle to aisle
11. Ask shop keepers to direct you to products on your list rather than wondering around trying to find them yourself
12. Start in the fruit and vegetable section
13. Consider guidelines and recipes before planning your shopping list.
14. Set yourself a time frame to complete your shopping in.
15. Limit fast food meals to less than once/fortnight
16. Plan meals and snacks and shop for the ingredients needed to make those
17. Make a shopping list and buy only what you need
18. Choose fruit and vegetables instead of less healthy more expensive meals and snacks, compare per kg costs and you may be surprised to see just how much cheaper the healthier option often is.

Put a big question mark around the myth that it is more expensive to eat healthily...

Food Cents:

Fruit:
Fruit Snacks (Dried and processed fruit sticks): $13/kg
100% Fruit: $4 /kg

Pizza:
Home Delivered $30/kg
Home Made $6/kg

Chips:
Potato Crisps/Chips $12 - $30/kg
Potatoes $3/kg

Cereal:
High sugar cereals $5-$15kg
Oats $2- $5/kg

So healthier food really isn't more expensive than processed food, it's just the clever marketing, package size and convenience that can make it appear that way.

To calculate the price / kg = Price divided by weight in grams multiplied by 1000.