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Okay, everyone, lift your hands up if you think eating healthy is expensive? Just look at those bio protein bars that cost an arm or a leg or take a cleansing smoothie that’s basically a farewell to your weekly rent. With takeaway meals priced as low as $1, no wonder we think of legumes and stuff as somewhat of a modern world’s luxury.

But one pro chef who goes by the Reddit handle u/Aichliss has done everyone a public service and listed all the ways to hack the grocery store. Point by point, the chef listed game-changing things we should all know before and while shopping in order to eat cheap, healthy and well. As you suspect, there's no ready-made frozen chicken curry in there.

So get your notebooks, everyone, we are about to do groceries, but the smart way. Like proper adults.

Image credits: aichliss

#1

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Frozen fruit and veg is great, mostly. Maybe dodge the chopped carrots and corn a lot of us ate growing up or find in bad takeout Chinese food, but hey - grab that bag of frozen berries or peas and throw ‘em in anything that warrants it. Technology for frozen produce has improved dramatically in the last few decades, and we should capitalize on that.

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billyevans35 avatar
Bill Evs
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couldn't agree more with this. There's absolutely nothing wrong with frozen fruit and veg. In fact a lot of the time the frozen varieties in supermarkets have a much higher nutritional value than the fresh stuff (as the "fresh" stuff is usually anything but), last longer and are much cheaper.

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#2

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks I say this because in modern western culture eating meat every day is seen as normal. This is an oddity when we examine all of human history, and this notion should be abandoned if we’re trying to live more affordably. Meat is grossly overrepresented in most diets, and you should always ask if you could cut your portion of meat down in exchange for more vegetables and grains.

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Bill Evs
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never understood some peoples obsession with having meat for every meal. I'm not a vegetarian but my diet is "meat light" in that I'll have it a few times a week. I think it's a throw back to past generations who had to make do without it so meat became sort of a luxury item (especially in the post war years) and that ingrained belief has been passed down through each generation.

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#3

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Not because they’re bad for you - just because of their jacked prices. Not to mention oftentimes the industries surrounding them are ethical nightmares. Don’t get me started on avocado cartels and the impact of quinoa farming on low-income South American communities. In reality, most grains and cereals have a lot of nutrients and minerals, and they’re often overlooked. Learn the nutrition facts, and make decisions accordingly. Google and online databases are your friends, here.

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John Baker
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's no such thing as a "superfood." It's all a bunch of hype designed to get you to spend your money.

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#4

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Buy these dried as often as possible. Keep a stock of beans, lentils, and dried chickpeas around if you can. They’re cheap, almost always available, and virtually imperishable. As such, assuming you don’t throw them out and keep them properly stored, buying these is a 100% return on your investment.

Legumes are one of the most versatile options in your kitchen. As long as you soak them and put them in the fridge before you go to bed they’ll be available the next day to cook quickly. These are the best thing to have if you’re looking to stretch a meal because of their nutrient density and the fact that they’re just damn delicious on their own.

Look into middle-eastern and African cuisine for creative ways to use these ingredients. Some really common examples are lentil curry, hummus, falafels, and putting chickpeas in a shakshuka. This isn’t a recipe post, so look up how to make them yourself - some grandma has a better (and probably even cheaper) recipe than I do.

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#5

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks I know it’s cheap. I KNOW you like how easy it is. I don’t give one flying f**k. It’s awful for you, it isn’t cheaper than a bowl of rice with soy sauce, a fried egg, and some frozen peas, and it’ll kill you slowly. Just don’t, and ignore anyone’s advice about how it got them through college. Hell, if anyone’s advice involves doing what they did in college, take it with a grain of salt. There’s good advice sometimes, and a LOT of bad.

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april jenkins
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

or money. during lockdown when i got stood down from work, for 3 months i fed our 4 kids together we had these 3 meals a day just so we can make rent.

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John Meise
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This guy's an idiot. Instant ramen won't kill you. 🙄 I mean... If it's literally all you eat for your entire life, sure, it'll have negative health effects, but even then it won't kill you. And he's SO clearly passionate about his very much OPINION. But if you're eating other things too, it's fine. I do wish it was easy to get real ramen here though, I'd love to know what it tastes like. Still, grab the instant ramen. His comparison of rice with an egg and soy sauce is SO idiotic if for no other reason than instant ramen is SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER AND EASIER. Not a little easier, SIGNIFICANTLY easier.

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Yara Balabanova
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly what I was thinking as well. Does this guy think he's a dietician or something?

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Eiram
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ramen is delicious cheap, and fills the belly. You don't have to use the salt/seasoning packer (is drain the water and only use a little of the packet). It fed me, a diabetic, through a decade of three jobs while only making 20-30,000 a year. How DARE you insult Ramen?

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J. Normal
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They sound like someone who has never had to really make ends meet. I will listen to them when they have eaten nothing but PLAIN rice ( no seasoning, soup or anything to spice it up) for over 2 weeks. 1 bag of rice fed us. I find it interesting that the push for beans as the superfood. ... I can smell someone who has beans as a mainstay of their diet. They say meat eaters stink - I find beans and curry way too odorous.

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Douglas Mosier
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One packet has 14 rams of fat, half of which is saturated (the noodles), and 1500 mg of sodium (mainly in the flavor packet).

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is good instant ramen. The two big brands are Top Ramen and Manchin and they are garbage. I'm partial to Indo Mio myself. Still less than $2 per packet, but it's 1000X better than the cheap stuff.

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SunofSpringtime
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is Indo Mio? I want to try and can't seem to find it. Do you mean Indomie?

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BasedWang
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are brands now that dont deep fry the noodle cakes first. Even some "fresh ramen" that only have 1% fat and are actually damn good. The salt is still there, but there are options in the instant category now. Always pay attention to that fat count especially because most Instants are actually 2 servings!

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yeciye
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with this but I’d prefer an explanation of what causes it to be bad instead of “avoid it because I say so”.

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Mike Ward
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what a load of nonsense, "ramen noodles will kill you", sure they will, they'll probably use tiny little knives or something.

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Nikki Sevven
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At the very least, buy the cheap ramen, but throw away the salty seasoning packet. Add your own soy sauce, hoisin, gochujang, etc.

joanne_haywood65 avatar
Jods
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, they are cheap but when you have nothing else in the cupboards or fridge nor the money to buy anything they are warm and filling.

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Thomas Ewing
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Instant ramen may not be so great, but the wait-for-it-to-cook stuff is WONDERFUL.

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Diana Murtaugh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know the bowls are terribly high in sodium. The square packets aren't nearly as high. For what you're getting tho (empty calories), the calories are high. I admit I still eat them, usually with added ingredients.

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2x4b523p
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They did get me through college, and 20 years later I still can't even look at them.

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SelkieBlackfysh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I lived off ramen for a year and it wasn't by choice. Even to this day I don't like ramen and I won't even entertain a "proper bowl of authentic ramen". I'll make a light, fresh udon soup instead and try to make it as unramen like as I can.

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Marisa Varney
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rice isn't that much better for you. Also what about variety? How about rice and ramen not just one?

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Paul Beebe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ramen is good-IF...you add some green onion, garlic and some frozen mixed veg and an egg. I lived on that stuff in college and I was extremely active and really didn't go hungry at all....

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Prudence Putnam
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve just discovered instant noodles....of Asian manufacture. In the 3 min cooking time I add greens ( eg, chard, broccoli, asparagus, peas), and some left over chicken turkey or pork if in the fridge..... don’t pour off the water. Mix up in noodle bowl with seasonings top with mung beans and a poached egg. ( Google how to poach an egg in microwave..takes 30seconds). Grind of black pepper ..... done.

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Katherine Heasley
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Japan and China, btw, put all American supermarkets to absolute shame with their aisles of instant ramen and assorted other noodles.

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Catherine Spencer-Mills
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter=in=law is Korean. Start with noodle soup - Korean style, can be very hot. Add an egg to poach, various pickles such as cabbage kim chee, dried anchovies, green onions, if you have leftover veg such as cooked green beans, and more. More of a real meal.

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Steve Fischer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ramen is a rite of college. I had them as a freshman at UCLA in 1971, for the first time, when all we had to cook with was a camp stove someone brought. At 10 cents a bag, it really helped quell the munchies!

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Brandy Grote
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

10 cent dinner, with an avocado plucked from a tree in the courtyard....

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Ritchat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was still a student I once ate yumyum ramen every day for a month. Then I fainted and collapsed - fortunately on my bed. I actually had to leave for art school 15min before it happened but wasn't feeling too well. Don't even want to think about what would have happened if I had already been on the way to school. Had serious deficiencies after that month already. Wasn't funny, can't recommend. Haven't touched that stuff in years.

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Shane S
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For a solid year or so I ate these for lunch every day

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s. vitkovitsky
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Instant ramen huge user of palm oil. Read about orangutan habitats being destroyed by clear cutting to grow palm trees for oil. Read about endangered orangutans.

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John Hastings
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Momofuko Ando in 1959...kept a lot of broke college kids alive...read the label...fast sure...but????

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Attila Ángyán
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why? Its noodles, dehydrated vegetables and spices. Not saying its the super healthy one, but cant see why would it kill me slowly if I have one or two once in a while. They are super tasty.

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Tee Witt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Uni friends lived on jackets potatoes and whatever they had to add.

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Mari
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's because of the MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamat) in it. A lot of people are allergic to it or don't support it. But they add it also in soups or chips.

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Pena Perkele
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A pack of ramen every now and then isn't going to kill you. Sure, I wouldn't tell anybody to eat it daily or weekly, but if I consume 0-3 packs of it per month, it's not too bad. Sometimes I make it with other stuff; chicken and veggies, or maybe with some fried pork and a fried egg, depends on the flavour of the noodles and my cravings. What, am I supposed to buy noodles without the flavour packs and find some other way of getting the same flavours into the noodles? As a neurodivergent person who often forgets to eat, having a pack of noodles in the cupboard can save me from starving when my head won't let me focus on cooking, or when I'm already starving and have to eat NOW and there's no leftovers or anything else I could just heat up in 5 minutes.

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sofacushionfort
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not a good choice for bachelor-chow. If you’re poor try beans/cabbage/rice/onion, and a once a week treat on something nice.

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kjorn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's cheap but i think it's because it's easy to do for lazy people

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Russell Rieckenberg
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

White rice isn't very good for you either. It has almost no nutrition, although maybe you can find enriched rice. The rice I see at the local stores doesn't say whether it is enriched.

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we recently had 3 kids die from tainted instant noodles, so there's that. IMHO if you're buying these things it means either you are broke OR you are a student, but if you aren't either, it's basically satan.

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F. H.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not a problem with instant noodles then, but a serious health and safety problem involving the industry and government.

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Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This needs to be higher up. That instant crap is just what it is "instant crap". A sandwich and a cup of soup would be better and just a cheap and easy to make.

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John Meise
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No it needs to be a lot lower it needs to be not even on the list. A sandwich and a cup of soup might be better (actually I agree with you it definitely would be better) but it would absolutely not be just as easy to make you are f*****g kidding yourself if you think it's as easy to make.

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John C
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2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I like how we're getting advice from a professional chef and people still want to argue with it.

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John Meise
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's a f*****g idiot. He's being very very opinionated about this and he's very wrong. Unless you eat nothing but ramen for the rest of your life it won't really hurt you and even then it won't kill you probably it'll just have negative health effects on you.

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#6

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Good fresh and better canned. Use fresh tomatoes raw for whatever you want and use canned tomatoes for sauces. Buy canned tomatoes with as little added salt and sugar as possible.

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Earl Grey
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Grow your own if you can, even if all you have is a patio or balcony. There are hundreds of varieties to suit any circumstance or microclimate.

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#7

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. There’s always a bin of some forgotten veggie no-one eats for some reason. In the west, at least, it seems to often be rutabagas/turnips. I’ve also seen apples in the fall, corn, and cabbages fall into this category. This is because of a good harvest, or because of a lack of consumer interest - any time this happens, capitalize on it. Everything is delicious if you cook it properly. Buy seasonally, and learn how to use the things you buy. You’ll eat like a king and pay like a pauper.

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Martha Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I discovered turnips last year and wondered why I never knew them before. Delicious!

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#8

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks BARLEY, also, is amazing, but for other reasons. It’s high in protein and iron, and can help dramatically improve your nutrient intake for very little cost. In soups, roasted in tea (thanks Korea), and used in tandem with rice, it can go a very, very long way in making your diet a more sustainable one in times of austerity and plenty, alike.

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#9

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks A chicken isn’t just 8 portions of meat - it’s also bones and carcass for a stock or soup, fat to be rendered out and used as a cooking oil (thanks, jewish folks!), and skin to be cooked down into delicious little chips. This same list can be used for pork, beef, and any other mammal you eat.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

By 8 portions, he means 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 breasts. See: https://youtu.be/_UyyLRqah3E

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#10

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks All of this information is fundamentally more useful if you know how to cook. Not knowing how to cook is a luxury afforded to those with the means to afford living in ignorance of this most basic human skill. You are living outside your means if you live in a well-off country, don’t make a least $60k a year, and can’t cook.

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#11

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Buy them fresh and store them in dry, enclosed spaces, and buy tomatoes canned and without salt added. Use onions in almost everything, they’re delicious, cheap, and nutritious.

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JuJu
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Onion soup, onion gratin, stuffed onions, onion relish, onion sauce...hmmmmm

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#12

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks I know Starbucks is delicious. Guess what? You can find a recipe for every drink they make online, and then make it better. Some restaurants literally survive because they can sell coffee at a nearly 2000% markup. Truck stop diners and high-end coffee shops do this. I recommend making cold brew the night before, since you literally just have to strain it in the morning rather than brewing a pot.

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#13

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks If you want a drink, I recommend doing it less often and drinking the good stuff. If you like the cheap stuff that’s fine, “good stuff” is all relative anyway. Just drink less and focus on quality over quantity, whatever your preferences are.

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Kay blue
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah the 3 litre bottle of white lightning cider will get you drunk but it won't be a pleasant experience.

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#14

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Generally when you buy produce you should go, in order, to the discount rack, then the sales, and then everything else. Someone out there has a recipe for literally everything, and some of them are even good. A pepper with a blemish or tiny spot of mold is still fine, assuming you cut away the blemish or tiny spot of mold.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless you really hate the vegetable or fruit in question, in which case, don't force yourself to eat it b/c it's cheap. You won't like it any better. (Kohlrabi, looking at *you*.)

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#15

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks If you’re gonna buy it I recommend buying less of it less often, and buying the good stuff when you do. Kraft block cheese only costs as little as it does because it’s the by-product of the real money-maker: whey protein production. If you’re gonna buy cheese, please support a real cheesemaker. The cheese lover in you will be happier for it.

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Laugh or not
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cheese is a luxury? I am sorry, but you are what you eat, and at this stage I am pretty sure I am 40% cheese. And as a French person, I assure you it is real, good cheese.

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#16

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks RICE is amazing, as most know already, but seriously - it’s one of the most important crops in the world. It’s kept civilizations alive on its back for all of recorded history, and it’ll keep you alive, too. There is no better “fill me up” food I can think of. Wait for those huge sacks of rice to go on sale (it happens pretty frequently), then buy 2. They last forever. Ideally grab long-grain rice if you’re just looking for a side-dish or fried rice base, but in a pinch short grain’ll do; it’s just less forgiving and the starches don’t retrograde as fully so when you cool it it doesn’t keep as nicely.

KEEP IN MIND that rice is pure carbs. It’s a good base, but you need other stuff to go with it or else you’ll be deficient in nutrients and feel awful all the time. Trust me from experience - college me went through a raw-egg-on-rice phase, and it wasn’t pretty.

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Who - me?
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One word - bugs. I have on more than one occasion bought a 1 or 2 pound bag of rice at a regular chain grocery (not a discount outlet or dollar store) and opened it when I got home to find small "worms" inside. Followed by a trip to return it to the store. If you do buy rice in bulk, keep it in an airtight container.

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#17

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Like, as an industry. Not many people know their fish, and fish processing companies know that and capitalize on it. I always tell people who like fish to buy fresh and whole, and to learn how to pick good fish. Buying cheap processed fish products is akin to asking to be ripped off, to harm the environment, and to accumulate toxins in your body, all at the same time. To not get completely F-ed over by what is maybe the worst food industry in the world you need to know your fish, know the company you’re buying from, and know who’s doing the fishing. Good luck, and please try not to contribute to the death of our water ecosystems. (A good trick is that if you can afford fish when you’re poor and you don’t live beside a large body of water, you almost certainly DON’T WANT IT.)

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If is smells, it isn't fresh. And buying it ready filleted at the supermarket is not a problem. However fresh fish is not cheap.

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#18

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks IF YOU EAT MEAT, buy the least processed cuts you can. Whole chickens, meat on the bone, and ground meats are your best friends. Go to butcher shops, if you can. Freezing meat is fine, but try to avoid buying pre-made frozen protein options. Get raw product and do the work yourself to save a LOT of cash and get better food out of it.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My gf has taken this to the extreme and actually plucked chickens after someone else has dispatched them. I prefer it is mine is ready portioned.

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#19

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Chips, sugar cereals, premade salad dressings, sweet juice/pop, and processed foods like KD or tv dinners are not the way to go if you’re looking to get the most out of your dollar at the grocery store. They’re bad for you, they’re expensive relative to the cost of production, and they put a burden on your body that you’ll pay for down the line. Exceptions to this are staple sauces like a good soy sauce and fish sauce, grains and legumes, and canned veggies.

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When making a tomato sauce make plenty and freeze in portions. Use for a quick meal. Same with lasagne and other meals, make more and pop it in the freezer. It saves time and money.

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#20

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks FLOUR is an essential staple, unless you’re celiac or gluten free - a topic on which I won’t speak because I’m confident anyone who has to deal with those issues knows more than I do. I recommend grabbing all-purpose flour due to its gluten content being a middle ground between low-gluten pastry flour and high-gluten bread flour. You can still use it to make bread, and it has a myriad other uses as a binder or thickener for sauces.

aichliss , pexels Report

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Martha Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Modern day commercial refined wheat flour is a nutritional nightmare actually. It's worth looking into whole grain flours, other grains than wheat and generally less refined flours if you can get your hands on those. They cost more but it's not expensive.

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#21

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Go for it, these things are nutrient bombs and they’re delicious. Buy them seasonally for the best value and if you have a day to do so, preserve them if you ever see a huge sale. I’m still enjoying lacto-fermented blueberries from last year’s insane blueberry harvest where I could buy a pint for a dollar.

aichliss , pexels Report

#22

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks I generally have a personal aversion to all canned veggies and fruits except tomatoes, but that’s just my privilege speaking. If you want to buy them or if fresh produce is hard to come by, avoid getting anything with added salt or sugar. Cross-reference the nutrient info on the can with info from a fresh counterpart to avoid buying filler garbage, and try to find somewhere to live with better food accessibility. Alternatively, save up and make a killing by opening a fruit and vegetable market to remove the need to read this very ling post any further. (This is a joke and I recognize the struggle of those in impoverished communities with awful food accessibility.)

aichliss , unsplash Report

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Earl Grey
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Except for tomatoes, I’ve never had a canned vegetable that wasn’t mouth-searingly salty.

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#23

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks Treat these as a starch option similar to grains or cereals. Buy them unprocessed, in a sack. Store them in dry, enclosed spaces.

aichliss , pexels Report

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JuJu
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NO! Potatoes are totally different from the other popular starch options. They are healthy as f*uck! And there are endless options for potato based meals. Potatoes are your friend.

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#24

Pro Chef Gives 24 Grocery Shopping Tips And Tricks All the rules for proteins apply. Fish bones and crustacean shells for stock, fat deposits on the occasional salmonid for whatever you want, and fish skin, if it’s your cup of tea, for a lovely snack. Hell, fish organs and salt make up the base for a fermented fish sauce, if you really want to go the extra mile. Rome survived off of fish sauce and bread for longer than our society has been around. The one big difference between fish and meat is that frozen fish tends to suck relative to fresh in a much bigger way - both in terms of quality and retained nutrients. Put frozen fish in soups or curries, to avoid nutrient drain from the water that inevitably will leak out of your fish.

aichliss , pexels Report

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Marianne Saiso
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What? no. Fish comes frozen off the trawler, so you buy it frozen and defrost slowly. Same goes for fish sticks. They're mostly made on the damn boat. Freshest you can get. Unless you can get locally fished fish, frozen is fine.

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