Beat Them at Their Own Game
The role of 1980's Big Tobacco in our food systems, and how to shop smart.
Food brands and grocery stores are in business for one reason only: profits. And back in July I helped Yahoo! Finance reporter Nicole Spector with an article on how to save money on groceries. She couldn’t possibly fit in all of my tips, so below are the ones that didn’t make the cut. But first, new research regarding ultra-processed foods.
Big Foobacco
The journal Addiction recently published a study finding that in the wake of the landmark Big Tobacco ruling the very same companies started buying up food corporations and adapted their playbook for processed foods.
For a period of about 20 years, this Big Foobacco industry modified countless processed foods to make them even more addicting. The Washington Post wrote a summary on the research of these hyper-palatable foods (another word for ultra-processed foods) produced by companies like Kraft when under the ownership of Philip Morris.
But not all packaged or processed foods are bad. You just need to know where to look, and the ingredient list and Nutrition Facts are the best place to start.
Skip Soda, Cereal, and Deli Meat
These are the items at the store with the highest markup, which can be more than 40%. Skip all three, and you’re longevity, waistline, and colon will thank you. If you enjoy deli meat, avoid ones with nitrites and nitrates (curing ingredients that are classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization).
Look for packaged turkey or chicken with only the meat, salt, and seasonings for ingredients. For that salami craving, look for imported brands. The European Union bans a long list of harmful additives that the US allows.
Seek out breakfast cereals like plain oats and unsweetened muesli that don’t contain added sugar, starches, and gums.
If you crave carbonation (🙋🏻♀️) opt for sparkling water with fresh juice (like Spindrift) or basic seltzer water without any added sugars or flavorings. You can always add your own homemade syrup for a splash of sweetness and flavor.
Buy Frozen Vegetables
At home, I don’t buy large quantities of fresh vegetables aside from long-lasting staples like carrots and onions and seasonal vegetables we’ll cook within the week. But I do stock up on everything we like in the frozen section.
You’ve probably heard that frozen vegetables are higher in nutrients because they’re frozen immediately after harvest (and that’s a bit of hyperbole but mostly true). More importantly, they’re less likely to end up in the trash. So unless you’re buying in-season sweet corn, asparagus, or tomatoes, frozen vegetables are nutritious, convenient, and affordable.
Choose Plain, Greek Yogurt
Individual containers of sweetened yogurt may be convenient but are a budget suck. You’re paying for plastic (bad for the planet) and upwards of 11 grams of added sugar (bad for the body). Unsweetened Greek yogurt in the largest container you will consume before it grows mold is how to fight the corporate machine.
Yogurt, by nature, is a preserved food, so it lasts a while in the refrigerator. And the bigger containers tend to sell for a better price per ounce. Greek yogurt is strained to remove a portion of the liquid whey, so you’re getting a more nutrient-dense product with a higher protein content.
If you prefer individual servings for convenience, one way to replicate this on your own is to invest in a few small reusable containers and portion out a week’s worth on Sunday. Raw honey or low-sugar jam make great sweeteners. Seeds, fruit, and nuts turn yogurt into a quick breakfast complete with fiber and omegas.
Shop Around
We all, for the most part, carry smartphones wherever we go. Use yours to check prices at other retailers while you shop at your favorite store. Mention any lower prices elsewhere at checkout.
As for the stores with better prices on better-for-you packaged snacks, wholesalers like Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Trader Joe’s offer less junky snacks for less (a favorite in our house is TJ’s Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil). I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the price of organic meat at Grocery Outlet, and Natural Grocers offers competitive discounts when you sign up for a free membership.
Opt for Pick Up
Not only for the modern version of “making a list so you don’t impulse buy.” When you order online for a pick-up with a grocery chain’s app, the available coupons are staring you in the face as you scroll. When shopping in-store, if you don’t clip coupons in that retailer’s app before entering your account at checkout, you miss out on savings. And to no surprise, stores don’t advertise every current coupon next to the product on the shelf.
Edible Epilogue
Published this morning, overall prices for food at home and in restaurants continued to rise in September, up 0.4%. The good news: prices for cereal and bakery items came down by the same percentage. Perhaps this is a positive sign that consumers are skipping the overpriced junk, prompting brands to lower prices. Proof that we can all vote for better choices with our purchasing power, however large or small.
Eat + be well,
Christina