Most of us write down a list of items to get when shopping for groceries. Some of us just walk down the shopping aisles and pick up items along the way. Looking round to see what’s best on offer, looks fresh, that appeals to your tastes buds and that of the families.

Even when we create a shopping list, how do you plan what to include that will make up for a week of healthy and balanced meals?

There is really quite a few ways to plan your shopping list.

1st: Think about the 3 meals of the day. Note down what you and your family would require for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Noting down the list of ingredients required for food, beverage, fruits and vegetables (tell me you eat fruits and vegetables. you don’t want to get constipated, do you?)

2nd: Based on nutritional meal . Using the recommended food pyramids, to proportion your budget accordingly. Say, you have $100 for the week for a small family of 3, you would spend. Starting from the bottom of the food pyramid, which is energy food. As price fluctuates, you’ll have to proportion the amount to spend accordingly to the quantity; Below is an approximate guide

• 30% on Energy food that are high in carbohydrates = bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.
• 20% on Fiber and vitamins =vegetable & fruits (they are cheaper then meats so quantity will be more),
• 20% on Protein= Meats , eggs and nuts (nuts, they are healthy but high in oil too, so sparingly)
• 20% on Dairy= Milk, cheese yogurt (for strong healthy bones)
• 10% on Fats and sweets= Butter, oil, ice-cream (its more sugar then dairy!) and chocolates.

3rd: Based on individual lifestyle and taste. This is being conscious on your own or your family members state of health and well being. What you buy to prepare for meals will depend on individual needs. If you are a family member spends most of the time working desk bound, work outdoors, on your feet a lot, just recovered from illness, trying to lose weight, body build etc. What you put into your shopping bag will depend highly on your activity and metabolism rate. Think about the state of health and what proportion of food in the food pyramid you will require.

For me I use all methods 1 and 2 regularly. I think about what I enjoy for breakfast, what gives energy, balance with fruits and vitamins to prepare a nutritional meal. For course what is tasty too.

Also, if you can, try adding colors to your meals. Burst of colors in food are not only appealing, but healthy too. Next time I will share on what are the staple ingredients to have in the kitchen that are essential to prepare quick, healthy and creative meals. Happy eating and choose what you eat wisely!

Organic food stores are a great source to get ingredients that are gluten-free, chemical-free, or another other growth hormone-food-altering substance used. Great food quality but it comes with a higher price tag.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many cancers and allergies these days compared previously?
Say our parents and past generations? Have you ever wondered what we consume on a day to day basis, might be the catalyst of all these allergies, illness and diseases that come about? Especially cancer and other deficiency-types illnesses.

Even for those of us who generally live a healthy lifestyle by doing regular exercise and eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruit along with drinking lots of water we are still poisoning our bodies. This is because th fresh fruit and vegetables we buy from the grocer have been sprayed with toxic pesticides and chemicals and our water contains contaminants. Plus all the the processed foods that we eat, who knows what is really in them.

Because of lower scale of economies to produce that quality food, we the consumers usually settle for regular supermarket produce. But how nutritious is the produce at the supermarket? How much chemicals is sprayed to make that great red tomatoes look so fresh, blemish-free and plum? Of course there is a reason for these products being the way that they are and that is because we can buy out of season fruits, vegetables and meat produces and the shops can sell them at cheaper prices.
We can keep other products on the shelf for much longer periods. In all it is more convenient.
But at what price? Whilst we may be saving some money we are not saving on any health benefits. We maybe getting sicker, accumulating all that toxic pesticides and oxidants.

The best solution is to grow your own vegetables. Not only will you be preventing pesticides and chemicals from entering your system but you will find that you will be eating fruit and vegetables that are higher in vitamins and minerals.

But ff course, for most of us, land, time and resources are limited and growing our own vegetables, hence is not a feasible solution.

It is no wonder that organic foods are gaining popularity. But as food prices goes up, its is often a choice the more affluent make, or is it?

So what is your take on Organic foods?

Some people insist of consuming only organic food produce.
Most say its too expensive… what is your view point on it?

To go Organic, sometimes? whenever you can afford it? Never? or All the time? Comments please!

(ARA) - Food prices are up, way up. The overall cost of weekly groceries today is nearly six percent more than last year – higher than the inflation rate. As food prices continue to rise, shoppers are on the hunt for easy ways to save money on groceries.

“The key to cutting the grocery bill is not about changing the way you eat, but about changing the way you buy the foods that you like to eat,” says Stephanie Nelson of www.CouponMom.com. She offers three simple principles to help everyday grocery shoppers become “strategic shoppers” who can save big at the checkout.

Know How to Get Low Prices: Strategic shoppers learn the price ranges of their most common grocery items by starting a “price book” and stocking up when favorite items hit the lowest prices. By taking this approach, shoppers can save an average of 50 to 70 percent off of these items.

Store loyalty cards are another key strategy for saving at the grocery store. Some loyalty programs send extra coupons in the mail and even offer discounts on the food bill once a certain dollar amount is spent in the store.

Know How to Use Coupons: When it comes to coupons, it’s important to know when to use them, where to use them and where to find them. As a strategic shopper, be sure to recognize when favorite brand name items hit their lowest prices and use the coupons at that point to save the most money on the grocery bill.

Many grocery stores offer shoppers even more savings through “bonus” coupon programs. This means that these stores will double or triple coupons up to a certain amount, such as 50 cents.

Know Where to Find Coupons: Strategic shoppers seek out coupons from traditional sources, like your local newspaper, as well as from online coupon Web sites. A few coupon-collecting strategies include:

* Buy more than one copy of the newspaper when it is a high-coupon week.

* Sign up for store loyalty cards to receive special coupon mailings and coupons at checkout.

* Use free online coupons that can be linked to loyalty cards.

* Review the weekly ads for local grocery stores for extra savings coupons and specials.

* Look out for coupons in the store: red coupon shelf boxes, tear off pads on store displays, at the customer service counter and on product packages.

For you folks in the US, log on to http://www.Shortcuts.com for a free e-book called “Shortcuts and The Coupon Mom System Show You How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half.” Full of tips to help shoppers take full advantage of coupons, this e-book offers tips that can help anyone see significant savings on their receipt, every time they shop for groceries.

Courtesy of ARAcontent