Groccery Shopping with Ed
Another fabulous guest post from Jess. I need to duct tape this to my fridge.
Grocery shopping with or without an eating disorder can be a daunting task, which is why I have devised a plan to best conquer the supermarket. My method works especially well for those that are slightly obsessive, compulsive or both, and for those who are attempting to stay within a food budget.
I am a total Whole Foods (a.k.a. “Whole Paycheck”) junkie, but because I make a detailed food list and rarely splurge on anything that is not on my list, I am able to stay within my allocated allowance and defeat the merchandiser’s tricks and schemes. That is your first task: make an itemized list. Take the time to sit down and think about what you want for our breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and those occasional desserts.
There are a few things to take into consideration when planning your meals. What are your weekly activities? How much time do you have to eat breakfast in the morning? Do you plan on eating out at all? How much room do you have in your refrigerator and freezer? Will you have a refrigerator at work to keep your food in and/or a microwave to heat it up? Do you get easily bored of eating the same thing?
After you write out all the possible meal choices you like and can plausibly make, decide what you will realistically eat throughout the week. Break down this meal plan into a grocery list. Your first two weeks of grocery shopping are a trial period: you may need more apples by Wednesday but never eat the tomatoes you bought that are now beginning to rot. And some foods are staple foods, which you will not need every week. For me, these include spelt pasta, almond butter, tea, cheese and frozen fruit. By week three, when you have figured out your food rhythm, your lists should be fairly similar each week. A routine grocery list helps you gauge by your groceries’ total cost.
For a few years, in the midst of my eating disorder, I would only eat breakfast at home yet refused to prepare my own lunches and dinners. I did this partly because I only ate meal bars for lunch, which I highly advise against, though stashing Odwalla or Luna bars in your car is something I advocate for those famished emergencies. I was also terrified of knowing the actual nutritional content of the food I was consuming. I was an avid label reader, and the idea of eating food and knowing the exact number of calories and precise amount of sugar in my food made me even more nutty. I still read the labels before I actually put something in my cart, but I am no longer scared to eat and give me body the nourishment and care it deserves.
Shopping Tips at a Glance
1. Plan your meals.
2. List everything you need at the store and stick to it!
3. Do NOT go to the store hungry. Eat a snack beforehand or you will end up with a monstrous bill at the end.
4. If you prefer to shop on less intense “grocery” days or get easily intimidated by large groups of moms and screaming children, go Monday-Thursday to avoid the weekend rush.
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POSTED IN: Guest Column, Recovery
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