The following information can help make your trip to the store easier, and cut down on costs.

• Prepare before you go
• Read food labels
• Be aware of food marketing
• Try grocery shopping from home
• Save money at the grocery store

Prepare before you go

• Use Canada’s food guide to plan meals and snacks. Include vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods and protein foods.
• Check foods you have on hand. Make a list of only the foods you need to buy in order to prepare the meals and snacks in your plan.
• Keep your shopping list handy so you can add to it as supplies run low.
• Look for sales. Check out flyers, emails, websites, mobile apps and social media.
• Find coupons that match your shopping list. Use coupons to buy only the foods that you need and want.
• Check grocery store for member discount programs or bonus days (e.g., seniors discount day).
• Consider shopping with a friend. You can buy larger (or bulk) grocery items and share. You can also share rides to and from the store.
• Shop when the store is not as busy, so employees will have time to help with items that are hard to reach or lift.

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Read food labels

Looking at food labels can help you make the best choices for you. You may be looking for foods higher in fibre or lower in sodium for example, and the label can help you learn more about what is in the food. Here are some tips:

• Check the list of ingredients. They are listed from the largest amount of a particular ingredient in the food to the smallest amount.
• Look at the Nutrition Facts Table and check the serving size to compare it to how much you are eating.
• Also in the Nutrition Facts Table, look at the Percent Daily Value (%DV) for nutrients. A simple rule of thumb: 5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot for any nutrient. Choose foods that are lower in salt, sugar and saturated fat.
• For more information, visit:
  • Health Canada 
  • Understanding Food Labels
  • Healthy Canadians labelling video

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Be aware of food marketing

• Food marketing is advertising that promotes the sale of certain food or food products. Many foods and drinks that are marketed may be high in sodium (or salt), sugar or saturated fat.
• At the grocery store, this will most likely be in the form of branding, celebrity endorsements, free samples and sales promotions, and product placement. To ensure you are making an informed decision while shopping, consider the following:
  • Why do you want to purchase a certain food or drink (Does it provide a nutritional benefit? Is it healthy? Is the packaging appealing? Did you see a commercial about that product? Do you like the taste?).
  • Where/how did you hear about this product? (A sponsored social media post? A celebrity endorsement? In a magazine or on TV?).
  • Are there nutrition claims on the product? A nutrient content claim can help you choose foods that contain a nutrient you may want more of (e.g., source of fibre, high in vitamin A) or less of (sodium-free, low fat). Keep in mind, nutrient claims are optional and only highlight one nutrient, so you still need to refer to the Nutrition Facts table to make food choices that are better for you.
• For more information on marketing awareness and nutrition claims, visit Canada’s Food Guide or Government of Canada.

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Try grocery shopping from home

• If you can’t get to the store yourself, try shopping on grocery store websites or calling the store to place an order. Check whether your grocery store offers a delivery service, or contact a local senior centre, where they may have volunteer drivers. Check out the information below, from Seniors NL, on grocery stores with online or call-in ordering, with delivery or pick up options:
  • Central-Coast of Bays and Exploit’s Valley
  • Central-Green Bay and Beothuk Trail
  • Central-Kittiwake Coast
  • Western-Northwest
  • Western-Southwest
  • Avalon and Conception Bay North
  • St. John’s and surrounding area
  • Labrador
  • Northern Peninsula

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Save money at the grocery store

Use the following tips to save money and eat well:

• Take advantage of discount days for seniors offered by some grocery stores.
• Look for fresh foods, e.g., produce, meat and fish in the grocery store that have been marked down close to their best before date. Use these foods right away or freeze.
• Buy canned or frozen vegetables and fruits (with no extra added sugar or salt). You don’t need to clean or chop them, you save money, and they won’t spoil in your crisper! You get the same health benefits whether your vegetables and fruits are fresh, frozen or canned.
• Bulk bins allow you to buy exactly the amount you want of many staples. Items from bulk bins are often cheaper than prepackaged items.
• Buy the size that is right for you. Smaller portions are available for a variety of foods (soup, fruits, vegetables, baked beans, stews, pudding, yogurt, cheese) and may be worth the extra cost if you can avoid throwing any away. If the larger size is less expensive but more than you can use, share the extra with a friend, or depending on the food freeze it in portions for later.

For more information see Affordable Healthy Eating

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