Tips for supermarket shopping: Shop cheaper and healthier – here’s how
Even if you routinely go to the supermarket or discount store, you can still save money when shopping and make healthier choices. Nutrition professionals explain how it works.
It’s better to plan your purchases than to go shopping spontaneously: If you have a plan, you can save time and money in the supermarket. What other tricks can help you save and how you can shop healthier.
Source: dpa
On the way back from sports or after work, do you want to quickly pop into the shop and get inspiration for dinner? Not a good idea, says Constanze Rubach from the Lower Saxony Consumer Center.
Less impulse purchases, more planning
Those who shop spontaneously often take a lot of things with them that are not necessary, says the food and nutrition consultant.
It’s worth planning your shopping: What do I want to eat? What do I need for this and what is already in stock?
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Constanze Rubach, Lower Saxony Consumer Center
To avoid impulse purchases, the expert recommends: planning dishes and groceries for several days, writing a shopping list – and sticking to it if possible. This saves time and money in the supermarket.
Digital shopping lists
App or piece of paper?
If you have your digital shopping list on your cell phone, you probably won’t forget it at home. Compared to handwritten notes, most apps have another advantage: They can be shared with other people so that everyone has access to the list. Depending on the app, you can check off the goods when shopping simply by clicking on them.
Apps for more price awareness
Some apps work through voice input, eliminating typing and typing errors. Other apps have integrated recipe files or suggest products that fit the season and are therefore more sustainable and price-conscious.
For larger groups of people, there are apps in which multiple lists can be created or notifications can be sent to one another. The prerequisite for this is that everyone in the app has activated notification permission.
There are also applications that analyze habits and, depending on the filter, make price comparisons or suggest offers and supermarkets nearby.
If you want to avoid advertising or save subscription costs, use the apps pre-installed in your smartphone for reminders or notes. They usually consist of a simple list that is checked off when shopping.
Shopping in the supermarket is becoming more digital: supermarkets offer their own customer apps. Millions of people are already using them. What advantages and pitfalls await customers? January 12, 2024 | 4:41 minutes
Don’t shop hungry
“Cravings can lead to shopping more and choosing foods that you don’t actually want to eat, such as sweet, salty or high-fat products,” explains Silke Restemeyer from the German Nutrition Society (DEG). The ecotrophologist advises that it is best to go shopping when you are well fed. This means that pastries, confectionery, fast food and finished products don’t even end up in the shopping cart.
Find foods that are inexpensive
They are called folded and stretched goods – because, according to consumer advocate Constanze Rubach, the cheap goods are usually on the upper or lower shelves. They are often so-called own brands or no-name products. Branded products in particular are placed at eye level. They are usually more expensive and generally do not have better quality, according to the website of the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. Higher costs arise primarily from brand development and advertising.Pia Osterhaus gets to the bottom of supermarkets’ sophisticated sales methods. What tricks do they use there and why do we keep falling for them? March 19, 2024 | 43:42 minutes
Finished products are not worth it
Reaching for ready-made products is often associated with a lack of time. And at first glance it seems cheaper to pack the frozen pizza for two or three euros instead of buying all the ingredients for a homemade version.
From a purely mathematical perspective, it makes more sense to cook yourself instead of using ready-made products.
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Constanze Rubach, Lower Saxony Consumer Center
Because a homemade pizza can feed more people than a frozen product. And other dishes can be prepared from leftover flour, tomatoes and other ingredients.Whether with ketchup or mayo – almost everyone likes fries. The quickest way to prepare them is in the frozen version. How healthy and tasty are oven fries actually?01/25/2024 | 2:50 minutes
But there isn’t always enough time to cook – Silke Restemeyer is also aware of that. But the ecotrophologist warns: “Finished products and heavily processed foods often contain a lot of fat, sugar and salt. It’s worth taking a closer look at the contents.” She advises only using ready-made products if you don’t have the time to make them yourself.
Shop healthy and sustainably
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) provides an overview of a varied and balanced diet. Healthy and ecologically sustainable nutrition includes regional and seasonal products, according to the DGE. In addition to water, calorie-free drinks are particularly recommended. According to the DGE, the largest food group should consist of plant foods such as fruit and vegetables, legumes and nuts as well as grains and potatoes. Animal foods such as milk and dairy products, fish, meat and eggs complement the selection in small portions.The results of the 2024 Nutrition Report provide information about eating habits in Germany.09/24/2024 | 1:47 minutes
Compare prices
“The price given may seem cheaper at first glance. But it’s best to always pay attention to the price per kilo,” advises Constanze Rubach. This way you can compare the basic prices per kilo or liter. Large packs can often be misleading because they do not automatically have a lot of content. “In addition to the price per kilo, regionality also plays a role,” says Rubach. Regional and seasonal foods are often cheaper. Here too the comparison is worthwhile.
The expert also recommends going shopping shortly before the store closes. Supermarkets then offer fresh products such as fruit, vegetables, bread and baked goods. Apps against food waste also show where such perishable goods are available cheaply. Because it can no longer be sold the next day.In, shop, out: Shopping in the supermarket is often just a quick process of checking off the shopping list. Everything you need is there – or what the manufacturers think you need.09.07.2023 | 30:05 minutes
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