Staying Flexible

Hey folks, it's Karen here. A few days ago, I bought some groceries at Kroger. I used the self-checkout and could carry the five bags of items to my car without a cart. Those five bags cost me $93. I didn't buy anything crazy, and half of what I bought was a compromise. Many of the specific items I wanted were not in stock and I picked the best alternatives I could find. I share this because I imagine many of you are having similar experiences. Now don't get me wrong - there is still an abundance of food in the stores and we are all grateful for that. But we are dealing with limitations that are difficult to ignore, and they may be putting a hitch in your meal planning giddyup. (Note: If you are like my dad, you are not having this problem, because no one else wants to buy unsalted rice cakes and canned sardines!)

Since we are talking about preparing food at home this week, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some thoughts about how you might navigate the current grocery store reality.

• Many of you may know that I am a big fan of grocery pick-up (usually Kroger or Wal-Mart). But the level of substitutions and out-of-stock items has made it more of a hassle than it's worth to me. If you can relate to this, I would suggest getting back into the grocery store and selecting your own items.

• I have also become more flexible with where I shop. I have branched out to Target (which now has an impressive free grocery pick-up service) and Whole Foods (if you are an Amazon Prime member, there are some good deals and you get free pick-up). I find the prices at Target to be very reasonable. And while I understand the "Whole Paycheck" thing, the basics at Whole Foods, like meat and produce, are high quality and competitively priced. And I think their 365 brand is is a solid value.

• I am less familiar with Meijer, Costco, and Aldi stores, but those are also popular options to consider if you have not checked them out.

• More than usual, I am taking advantage of free shipping from places like Walmart and Amazon for non-perishable food items.

• Part of my strategy has been to simplify the meals I prepare at home. I usually try to be a very efficient cook, but even more so these days. I try to keep it very simple with minimal ingredients and nothing that I think I may have a hard time finding at the store.

• And of course I am trying to stay flexible with my actual purchases when I can't find what I planned on (from both a budget and nutrition perspective). I now use ground chicken in place of ground beef for many dishes. Maybe I use pinto beans instead of black beans. When I see a great deal on meat, I snag it and plan to find a use for it another time. I try different brands or flavors of things. If I can't find a whole grain version of something, I don't fret about buying the regular version. And you might discover some "new" things you would not have otherwise!

I know many of you have worked hard to build a food routine that works for you, and that you feel good about. So I understand there may be feelings of frustration when you can't find or afford what you need, and feel like you need to "settle." But I want to assure you that if you are trying your best to work within whatever limitations there may be, you are already winning. That is all any of us can do, at any given moment, no matter the circumstances. Hang in there, and please reach out to us if we can help!