Attention Savvy Shoppers!

   So you're strolling down the snack aisle of your favorite grocery store hoping to pick up something for dinner on your way home from work, and you don't really have a concrete plan because you haven't had a minute to think about it all day, and you're getting pretty hungry yourself, and all of a sudden you hear these embarrassing words pouring out of your mouth:  "Oh my gosh, Moon Pies are on sale!"  Houston, we have got a problem.  

   You've heard it your whole adult life: Never grocery shop when you're hungry.  And brace yourself because here's the bad news -- it's true.  But if you can avoid falling into that fat-loaded trap and observe a couple of other rules for the aisles, your wallet and your waistline will thank you.

     1.  NEVER SHOP HUNGRY.  'Nuff said.

     2. PAY WITH CASH RATHER THAN DEBIT CARDS.  Studies have shown that shoppers make 30% fewer unhealthful impulse choices when they pay with cash.  The trick is to be prepared with a list and to stick to it.  

     3.  BUY LOCAL AND SEASONAL.  We've been hearing this for a couple of years now, but it makes perfect sense that you'll pay less for produce that is grown locally and doesn't have to be shipped all the way across the nation.

    4. ORGANIC FOOD -- YES OR NO?  The Environmental Working Group says that purchasing organic versions of the following fruits and vegetables may be worth the price because they practically inhale pesticides: apples, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, grapes, blueberries, celery, spinach, bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce, and kale.  These others, however, aren't as prone to pesticide residues, so you might want to save your money: pineapples, mangoes, cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon, onions, sweet corn, avocados, asparagus, peas, eggplant, and cabbage.

    5.  DON'T FORGET THE BEAUTY OF FROZEN PRODUCE.  Many fruits and vegetables are flash frozen so they retain all their nutrients long after the fresh version would have wilted in your refrigerator.  So stock up on frozen goodies when they're on sale.  

    6.  CONSIDER CANNED SALMON.  If you don't have an extra $30 a pound to spend on wild Pacific salmon this week (and if you do, I need you to tell me what I'm doing wrong), head over to the canned fish aisle.  Salmon packed in tins and packets is often the wild type, and it's a fraction of the cost of fresh.  You heard it here first.  

    7.  IF POSSIBLE, LEAVE THE KIDDOS AT HOME WHEN YOU SHOP.  I don't even have kiddos myself, but I've encountered enough whacked-out Mommies in the cereal aisle throwing brightly colored boxes of nothing-but-sugar breakfast nightmares in their carts just to get the kiddos to stop shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, MOMMY, Sponge Bob is in that box!"  By that time, I would have bought them the blasted cereal with my own money.  

    8. IF POSSIBLE, LEAVE YOUR HUSBAND AT HOME WHEN YOU SHOP.  Or perhaps your husband or significant other is an integral part of your efficient shopping machine.  (How did you ever manage that, I wonder?  E-mail me.)  I took my husband with me once, and not only did the weekly 45-minute shopping process evolve into more than two hours, but I found myself in the cereal aisle throwing a brightly colored box of a nothing-but-sugar breakfast nightmare in my cart just to get my husband to stop shouting, "Honey, honey, HONEY, Sponge Bob is in that box!"  Not our most shining hour.  

    So next time you're headed to the grocery store, eat a piece of fruit before you go, or stop at the deli counter when you arrive and buy a couple of slices of turkey to satisfy your hunger, and don't forget your list!