Shopping for Health

Daily Values on Food Labels
Dates Stamped on Food Labels
Shop Smart for Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta
Shop Smart for Fruits and Vegetables
Shop Smart for Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans
Shop Smart for Milk and Milk Products
Smart Shopping Tips
Unit Pricing of Food

Unit Price

Sometimes foods packed in the "giant" or "family" size may seem like the best buy. You may think that buying one large container will not cost as much as two or three smaller packages. But larger containers do not always end up costing you less than smaller ones. It is important to look at the cost per unit and compare this cost. The "unit price" tells you the cost per pound, quart, or other unit of weight or volume of a food package. It is usually posted on the shelf below the food. The shelf tag shows the total price (item price) and price per unit (unit price) for the food item.

You can save money when you compare the cost of the same food in different sized containers or different brands. For example, if you want to buy frozen orange juice you may find a 6-ounce can that cost $.64. The unit price for this small can is $3.42 per quart. A 12-ounce can of frozen orange juice in another brand may cost $.89. The unit price for the larger container of juice is listed as $2.38 per quart. Here, the larger container is cheaper per quart.

Foods that cost less per unit are not always the better buy. The big, economy size is not a good buy if you cannot store it properly. If you end up with leftovers that spoil or are thrown out, buying the larger size is not a good idea.

Unit pricing can help you decide what brand to buy. Store brands and little known brands often cost less than well-known national brands. The way the lower-priced brands look may be the only difference. (Be sure to check the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to see if the nutrients are the same.) Sometimes these foods may vary in size, color, or texture more than the national brands. If you want a perfect peach half you may want to pay the price of a national brand. If you want sliced peaches to serve your child or as a quick snack, it may not matter if each slice is the same. You can save money when you compare the unit price of each of the canned peaches before you make your decision.

Smart Shopping Tips

Everyone wants to save money when they shop. The best way to save money is to plan ahead. When you plan before you shop you can save money and get the foods your family needs for good health.

Before you shop:

1. Think about some of the meals you will make.
2. Look at what you have on hand.
3. Write a list of what you need to buy.

At the store:

1. Compare prices of different sizes and brands of the food you're buying.
2. Use coupons only for the things you usually buy.
3. Try to buy just the amount you need or have space to store.

Other Tips:
Package-mix dinners and other ready-to-eat foods are popular because they are easy to make and save you time in the kitchen. Just add a salad or fruit, a roll, and something to drink for a complete meal.

If you have the time, you can save money by making "planned-over" pasta or rice dinners. Buy enough rice, pasta or meat to have some leftover. Mix the leftover meats and pasta or rice; add vegetables like canned tomatoes or corn. Then spice up the dish with your favorite seasonings.

Many package-mix foods are high in fat and sodium. Be sure to read the nutrition labels. Choose the products that are lower in fat and sodium. You can lower the fat and sodium in foods you prepare from mixes when you leave out the salt; use half of the margarine or use low- fat milk instead of whole milk.

Shop Smart for Milk and Milk Products

You can save money on milk and milk products in many ways. Fresh milk in larger containers often costs less than milk in smaller containers. You may save 10 to 20 cents per quart when you buy milk in 1/2 or 1 gallon containers. It's important to be sure that you can use the larger amount without wasting it. Choose skim or low fat milk instead of whole milk for less fat and calories. Often low fat milk costs less than whole milk or 2% milk.

You can also save money when you buy nonfat dry milk powder. A box of nonfat dry milk powder will often cost less than fresh milk. When you use powdered milk in cooking, you save money. You can also stretch your milk dollars when you add reconstituted powdered milk to fresh milk. Buy nonfat powdered milk in the largest package size you can store and use without waste. If you store nonfat powdered milk in a cool, dry place it will stay fresh and safe for several months.

Cheese and yogurt have calcium and other nutrients found in milk. If you eat these foods instead of drinking milk, you may add extra costs. Most cheeses cost about twice as much as a serving of milk. Yogurt costs about three times as much. Natural cheeses, especially those marked aged and sharp, often cost more than processed cheese.

Cheeses that are grated cost more than the same amount of cheese in a wedge or stick. Fruit flavored yogurt costs more than plain yogurt and usually has added sugars. Instead of buying four 8-ounce containers of yogurt, you may save money by buying a larger 32-ounce container. Try adding your own fruit to plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt.

To cut down on fat from milk and milk products, try low fat frozen yogurt and low fat milk instead of buying ice cream and whole milk all of the time. Add evaporated skim milk or whole milk to your coffee or tea instead of cream. Low fat cheeses and yogurt will help you cut down on fat and calories in your diet, too. Since even low fat cheeses have more fat than some milk products, you may want to eat them less often.

Shop Smart for Meat, Poultry, Fish and Dried Beans

Foods like meat, poultry, and fish can be expensive. You can cut the costs of these foods by using smaller amounts and by trying types of meat that cost less.

You can save money when you use small amounts of meat, poultry or fish and combine them with foods that cost less like potatoes, rice, macaroni and vegetables. There are many cuts and types of meat, poultry, and fish that will give you the most cooked servings for the money you spend. You can save money when you buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself instead of buying chicken parts. Fresh chicken or chicken parts will cost less than fresh or frozen roasted, breaded or fried chicken pieces. Instead of buying stew meat that is cut at the store, try buying a round steak or roast and cut it into cubes yourself. Some cuts of meat may seem like the lowest price per pound but may not be the best value. For example, a high-priced meat may have little or no waste. A low-priced cut may have a large bone, gristle or fat that counts as part of the weight but it will be wasted.

Get all the flavor and food value from a piece of meat by using leftover meats. You can mix less expensive grains and vegetables to make casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and stir-fried meals. Plan to have chicken, turkey or beef left over from one meal to make sandwiches for the next.

To cut down on fat in this food group, you can trim the fat off certain cuts of meat or remove the skin from poultry before you cook it. When you buy canned tuna, look for tuna packed in water, instead of oil. Dried beans like lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas and black beans cost less than animal products. They can be used in place of meat in soups, stews or casseroles. Compared to animal products, legumes like these are lower in fat and have more fiber, too.

Shop Smart for Fruits and Vegetables

You can get the fruits and vegetables you need without spending a lot of money. You can find them in the store in many different forms. Fresh fruits and vegetables have the same vitamins and minerals as ones that are canned, dried or frozen.

Fresh fruits and vegetables usually cost less and are the best quality when they are in season. In the late spring, summer and early fall, you can choose from a variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown in New England. You can shop at Farmers' Markets and farm stands or pick your own. During the winter months you may pay more and have less variety. Check supermarket flyers for apples, oranges, broccoli, potatoes and other produce that may be on special from week to week. Buy only amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables that you can use or store properly so they don't spoil.

Watch for specials on canned and frozen products your family likes. Stock up on these foods if you can store them properly. Usually store brands cost less than nationally advertised brands. The only difference may be in the way the food looks. The color may not be as bright or the texture may not be as smooth as some national brands. You can save money and still get the nutrients you need from these fruits and vegetables.

When you buy canned or frozen fruits and vegetables look out for added sugar, salt and fat. To help cut down on sugar, choose canned fruits packed in juice instead of syrup. To reduce the amount of sodium in canned vegetables, look for canned vegetables with no salt added. Another way to cut down on the sodium in canned vegetables is to drain the liquid from the can. Use a small amount of water to heat the vegetable. Frozen vegetables with seasoning or sauces usually cost about twice as much as plain frozen vegetables. You can save money when you make your own sauce and add your own seasonings.

Add variety to your meals and snacks by trying new kinds of fruits and vegetables. When you compare prices and types of fruits and vegetables that are available at your store or farm stand, you can keep your food costs down and get the nutrients you need.

Shop Smart for Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta

You can cut the cost of breads, cereals, rice, pasta and other grains without cutting good nutrition. Look for whole grain products like brown rice, oatmeal, grits, tortillas and whole wheat bread. They are naturally high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Most white breads are enriched with vitamins and minerals. They are more nutritious than unenriched grain products. Specialty breads and rolls like pita bread, sweet rolls, or doughnuts may not be enriched. To get the most nutrition for your food dollar, check the wrapper to be sure.

Some cereals are fortified with even more vitamins and minerals than you would naturally get if you ate the grain. A cereal with 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of certain vitamins or minerals is called a "supplement" cereal. One of these cereals is the same as any other corn flakes or wheat flakes with a vitamin pill added. These types of cereals cost more than enriched or whole grain cereals. If you follow the Food Guide Pyramid, fortified cereals are an unnecessary expense.

To save money on breads and baked goods, look in the day old section of the supermarket. You can save up to half the cost of fresh bread, rolls or other baked products. These breads may not be as soft as fresh bread, but they have the same nutrients.

When you bake muffins, biscuits, cakes or cookies, it will often cost less than stored-baked products. Compare the cost of the ingredients for your favorite recipes with the price of equal amounts of similar bakery products. Then decide if it is worth it to make your own.

Instant hot cereals in individual servings may cost two to three times as much as the same cereals in larger boxes. These cereals often have more sodium and sugar than cereals you make yourself. You can heat many hot cereals in a microwave oven for the same amount of time it would take to make an "instant" cereal.

Instead of buying ready-made rice or pasta mixes, add your own seasonings and meat. If you like the way some of these mixes taste, you can get more value for your money by adding more pasta or rice than is in the box. Try cutting down on the amount of fat than the directions on the box say. This way you pay less but you get a more nutritious meal.

Dates on Food Labels

Many foods have a date stamped on the label. These dates can help you choose foods that are fresh and safe to eat. You will see different dates on different types of foods.

• The "Pull-By" or "Sell-By" date is used on foods like milk, cheese, and packaged meats. It is the last date the product should be sold. These foods are usually stored in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh and safe for few days after this date if you store them properly.

• "Freshness" or "Best-If-Used-By" dates are used on products like bakery goods or packaged cereals. The date is the last day the product can keep its best quality. After this date, the food may lose some of its freshness and nutritional value.

• An "Expiration" or "Use-By" date is the last date the food should be eaten or used. It is used mostly on products such as refrigerated dough and yeast.

• A "Pack" date is the date the food was manufactured or processed and packaged. This type of date is used for foods that can be kept for a long time, like canned goods.

Daily Values on Food Labels

You can use the Daily Values on food labels to see if you are getting enough of the important nutrients that you need each day.

A Daily Value is the percentage of a certain nutrient that is in a serving of food. This percentage is based on an "average person" who needs 2000 calories each day to stay healthy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided that this "average person" would be someone who needs 2000 calories a day, so that as many people as possible would get the nutrients they need. You may need a little less; or you may need more of these nutrients.

You can also use the Daily Values to compare foods to see which ones will give you the best buy and best food value. If you want more fiber, you may choose a cereal that has 10% of the Daily Value for fiber instead of a cereal that has less than 1% of the Daily Value. Instead of buying a snack or soup mix that has 50% of your Daily Value for sodium, you may choose a snack or soup that has 10-20% of the Daily Value.

How to Lose Weight

The key to losing weight is to eat a little bit less and exercise a little bit more than you do now. Slow steady weight loss is the best. You will stay healthy and have enough energy for daily activities when you lose about one half to one pound in a week.

To lose one pound you need to cut down on or burn up 3,500 calories. It is easier to cut out 500 calories each day for 7 days to total 3,500 calories, than it is to cut out 3,500 calories in a few days. It might even be better to cut out 300 calories and exercise to burn an extra 200 calories.

The Food Guide Pyramid is a good place to see how you can cut calories. You need to know what you are eating and how much you are eating now. Then you may be able to cut down on the number of servings or the portions you eat. The Pyramid shows the number of servings and calories according to age and activity. You may not be as active as the person who needs 2,200 or 2,400 calories. So, you might want to cut down on the number of servings you eat in certain food groups. You may also want to check your serving sizes. The extra calories from bigger portion sizes can add up. Check the Food Guide Pyramid to see what counts as a serving. Try measuring the foods you eat in a day, then compare what you've eaten to the Pyramid guidelines. Take a close look at the number and serving sizes of foods you eat in the Fats, Oils and Sweets group. Do you spread a tablespoon or a teaspoon of margarine on your toast? How much oil or lard do you use when you cook? You can use less of these fats and get fewer calories.

You can also cut calories by having an extra serving of starchy foods instead of high calorie fatty foods. Try having a serving of bread, pasta, rice, fruit or vegetable instead of eating fatty foods like snack chips, pastries, processed meats or some cheeses.

Losing weight and keeping it off cannot be done by diet alone. Exercise is important, too. Thirty minutes of physical activity 5-7 days a week will help you lose weight. Walking, dancing, bicycling, swimming, and jogging are all good forms of physical activity. You don't have to give up your favorite foods or join an expensive exercise program to stay in shape. Enjoy a variety of foods and fun activities as your goal for a healthy weight.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy you may be hurting your baby. Alcohol affects the fetus during the first month of pregnancy. It can cause brain damage, and mental and physical retardation. This condition is known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

Because even small amounts of alcohol can affect the fetus, if you are pregnant it is important not drink any alcoholic beverages. It is also important to stop drinking as soon as you plan to become pregnant, since some damage may have already occurred before you know you are pregnant.

FAS can happen if you drink as few as 2 drink per day. FAS can also occur if you drink fewer than 2 drinks a day on average, but have many drinks on a few occasions.

Set a Goal to Lose Weight

The best way to lose weight is to set a goal for yourself and stick to it. To lose weight, you may want to make a goal to change the way you eat and the amount of exercise you get.

To succeed at making this change, you need to write a goal that is realistic, specific, and flexible. If you set a goal that is unrealistic, you may fail and give up. For example, you may think you want to lose weight by cutting out your favorite cheese that you know is high in fat. You always have this cheese with lunch or as a snack. To make your goal realistic, instead of saying you will give up having this cheese, you might say that you are going to try to have a salad or vegetable sticks, instead of the cheese. To be specific and realistic, instead of saying will give up having this cheese, you might say that you will have a salad or vegetable sticks with your lunch or snack, for the next three days. By making your goal realistic and specific, you make your goal into something you can do.

Finally, it's important to be flexible. That means, if you make a mistake or get off course, you can try again. If a friend visits you and you share some of your favorite cheese on one of the days you planned to make this change, it's all right. Start again the next day to reach your goal.

Keep your goal in mind and keep trying, you will lose weight and be able to keep it off. When you reach your goal, celebrate by going to a movie or buying a new shirt. Give yourself a reward!

Vitamin C and Scurvy

Three hundred years ago, a sailor on a long voyage would likely not return home alive - not because he might be slain by pirates or die in a storm, but because he might develop the dreaded disease scurvy. A British doctor found that a daily ration of lime juice would prevent the horrible softening and bleeding of organs, tendons, skin, and gums that led to death for sailors. Sailors got the nickname "limey" from this practice. Today, it is known that the sailors' scurvy was caused by vitamin C deficiency. Because fresh fruits and vegetables could not be stored on board, lime juice provided the vitamin C the sailors needed.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a type of chemical found in coffee, tea, and colas. It is called a stimulant because it speeds up your breathing and heart rate. It also increases the stress hormones in your body. If you consume too much caffeine, you may feel dizzy, restless, get headaches, and have difficulty sleeping.

Caffeine is habit forming, but it is not considered addictive. If you drink caffeinated beverages regularly, your body will get used to having caffeine. If you cut down on your caffeine intake, you will likely have withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue for a few days to a week. You can avoid these symptoms if you cut down on the amount of caffeine in your diet gradually.

Because of these effects, many people feel that everyone should be careful about the amount of caffeine they consume caffeine. The caffeine in 1 to 2 cups of coffee or 2 to 3 cups of tea equals 50 to 200 milligrams. This amount per day may be harmless for most people. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should be more careful.

Caffeine has not been linked to any disease. It may make your bones lose calcium. Large amounts of caffeine may cause heart attacks in people with heart disease, but it is not believed to cause heart disease. Usually, only individuals with a history of heart disease must follow a caffeine-free diet.

Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners were made for people who cannot eat sugar or who want to cut down on calories from sugary foods. After many years of use, artificial sweeteners are still controversial. Some people think that they are good because they do not cause cavities and may help them lose weight. Other people think that using artificial sweeteners can cause cancer and other diseases.

There are two types of artificial sweeteners that are used instead of sugars in foods. They are noncaloric sweeteners and sugar alcohols. Noncaloric sweeteners do not add calories to foods. They are used in many kinds of foods such as snack foods and drinks. The names of some noncaloric sweeteners are saccharine and aspartame. These sweeteners do not cause as much tooth decay as sugar.

Sugar alcohols contain about the same number of calories as sugar. They are used in chewing gums and hard candies. Like other artificial sweeteners, they may cause fewer dental cavities than sugars. In fact chewing sugarless gum after meals may help prevent cavities. Because they have the same calories as sugar, sugar alcohols do not help people who are trying to lose weight. For some people they cause diarrhea. Examples of sugar alcohols are sorbitol and mannitol.

All artificial sweeteners have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA made this decision after looking at tests which show that "normal use" of artificial sweeteners would not cause health problems. Some people are still worried that there may be health risks for individuals, especially children, who consume more than the level the FDA defines as "normal use." Also, these tests did not show how safe artificial sweeteners would be when consumed over a lifetime.

Many people use artificial sweeteners because they think they are cutting calories and will lose weight. Often, these people will eat artificially sweetened foods or drinks and then eat even more of other foods. They may even end up gaining weight!

While there is no harm having artificial sweeteners some of the time, it is probably wise to limit your use of foods with artificial sweeteners. Most foods especially ripe fruits are just as sweet without added sugars. Other foods taste fine when you make them with less sugar.