The case for self-care grocery shopping date

The case for self-care supermarket dates...even if you're flying solo

Author

Kristina Todini, RDN
February 24, 2024

Confession: I hate the grocery store

Yes, I admit it. I’m a dietitian and a meal planning “expert” who absolutely HATES going to the supermarket.

Can you relate?

It’s one of those quirky things in life that doesn’t make sense: I absolutely LOVE making meal plans (I literally have an app for the plans I create), I love having a pantry full of ingredients for the week ahead, I even love spending time each evening cooking…but I really can’t stand going to the grocery store.

Before my family began meal planning regularly, I would end up at the store at least 3-4 times a week because I never planned out our meals. But then I discovered the power of making a meal plan and realized I really only had to go once per week. But I still loathed that one time per week trip, if I’m honest.

It wasn’t until I started to treat my weekly trip to the grocery store as a date that I started to (almost) enjoy it. My husband and I would make our meal plan together, stop and get a hot tea or other drink beforehand, and always ended up buying something off the meal plan to test out (like a dark chocolate bar with potato chips inside, or a new-to-us dried fruit to have on our oatmeal that week).

The beauty of treating your grocery trip as a date is that you don’t even need to have a partner to do it — if you’re flying solo, treat it as a self-care activity. Buy yourself a kombucha, peruse the loose leaf tea aisle, and get that weird flavor of chocolate as a treat for gathering food that will nourish you for the week ahead.

Need help with planning your meals? Get my free meal planning guide to get started.

🛒 + 🛍️,

Kristina
making the best of things I hate

How to Create (and Stick to) a Weekly Meal Plan

My complete step-by-step guide to creating, shopping from, and sticking to a weekly meal plan.

DID YOU KNOW? 🧐

The average United States citizen visits the store roughly 1.6 times per week. For decades the most popular day to visit the grocery store was Sunday, but in recent years Saturday has become more popular. With the average grocery store visit taking around 45 minutes, the average US citizen spends 53 hours at the grocery store annually. (source)

How to Create Meal Plan for a Month at a Time

Now that you learned how to plan your meals for a week, try planning them out for an entire month. Hardcore meal planning!

❝

When I walk into a grocery store and look at all the products you can choose, I say, "My God!" No king ever had anything like I have in my grocery store today.

Bill Gates

5 Ways to Start Going Zero Waste in the Kitchen

While you’re on the meal planning and shopping streak, do the earth a favor and try reducing waste while you’re at it.

TODAY’S VIDEO

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LET ME KNOW…

How do you feel about food shopping?

What's you're relationship with grocery shopping? Do you love or hate going to the store or to the farmers market?

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GET MY FREE MEAL PLAN TEMPLATE

If you’re not sure where to start with meal planning, download my free meal planning guide and templates to start streamlining your weekly meals.

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