As a personal trainer, I always recommend to my clients that they prepare their own meals and avoid eating out at restaurants. Of course that means going to the grocery store on a regular basis, usually once or twice a week to keep the pantry stocked with fresh foods. Going to the grocery store used to be a relatively painless undertaking.
Back in the day, grocery stores were mom and pop operations on the neighborhood corner. You could walk down the street and find everything you needed in a small store where everyone knew your name. These days the grocery shopping experience is something entirely different. Huge big-box warehouses stock aisle after aisle of pseudo-food, while giant parking lots hold all the cars. The corner store is likely to be a convenience store that is a giant junk food temptation.
Back in the day, I remember going to Fotia's, the local mom-and-pop corner store. It was probably smaller than the size of my house and the candy bars were kept behind the counter. I remember peering over the counter at the selection and then politely asking Mr. or Mrs. Fotia for the Hershey's bar and handing them a dime. Ah, the good old days!
Now when I make the trek to the grocery store, the first obstacle is the parking lot and hoping for a close-up spot, which is still about a half a football field away from the front door. No big deal in the summer, but in the winter where I live, it matters. As I walk in, I start putting my blinders on, so to speak, because as soon as I enter the big-box, I know my senses will be flooded with sweet temptations.
On the days when I'm on a mission to just get in and out of the grocery store quickly, I put my head down and ignore the candy display on my left and the pastries on my right. I don't look up to see the donuts approaching and I politely decline the offer of a free chocolate chip cookie from the guy in the bakery. I'll be cruising along and at the last second look up to see I'm about to crash into a display of something chocolate that has been cleverly placed in the center of the aisle so it's unavoidable.
I make it to the refrigerated section way in the back and as I reach for some organic milk, the rack of Snickers bars displayed by the milk was the last straw! Even with your head down and the best intentions, it's tough making it out of the grocery store without purchasing something unhealthy. Back in the day, you just needed to avoid the candy and chips aisle and you were home free.
On the days when I take off the blinders and go on an investigative mission at the grocery store, I slow down and look at everything around me and marvel, or should I say cringe at all the junk that's being displayed at every turn. You are greeted at the end of every aisle, the middle of most aisles, definitely at the check out area with candy, candy and more candy. And don't forget the guy in the bakery pushing free cookies. When is enough enough? My teeth hurt looking at all of it.
On these trips, I take the time to examine the labels on food products so I can let my clients know the best choices. Not many people have the time or patience it takes to read the list of ingredients. There's no way that people like my 90-year old mom with poor eyesight can even begin to read them. I don't look at the calories or the grams of fat. I read the fine print where the truth is hidden - the list of ingredients. I can only take so much, though, and when Tom Jones smash hit, "What's New Pussycat" starts blaring overhead, I can't take it anymore and head for the door.
Why do grocery stores have to be so huge and loud and obnoxious? Do we really need 50 types of salsa or 100 types of cereal to choose from? People are overwhelmed by the volume of choices. They don’t have the time to read the labels and compare them all, so they grab the first thing that catches their eye and hope for the best.
So friend or foe? My childhood grocery store, Fotia’s, was definitely a friend. The new big-box with the coffee shop, the juice bar, the sushi bar, the pizza bar, the Chinese food bar and the free cookies from the guy in the bakery, not so much.
Back in the day, grocery stores were mom and pop operations on the neighborhood corner. You could walk down the street and find everything you needed in a small store where everyone knew your name. These days the grocery shopping experience is something entirely different. Huge big-box warehouses stock aisle after aisle of pseudo-food, while giant parking lots hold all the cars. The corner store is likely to be a convenience store that is a giant junk food temptation.
Back in the day, I remember going to Fotia's, the local mom-and-pop corner store. It was probably smaller than the size of my house and the candy bars were kept behind the counter. I remember peering over the counter at the selection and then politely asking Mr. or Mrs. Fotia for the Hershey's bar and handing them a dime. Ah, the good old days!
Now when I make the trek to the grocery store, the first obstacle is the parking lot and hoping for a close-up spot, which is still about a half a football field away from the front door. No big deal in the summer, but in the winter where I live, it matters. As I walk in, I start putting my blinders on, so to speak, because as soon as I enter the big-box, I know my senses will be flooded with sweet temptations.
On the days when I'm on a mission to just get in and out of the grocery store quickly, I put my head down and ignore the candy display on my left and the pastries on my right. I don't look up to see the donuts approaching and I politely decline the offer of a free chocolate chip cookie from the guy in the bakery. I'll be cruising along and at the last second look up to see I'm about to crash into a display of something chocolate that has been cleverly placed in the center of the aisle so it's unavoidable.
I make it to the refrigerated section way in the back and as I reach for some organic milk, the rack of Snickers bars displayed by the milk was the last straw! Even with your head down and the best intentions, it's tough making it out of the grocery store without purchasing something unhealthy. Back in the day, you just needed to avoid the candy and chips aisle and you were home free.
On the days when I take off the blinders and go on an investigative mission at the grocery store, I slow down and look at everything around me and marvel, or should I say cringe at all the junk that's being displayed at every turn. You are greeted at the end of every aisle, the middle of most aisles, definitely at the check out area with candy, candy and more candy. And don't forget the guy in the bakery pushing free cookies. When is enough enough? My teeth hurt looking at all of it.
On these trips, I take the time to examine the labels on food products so I can let my clients know the best choices. Not many people have the time or patience it takes to read the list of ingredients. There's no way that people like my 90-year old mom with poor eyesight can even begin to read them. I don't look at the calories or the grams of fat. I read the fine print where the truth is hidden - the list of ingredients. I can only take so much, though, and when Tom Jones smash hit, "What's New Pussycat" starts blaring overhead, I can't take it anymore and head for the door.
Why do grocery stores have to be so huge and loud and obnoxious? Do we really need 50 types of salsa or 100 types of cereal to choose from? People are overwhelmed by the volume of choices. They don’t have the time to read the labels and compare them all, so they grab the first thing that catches their eye and hope for the best.
So friend or foe? My childhood grocery store, Fotia’s, was definitely a friend. The new big-box with the coffee shop, the juice bar, the sushi bar, the pizza bar, the Chinese food bar and the free cookies from the guy in the bakery, not so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment