10 foods you must stop buying at the supermarket
Supermarkets are a symbol of modern convenience, but that doesn’t mean we should do our whole shop there. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative (or on a tight budget) sometimes it pays to head outside the supermarket aisle on your weekly shop.
Here are 10 items you must stop buying at the supermarket.
1. Pre-prepared produce
It probably comes as no surprise that you cough up a premium for the privilege of pre-washed, pre-cut fruit and veggies, so do it yourself and pocket the savings.
2. Brand name staples
There’s really not that much you can get wrong with essential staples like flour, sugar, milk and rice, so opt for generic options and you can save a bit of dough.
3. Checkout impulse buys
After a busy shop that chocolate bar at the checkout probably looks like quite an appealing option, but it also comes at a significant mark-up, and is best avoided.
4. Fresh seafood
You can’t deny the convenience of being able to buy a bag of prawns from your supermarket mid-week, but they won’t come near the quality of your local fish market.
5. Small snacks
Good things don’t always come in small sizes, and with items like dried fruit, chips, popcorn and biscuits sold in small quantities you’re often paying for the packaging.
6. Frozen meals
Pre-prepared frozen meals might seem like a cheap dinner option, but it can actually work out cheaper (and more nutritious) if you prepare and freeze meals yourself.
7. Spices
It’s probably easiest to pick them up from a supermarket, but if you’re willing to head to your local natural foods store you’ve got a much wider selection of spices.
8. Branded cereal
In terms of what you’re actually getting, branded cereal can actually hit your wallet and if you’re not that fussy you can save a lot by opting for the more generic brands.
9. Bottled water
The supermarket’s probably the cheapest place you can get bottled water, but over time it makes more sense to invest in a water filter for your home.
10. Deli meats
Unless there’s actually something on special, a visit to your supermarket deli can be quite expensive, so consider popping into your local delicatessen instead.
Do you agree with the foods we have included on our list? Are there any foods that you refuse to purchase at a supermarket, and why is this?
Let us know in the comments.
What foods do you refuse to buy at the supermarket?
Related links:
5 things to buy and 7 things to avoid at the supermarket
4 super simple secrets to make healthy supermarket choices
16 kitchen tricks foodies will love