Pro V go

I fell in love at the Provigo.  To a man wearing Converse sneakers, carrying ground meat and romaine lettuce.  I eyed him the moment he walked in, and soon debated which sundried tomatoes to buy in order to prolong my stay in the vegetable aisle he was in.  Then I had a hard time picking which raspberry package to purchase; bottled lime juice or fresh limes (always go fresh), and I even perused the exotic fruit section to see if I was feeling adventurous.  I stalled by the en-vrac display momentarily and finally decided against buying any dehydrated fruit at all, seeing as how I have my own dehydrator at home and carried on grocery shopping, giving up.

When I finally almost bumped into him as we both headed to the checkout, I couldn't raise my eyes off the floor long enough to make eye contact, so I bought the food and left all defeated.  Still, I was smiling, and even though I will probably never see him again, fleetingly falling in love like that made my night.  It happens every so often and is about as satisfying as savoring a piece of dark chocolate.  I feel like that's a pretty fair comparison, especially since phenylethylamine is involved.  That's okay, I googled it too.  It's the love drug.

It's making me think about the way I grocery shop.  Usually I go in, every couple of days, to buy a few items, keep it fresh you know, and I already have an idea of what I want.  But I don't always linger, and take my time.  The grocery store is basically a library of consumption, and we should invest the time in reading the label before checking out.

Lately I've been hearing a lot of people advise others to go food shopping with a list, and to stick to the list.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Maybe it's because I haven't made list in so long it doesn't occur to me that others find this very helpful.  In any case, here are a few guidelines I came up with a while ago in order to be a smart grocery shopper.  I call it my "Grocery Shopping Non-Negotiables."  How 'bout it?

• Shop around the aisles, and follow the natural layout of the store.  Most stores present the produce section at the front, so as you walk in, you're faced with Mother Nature's finest.  It's actually kind of courteous.  Try to fill your basket with fresh fruits and vegetables before continuing on.
• Only buy a few fruits and veggies at a time.  For instance, if you are shopping for yourself, not your family or a party, only buy 2-3 apples for the week instead of five.  You're less likely to let them go to waste and also don't feel overwhelmed with having to eat them every day.  Eating healthy shouldn't feel like a chore.
• Buy whole wheat everything.  Bread, pasta, rice, etc.  Get used to it.  Your palette will adapt and you'll be proud of yourself for making a healthier choice.  Besides, (insert various health benefits of eating whole grain here).
• Every once in a while, like once a month, try something new.  Throw a papaya, pomegranate or sack of quinoa into your cart to introduce into your diet.  Share it with someone, it can be fun.  The first time I opened a passionfruit I almost vomited, but I was excited to show Darcy, my roommate.  Like one of those weird things people do.  Try to gross each other out.  Well let's try to plug e/o in!  Try healthy foods, obviously, in all food groups if you can.  What food group does kefir fall under?  And where does it come from??  
• Have fun, be adventurous.  Put on fresh lenses each time you walk in.  Let the food get to you.  If you have kids, let them hold things, smell the produce, put stuff in the cart, and be involved in selecting the food.  Instilling healthy habits at young age will help them in the future.  (Sounds like a good time for a "Bodybreak!" theme to chime in).  The teens I've been taking to the grocery store for snack giveaways at the high school come alive the moment they step foot in the grocery store.  They seem empowered to be a part of the process.  
• Fall in love with at least one item in the store.  Whether it be a boy, a girl, a handbag, turnip or frozen dinner!  Get it done.  :)

Peace and love ya'll,

Katie