Anonymous wrote:Carrots are a great deal and versatile. A large 6lb bag at Costco was $5. A pineapple was $3.5.

I also bought a 2 pack of pork tenderloin for $14. We will use one to make barbecue pulled pork. Shred some of the carrots and pick up a head of cabbage at an Asian market for a few dollars to make coleslaw. The other pork tenderloin we will make glazed pork with ginger roasted carrots. You could also do a honey or honey mustard glaze etc. we won’t finish a whole tenderloin so I will chop up the leftovers, dice an onion, julienne some carrots, add some Korean spice sauce and make pork fried rice. Other carrots can be sliced for snacks or diced and put in chili, bolognese, soups or added to a smoothie. Carrot salad is also really good.

You don't make shredded BBQ from a pork tenderloin. That would be awful. You have to use a pork Shoulder/Boston Butt cut.

Aldi's had horrid produce. I would never trust anyone who shops there.

I've relaxed somewhat without kids in the house, but please be aware that there is increased pesticide risk with international origin oproduce.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5012412/

This is OP. Fantastic tips everyone!
Buying at discount and freezing for up to a month is a great idea. I am going to implement some of the suggestions in this thread right away.

Carrots are a great deal and versatile. A large 6lb bag at Costco was $5. A pineapple was $3.5.

I also bought a 2 pack of pork tenderloin for $14. We will use one to make barbecue pulled pork. Shred some of the carrots and pick up a head of cabbage at an Asian market for a few dollars to make coleslaw. The other pork tenderloin we will make glazed pork with ginger roasted carrots. You could also do a honey or honey mustard glaze etc. we won’t finish a whole tenderloin so I will chop up the leftovers, dice an onion, julienne some carrots, add some Korean spice sauce and make pork fried rice. Other carrots can be sliced for snacks or diced and put in chili, bolognese, soups or added to a smoothie. Carrot salad is also really good.

Anonymous wrote:We shop at Aldi and also eat what’s in season. My kids do not get berries weekly even though they’d love them. I have friends who spend $20 a week just on berries that their kids gorge themselves on.

Sadly due to prices our fruits and veggies have become boring. We always have a fruit bowl with apples, oranges and bananas. In the fridge there’s always broccoli, green beans and carrots. The rest comes and goes based on what’s in season. We eat a lot more beans now too (not a vegetable I know).

Same here. Aldi doesn't have the selection of some stores but it's good for the basics we eat most in winter: apples, bananas, pears, clementines, salad greens, onions, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, butternut squash. I do wish they sold whole kale or collards instead of the chopped bag with stems, we ate more leafy greens when they didn't require a special trip.

I prefer the thin frozen green beans since they are never woody and don't require stemming, so we buy those too. I also buy canned pineapple and dried fruits for the kids sometimes.

Our total grocery bill is usually $120-150 per week so we're definitely not spending $100 on produce.

Mostly shop at Aldi. Ours is well run and well stocked when we get there usually Saturday morning.
We get fresh: lettuce, cilantro, scallions, whole carrots, tomatoes, onions, squash, avocados, sweet potatoes, cabbage, peppers, apples, oranges, bananas, other fruits in season/on sale. Asparagus and Brussels sprouts are usually good.

Frozen broccoli florets, green beans, peas, corn and others are good and inexpensive. So are frozen fruits like pineapple chunks and mango and berries (though I prefer Trader Joe’s for those)

Also check out Lotte or H mart if they are near you for deals on produce.

Don't throw away large parts of usable organic veggies when you are cutting them.

I rinse and peel the broccoli and cauliflower stalks and then dice it for stirfries or even cooking in curries.

I use a food scrubber to thoroughly clean out the skins of veggies like zucchini, so that I can use the skin in the dish too. Similarly - I will cut out a very small portion of the stalks of mushroom and use the rest of the mushroom. A lot of food influences only use the cap of the mushrooms and it is a waste not to use the stalk. Similarly, I remove the white pith and rind from lemon peels, slice the lemon peels and put it in white rice when I am cooking. The delicious citrusy aroma and taste of the cooked peels is amazing.

If I am shelling peas, I also remove the waxy layer from the shells and then chop and cook it like beans. This is a slightly laborious process - best done when you are chilling at night watching TV.

If you have a lawn or a garden. You can basically use the washed veggie peels (except onions and garlic) and just use your blender to make a slurry with water. Use it to nourish the soil. Don't it let it go to waste.

I am very strict about reducing pre-packaged foods, reducing food waste etc. I still do buy packaged food - like Rao's pasta sauce, boxed pasta, some bread, strawberry jam, kerryland butter etc, but now it is significantly reduced. I set my own yogurt.

I do include more produce and fruits in our diet for our health, budget, taste, weight. I buy organic where it matters from WF, but I also buy from Asian stores, Indian stores and Costco.

I use frozen vegetables in large packets also - especially things like shelled peas. I still rinse them before using to reduce any pathogens JIC.

As for the wholesale quantities of fresh veggies or veggies on sale ... I bring them home - rinse, dry, chop and put it in freezer bags and freeze and use within 2-3 weeks. So, if I get two cauliflowers for good price, I will bring them home - rinse, dry and make flowerets - use one and put the other one in gallon freezer bag.

BIGGEST HACKs -
1) I prefer organic and it is an investment in health. However, I will only go for organic where I get the bang for my buck - like berries, greens etc. Organic spoils very fast so make sure that you are not wasting it.

2) More veggies, fruits and good protein in our diet AND less carbs. This means I am cooking smaller portions but I have more courses with veggies, salads, fruits, yogurt etc.

3) Costco, Asian Stores, Walmart, Whole Foods - go to a variety of places to shop.

4) Magnetic whiteboard on the freezer. You write exactly what you freeze - what, how much, when - and you shop your freezer first.

5) Buy multiples when prices are down.

6) Some veggies are worth it frozen. And some veggies are worth it in cans - like cut young jackfruits, straw mushrooms, baby corn and stewed tomatoes.

7) Try and not put stuff in your freezer for more than a month. Continually be consuming it. Host at least once a month to use up your freezer stuff. Don't hoard freezer food or canned goods. Don't do aspirational shopping.

8) Have some raw components to each meal and cook smaller quantities. For instance - always use some greens or blanched veggies as salads and cut fruits as courses in all your meals. Make your kids eat the greens first and then the rest of the meals.

9) I grow microgreens for salads and sandwiches, and also sprouts at home. I am mostly growing cilantro, fenugreek, broccoli microgreens, and also sprouting mung beans, fenugreek, chickpeas. I don't have the space for full fledged food garden. It is an easy and cheap way to get super-healthy greens in your diet and it makes your meals feel very gourmet and expensive.

I buy local at. the Bethesda farmers market. It automatically reinforces only in season purchases.

I believe I actually spend less over two weeks because the produce lasts. The stuff I get at the grocery store goes bad relatively fast. Sometimes in two days. I avoid food waste as much as possible.

Anonymous wrote:Lidl. $2.99 strawberry cartons, $3 bags of apples, $1 baby carrots.

$25-30 produce lasts a week.

Giant had 99 cent baby carrots and 1.99 raspberries and black berries this week.

Lidl. $2.99 strawberry cartons, $3 bags of apples, $1 baby carrots.

$25-30 produce lasts a week.

You might not have noticed, but we ate what was in season as kids. I actually think it made us more excited about the seasons.

And don’t sleep on dried fruits in the winter - Costco has giant bags of apricots, mango, raisins, figs, etc. Just focus on buying ones with no added sugar.

Anonymous wrote:What grows locally between November and February?

Then you eat the fruits and vegetables that can be stored. Like apples, cabbage, pears, oranges…. Plus, frozen veggies and fruits can be economical - it doesn’t have to be fresh.