Mom’s Night Out….at the Grocery Store!

Yes, you read that right. We want you to have a Mom’s night out at the grocery store! I realize this is not the normal place you would pick when you have the chance to get out of the house sans hubby and kids, but hear us out!

When you first decide to eat cleaner and more organic, the switch seems overwhelming. Actually, it IS overwhelming. There are so many brands, different food items to explore and labels to read. And we all know that shopping with the kids in tow does not allow for time to do any extras—it’s get in and get out before someone has a tantrum!

That’s why we encourage you to take the opportunity to head to the store, BY YOURSELF, and take your time looking at different food items. Explore your produce section and see how many of the “dirty dozen” you can find with organic options. Jot down the brand names and where you can find them so when you come back the next time with your tiny co-shoppers, you don’t have to waste time looking again, you’ll know right where to go!

Look at the labels on some of your most frequently purchased items and see if there are different brands of that product with fewer ingredients, less sugar or are organic/GMO-free. If you’re lucky your store will have an organic section, or sometimes, like my store, these items are mixed in with the regular ones which requires you to put more effort into finding your organic choices.

It may seem daunting at first, and it is, but over time you will learn your organic brands and “better” food options and it will be easier and quicker to find them. Also, look for your store to help you out by using signs to indicate organic food items. For instance, my store uses brown signs in the produce section to indicate organic items which makes it easy to quickly identify them.

If you’re like Sarah, and organic options are limited at your grocery store, this is an especially important trip for you to make because you will need to spend time reading labels! Even if an item isn’t organic, you can still find the food options with less sugar or fewer ingredients.

If it helps, print out the Pantry 101 page with our MRL must-have pantry and fridge items and see how many you can find!

We really hope you find this little outing useful and that it opens your eyes to some of the foods you may have been eating, and also exposes you to other items you may not have tried otherwise! Happy shopping! ~Briana