These are my top grocery shopping tips for busy people trying to live a healthier lifestyle. This grocery shopping guide will help you make the most of your grocery budget, reduce food waste, and save time and energy!
As a registered dietitian, I’m often reminded that grocery shopping isn’t always intuitive or simple. Maybe you grew up in a household that didn’t cook from scratch or pass down family recipes. Or maybe diet culture has left you confused or anxious about what and how to eat. Or, maybe you had a strategy at one point but a busy schedule, tight budget, or limited free time has gotten in the way. Dear reader, it’s not your fault if you were never taught how to shop in a way that works for you!
I’m here to help! This list of my best grocery shopping tips includes insights from my own experiences, as well as insights from clients I’ve worked with over the years.
And good news, creating a weekly meal plan doesn’t automatically mean you’re locked into rigid or restrictive meals. Read my post about Non-Diet Tips for Meal Planning to see what I mean. These grocery shopping tips will help you feel less stressed when you’re trying to throw a meal together.
Use the links in this table of contents to skip to the sections you’re looking for. Let’s get started!
What’s Included In This Post
Grocery Shopping Tips to Save Money
The era of “shrinkflation” is upon us, and unfortunately there’s no much relief in sight. Food prices are top of mind for many people (including me) so try these grocery shopping tips to stretch your dollars a little further.
Don’t Skip Canned and Frozen Options
The “fresh is best” habit can be hard to break, especially if you associate fresh produce with “healthier” produce.
But here’s the thing: canned and frozen fruits and vegetables have nearly identical nutrition and long shelf life. They don’t last forever, but considerably longer than their fresh counterparts. Not only that, but they might be more affordable or convenient depending on what you’re making.
Most frozen fruits and veggies have no added ingredients, so they’re minimally processed. They’re picked at the peak of freshness then flash frozen and packaged, locking in the many nutrients that make them such a healthy choice.
Plus, stocking up on canned and frozen produce is the best way to add variety with fruits and veggies that aren’t in season. If the fresh version is out of your price range, check the aisles to see if there’s a suitable swap at a lower cost.
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Worried about sodium in canned foods? Look for “low sodium” or “no salt added” labels, and check out my post on How To Make a Low Sodium Diet Taste Better for more tips!
Make A List and Take Inventory
This might be an obvious one, but making a list before you shop can help you save money. There’s a dual benefit:
- You help limit impulse purchases or unnecessary items when you know what you’re looking for. Instead of aimlessly browsing and grabbing anything that looks good, you go in with a plan about what to buy.
- The list helps you buy only what you need, without duplicates or doubles. Take a peek in your pantry or fridge before you shop and take inventory before you head to the store. Only add an item to your list if you’re completely out or running low (unless you want a backstock of items you use most often).
That brings me to my next grocery shopping tip…
Buy In Bulk Only When It Makes Sense
This tip totally changed my grocery shopping game. When I first got my CostCo membership, I wasn’t sure how to make the best use of it. But now, I know what’s worth buying in bulk to save some money, and which items actually end up costing more.
We don’t have a large family, so some household items, basic pantry staples, and shelf-stable foods make sense for us. But unless we have a plan for how to use fresh fruits and vegetables or large packages of prepared foods, they could go to waste and end up increasing our grocery bill in the long run. This might be the opposite for you depending on the number of people in your home.
Either way, consider that the membership price should factor into your grocery bill. If you live far away from these wholesale clubs, it may not be worth it. But if you’re there often, the savings can add up.
Get Tech Savvy for Modern Couponing
It’s not a glamorous chore, but checking the mail or online newsletters can yield big savings in the form of coupons, sales, and bulk discounts.
Don’t picture the past version of sitting down with a pair of scissors to clip coupons out of the newspaper. These days, subscribing to a store’s email newsletter or downloading their app is often the easiest way to learn about good deals.
Finally, see if your grocery store offers any kind of rewards program or loyalty benefits. This can save money on store brands and generic items compared to name brands.
Grocery Shopping Tips to Save Time
Time is such a precious resource. And I don’t know about you, but I never seem to have enough of it! These grocery shopping tips will help you maximize your time so you can spend more of it doing what you love.
Shop During Off-Peak Hours
I know this isn’t always possible. Work schedules, extracurricular activities, and your social life can all compete with the time you have to run errands and finish chores. But going when it’s less busy can save you time in a big way!
According to Google Maps data from 2021, 8:00 a.m. on Monday mornings was the least busy time to go grocery shopping. Meanwhile, Saturdays between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. was the busiest time. But that brings me to my next grocery shopping tip…
Check Online Listings For Store Hours and Busy Times
Those off-peak hours from a few years ago might still be current…or maybe things are different at your local store.
One nice thing about smartphones and the Internet is that you can quickly check store hours and busy times. Map listings usually display this information below a grocery store’s critical information, like the address, hours, and phone number. This can save you time by ensuring you make it there while they’re open.
Consider Current Events
This might be my favorite time-saving grocery shopping tip! If there’s a major event in your city or neighborhood, this will likely impact your shopping habits one way or another.
Major holidays, sporting events, festivals, or other highly publicized or popular events will draw people away from the grocery store. But there might also be a rush in the days or hours beforehand. Think Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving or Sunday morning before the most-watched football game of the year. That’s why our favorite time to go to CostCo is whenever the Chiefs are playing! It’s practically a ghost town in there after kickoff.
Outside of special occasions, certain days of the month might also be more busy than others. For example, many people shop on payday or during the first 10 days of the month if using food assistance or EBT cards.
Do Your Research Ahead of Time
Are you a comparison shopper? Meaning, do you check ingredient lists, price tags, labels or brands to compare items before deciding what goes in your shopping cart or basket?
There’s nothing wrong with that (although overly fixating on the little details might be a sign of orthorexia…read more about that HERE). But it does take longer than just breezing through the aisles and grabbing the first option you see.
To save time, do a little browsing beforehand. Many grocery stores have websites with up-to-date information about what’s in stock or on sale. Once you know which store brands or generic brands are up to your standards, you can eliminate the need to keep comparing in the future.
Likewise, if you’re shopping to avoid allergens or other ingredients, you can find the info you need before you head to the store so you don’t have to spend time staring at labels while you’re there.
Grocery Shopping Tips to Reduce Food Waste
We waste roughly 1/3 of the food grown for human consumption in the United States, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Wasted food = wasted money! It also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Try these grocery shopping tips if you’re working on eating more sustainably.
Plan For When You Won’t Be Cooking
This might sound odd, but I recommend you intentionally plan around the times you know you don’t have to cook or prepare your own meal.
Maybe lunch is provided at work or you plan to meet a friend for dinner at a local restaurant. Or, you just swing by the salad bar or grab a rotisserie chicken as you shop. You just eliminated a few meals you don’t have to cook for. This is a good way to make sure you don’t buy more than you need before your next grocery trip, especially perishable items that might spoil before you can get to them.
This also counts for leftovers and meal prep!
Check the Dates (And Know What They Mean)
I wish it were as simple as saying the date printed on a package was an easy way to know when it’s gone bad. Unfortunately, confusion around expiration dates and “best by” or “best before” dates leads to a lot of food waste.
Think of it this way: an expiration date is a food safety indicator. A “best before” date is a quality indicator. Meaning, foods past their expiration date are no longer considered safe to eat. Toss them! Foods past their “best before” dates might not taste as fresh or be at peak quality, but are still fine to eat.
Just remember: when it doubt, throw it out. As much as it sucks to waste food (and money!) it’s not worth it if the food is moldy, smelly, slimy, or otherwise far past its prime.
Be OK With Imperfection
Food doesn’t have to be perfect to be good! Misshapen produce, “ugly” fruits or veggies, or packages with blemishes or scratches are just fine. These items are usually passed over for more pristine items. But they are most likely destined for the landfill if they go unsold.
Be smart about this…I think we all know not to grab a dented or bulging can of green beans (it’s a risk for botulism). But within reason, you can learn to love small imperfections to play a small part in keeping food out of the trash can.
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: You can be even more environmentally friendly by skipping single-use plastic as much as possible. It’s unavoidable sometimes. But when you can, opt out of extra plastic bags or packaging, bring a box or reusable bag with you to pack groceries for transport, or have a plan to reuse or recycle paper and plastic bags.
The Grocery Shopping Tip You Can Skip
Let’s pause here and talk about the one grocery shopping tip I don’t recommend: shopping the perimeter!
This was a catchy sound bite for years, but at this point it’s outdated and unhelpful. To clarify, I don’t mean you should never shop the perimeter of the grocery store. After all, that’s usually where you’ll find fresh produce, bakery, the protein and dairy coolers, and the deli for convenient ready-to-eat dishes. That’s seriously good stuff you don’t want to miss out on!
What I’m really saying is, don’t only shop the perimeter of the grocery store. I have to wonder if the people sharing this advice have been in a grocery store lately…there is so much good stuff to be found in the inner aisles!
As nice as it would be to cook from fresh ingredients 100% of the time, you’ll be limited in what you can use. The inner aisles have canned fruits and veggies, beans and whole grains, rice, condiments, spices, and seasonings. Plus, the frozen section is one of the best ways to maximize value for items like frozen fruits and veggies, plant-based convenience foods, seafood, and more.
Here’s what I recommend: take advantage of the entire grocery store rather than listening to arbitraty food rules that don’t really have a practical purpose. Worried about processed foods in the inner aisles? I’ve got you covered for that, too. Read my post about What Exactly Is “Processed Food”? A Dietitian Explains.
Putting It All Together: A Grocery Shopping Strategy That Will Stick
These grocery shopping tips might take some trial and error. Especially if you’re trying a new strategy for the first time. But once you figure out what works for you and what doesn’t, grocery shopping should feel like a breeze!
My favorite thing about using these grocery shopping tips is that now, I can almost put my brain on autopilot. I have the same reliable ingredients for my fridge, freezer, and pantry. I know the store layout so I can generally find things quickly and efficiently. And when I see a great deal on something, I can make the most of my food budget and plan meals with new dishes.
So I’ll challenge you (in a friendly sorta way) to try some of these grocery shopping tips for yourself. Then, I’ll encourage you to add to the list and figure out what else help you manage this chore. Best of luck on your grocery shopping endeavors, and cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Disclosure: This post was originally published in November 2020. It has since been updated to improve the overall quality of the information and/or images.
