Grain may be the single most expensive or common staple in the Western diet. While meat tends to be more costly, many people consume more grains than meat in their regular diets, often in a variety of forms, so it may be that grain is the predominant food group for many grocery shoppers today.
That can be a good thing in many ways. Many nutrition groups recommend a diet that is based on five or more servings of grains per day. Grains can include wheat, rye, spelt, rice, and a host of other crops that contain a fair amount of carbohydrates as fuel for the body. Most popular diets recommend reducing grain, in fact, when trying to lose weight. For the most part, however, grains of many kinds play a healthy role by providing vitamins and minerals that are not as commonly found in other food groups. It is likely you will want to include certain types of grain in your grocery planning.
Breakfast entrees may center on fortified cereal, especially if there are kids in the house. Read the side of the box for a list of vitamins and minerals supplied by each brand, along with the adjusted totals when served with milk. Toast made from wheat or rye flour goes well with eggs, and pancakes use various types of flour. If you're going to eat carbohydrates, breakfast may be the best meal of the day to do it, since you'll have several hours of activity that can help burn off extra calories.
Lunches, whether packed for work or school or prepared at home, may include bread for sandwiches, noodles in soup, or cookies for dessert, all generally made with grain products. Keep an eye on calories, fat content, and the effects of processing flour when you buy these items.
Supper may be based on an entree with rice, corn, or pasta, all of which are made from grains. It's difficult to plan many meals without incorporating some type of grain. Keep this in mind as you plan a week's worth or meals before heading out to the grocery store.
Weather, natural disasters, and climate changes may impact the cost of certain grain products at various stores. For example, in some weeks and locations you may find a box of popular cereal for two dollars, but a month later the price may more than double. That could be the week you switch to eggs for breakfast!
Rice is a staple in the Orient, where many people consume a small amount of meat with a moderate supply of vegetables cooked with rice. Their healthy lives and longevity attest to the benefits of this type of diet. Consider adding more rice, always plentiful and inexpensive, to your family's meals. Wild rice or brown rice are the best kinds, but you can also experiment with white or flavored rice for something different.
Balance this important food group with other shopping list needs when planning your trip to the grocery store. Grains are filling, delicious, and relatively inexpensive, so load up as long as the carbohydrates they contain don't make you fill out.
