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Shop well – eat well

If you don’t shop well, you won’t eat well – it’s as simple as that. So this requires a bit of effort. If you rely on the corner store for all your food, much as we love them, need them and use them for their convenience, the chances are, except in most unusual circumstances, that you will not get the variety and quality of ingredients you need in order to have a varied basket of food that is full of the nutritional value we require.

Make a plan and make a list

Be aware of what seasonal ingredients are available and use that information to help you plan your meals. Seasonal ingredients taste better, are easier to cook and are the best value for money. Some weekend newspapers have lists in their food sections of what is in season at any time of the year. Use these lists to help you plan your meals.

If your house is a place where meals need to be cooked every day, it’s worth sitting down for half an hour at the weekend to make a simple list. This will save you time and money when you go shopping, help prevent waste and give you a chance to cast your eye over the variety of foods that you and those you care for will be eating in the days ahead. This list will help you to buy the five oranges you really need rather that the ten you might not use, and so on.

When shopping, be 90% focused and 10% open-minded – that 10% gap gives you the freedom to snap up the ingredient not planned for, but clearly at the time in great condition and a good addition to your basket.

With your list in hand, use specialist shops such as the butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer. Build up a relationship with the person whom you rely on for the food to sustain you through life, because that person has an important role to play in your wellbeing. Ask them what they consider to be the best value at that time of the year. Let them know when an ingredient was a success, and also if it did not meet your expectations.

Try to allow time to get to a farmers’ market. In some cases that will require a bigger effort. When you get there, have a walk around. Take your time to have a look at everything that’s available. Look for the ingredients that are practically jumping off the table with freshness. Those are most likely local, and due to their short journey may be the best value going.

Some of the specialist ingredients such as smoked fish or cheese, meat and poultry, may seem expensive – they are a treat, but you can balance the cost of those hand-crafted artisan products with the less expensive but no less worthwhile seasonal vegetables and fruit.

Buy just what you need. Balance your budget in this way.

Shopping can be pleasant, even enjoyable. It can be sociable and educational and it’s a crucial part of the process that ends up with good food on the table.

Accurate measuring spoons: teaspoon, dessertspoon and tablespoon