Notes from the grocery store...

[RugerHound]

I don't know if it's the same way in your neck of the woods, but I've noticed over the past 6 or 8 months that many grocery stores here in Az and in Southern California, a lot of remodeling has been going on. As a result, they've completely shifted everything around.

What REALLY struck me was the canned vegetables, canned beans and canned meat sections are almost non existent anymore. Canned veggies used to take up half an aisle or better. No more - Now they've got about a 6 foot section where ALL the canned veggies are. On the other hand, the soda section is now a complete aisle and takes up both sides. (With bottled water) Same with the snacks - Chips and such... A whole aisle! And crackers - Same thing. Now there is an entire aisle for JUST crackers, cookies and other munchies.

I wonder what the heck people are eating anymore...

 

[nekvermont]

I think people are eating a lot of expensive crap that's not very good for them.

 

[phonejack]

When I walk I the front of my Kroger store it looks like a combo furniture and liquor store.

 

[longspurr]

canned veggie's? The things out of cans loose taste - except beer. Frozen veggies are usually much tastier.

Space in the store for snacks. I'm guessing the profit margin on snacks are higher than real food. The fresh food - veggies - section keeps getting larger in stores here.

 

[GunnyGene]

Must be a left coast thing. Haven't seen that here. Pretty much the same variety of stuff it's always been.

 

[737tdi]

canned veggie's? The things out of cans loose taste - except beer. Frozen veggies are usually much tastier.

Space in the store for snacks. I'm guessing the profit margin on snacks are higher than real food. The fresh food - veggies - section keeps getting larger in stores here.

I agree and disagree. Some canned foods are just awful but some are as good as what you can cook at home. Beans are my best example and one of my favorite foods (just not in chili, LOL). Pintos, Blackeyed peas, purple hulls, navy beans, etc.. I can grab a couple of cans of "Bush's Best" pintos, a little lard, some spices and have homemade frijoles refritos in minutes. Also grab a couple of cans and have red beans and rice in no time. A couple of cans of blackeyed peas and a link of good smoked sausage and rice and have a meal. Beats dragging the pressure cooker out when you are hungry.

As far as availability it all seems the same around here.


Karl

 

[cadillo]

The point is that the food stampers can now purchase a lot of prepared ready to eat foods with their govt. cards. If they won't work and provide for themselves, who would expect them to cook?

I'm sure that AZ is like TX in that a huge portion of the population is now food stamp fed illegal aliens, and that to me is the solution to the riddle.

 

[6gun]

I don't know if it's the same way in your neck of the woods, but I've noticed over the past 6 or 8 months that many grocery stores here in Az and in Southern California, a lot of remodeling has been going on. As a result, they've completely shifted everything around.

What REALLY struck me was the canned vegetables, canned beans and canned meat sections are almost non existent anymore. Canned veggies used to take up half an aisle or better. No more - Now they've got about a 6 foot section where ALL the canned veggies are. On the other hand, the soda section is now a complete aisle and takes up both sides. (With bottled water) Same with the snacks - Chips and such... A whole aisle! And crackers - Same thing. Now there is an entire aisle for JUST crackers, cookies and other munchies.

I wonder what the heck people are eating anymore...

Very odd all the stores in my area still have mile long shelves of canned goods, did they start selling fewer brands of something?

If the stores are still currently being remodeled smaller varieties of products will be offered at times while things are being moved around but only temporally till the new shelves are in place.

 

[TBear77]

Local store is a Fred Meyer, they're part of the Kroger family of stores. When they remodeled they cut back on some items, but it mostly returned to normal. However, took me 2 years to find out they have a gun counter in the end of the store furthest from the food.

Ted

 

[RolandDeschain]

Stores around here haven't changed - plenty of everything - including canned goods.

 

[finesse_r]

A good way to improve the diet is to stop drinking beer out of aluminum cans. The beer from a bottle is so much more healthy and good for you.

 

[protoolman]

finesse_r, so noted, In fact, I'm having a cold ale from a glass bottle right now. Couldn't pass up a bit of good advice!

 

[cadillo]

Late today I stopped by our new Walmart Neighborhood Market, yes that's the name on the sign. Nothing like a regular Walmart as it's primarily a grocery store based on the idea of easy in and easy out, which it accomplishes nicely in contrast to the regular Walmarts, which I despise.

Point is that I was wanting some canned peaches, and there was not an aisle sign announcing the location of any canned fruit or vegetables, so instead of walking through the entire store, I flagged down an employee, which was easy, unlike trying to do the same in a regular Walmart, and I was led to the canned foods section. There are indeed a lot less canned produce items there than one would expect; lots of frozen stuff, but less canned goods, which seems to be the new trend at least down here.

 

[nekvermont]

A good way to improve the diet is to stop drinking beer out of aluminum cans. The beer from a bottle is so much more healthy and good for you.

Now you have me worried and I'm getting stressed. I'd have a beer but they're all in aluminum cans. :x :D

 

[powder smoke]

Haven't really noticed any changes. Could be a regional thing.
They pull what does not sell well and stock up on what does.
Shelf space is limited so money rules. ps

 

[trebor44]

Impulse Buying, that's what it is all about! And yes it is coming to a store in your area. Since there are damn few independent grocery stores left you are subject to the whims of the corporate office pontifications on how to lay out a grocery store (supermarket to them). While they are pissing away money on remodels and techno weeny stuff they are concurrently laying off folks in favor of outsourcing for cheaper labor costs. Living in close proximity to the corporate office I am victim to their 'test' ideas. A lot which are just lame! If you can't cook, process! It's the new age thing to do, across all economic boundaries! :evil:

 

[stevemb]

Doc said, twenty yrs ago to avoid veggies n such in cans. All veggies here frozen, grown, or bought fresh. We buy corn in season, on cob, cook more than we can eat and shave the rest off for the rest of the week use. Late season we may buy several dozen ears and cook, shave off, and freeze. More research needed on the can vs bottle beer.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, The PUBLIX markets here in Florida do carry a nice line of canned and frozen goods; Their meats are Great along with the Fresh Sea Food counter (matter of fact, Publix meat on sale is CHEAPER than WALMART and a better grade too). Walmart DOES carry a large selection of Canned goods of all types as well as lots of frozen. I do buy my cheeses at Walmart (Hard to screw up NAME brands and the price is good).
Don't shop "Winn Dixie" and they bought up the old "Sweetbay ,former Food Lion " stores and closed them down. Sweetbay was always pretty good in my opinion. I do miss the Albertson's and the Goodings markets that all disappeared into the sunset.

 

[6gun]

Well, The PUBLIX markets here in Florida do carry a nice line of canned and frozen goods; Their meats are Great along with the Fresh Sea Food counter (matter of fact, Publix meat on sale is CHEAPER than WALMART and a better grade too). Walmart DOES carry a large selection of Canned goods of all types as well as lots of frozen. I do buy my cheeses at Walmart (Hard to screw up NAME brands and the price is good).
Don't shop "Winn Dixie" and they bought up the old "Sweetbay ,former Food Lion " stores and closed them down. Sweetbay was always pretty good in my opinion. I do miss the Albertson's and the Goodings markets that all disappeared into the sunset.

Albertsons is still alive and well out West, they are my closet food store, any more their prices have gotten to high, I only go there when they have a good sale and buy only the sale items everything else I buy else where.

The store doing poorly around here is Safeway, they seem on their last leg I don't know how they are keeping the doors open, you drive past there and the parking lot is always near empty.

 

[737tdi]

Doc said, twenty yrs ago to avoid veggies n such in cans. All veggies here frozen, grown, or bought fresh. We buy corn in season, on cob, cook more than we can eat and shave the rest off for the rest of the week use. Late season we may buy several dozen ears and cook, shave off, and freeze. More research needed on the can vs bottle beer.

stevemb: The reason your Doc and my Doc told us to quit eating canned foods is due to the amount of sodium that is added. Now thanks to this reason most canners have introduced low-sodium alternatives. I have high blood pressure and try to eat as salt free as possible. There are good canned veggies, beans and even broths that are fairly low sodium.

Not to derail this topic but I have to address something I have noticed since being diagnosed with severe hypertension. Processed meats are probably the worst, i.e. lunch meats. The other thing is when eating out. Restaurateurs give you some idea of the amount of sodium in a dish. I will use Chiles as an example. Their food is extremely unhealthy due to sodium if you don't watch what you order. Some appetizers have the equivalent of 3 or 4 days worth of sodium according to the American Heart Association. Same with all of the others mid scale chains.

An example, my favorite is the Texas cheese fries, guess what 4950 mg of sodium. It is actually fairly standard across the industry. Here is the nutrition info. for appetizers. It really is quite amazing. http://www.chilis.com/EN/LocationSpecificPDF/MenuPDF/001.005.0000/Chilis%20Nutrition%20Menu%20Generic.pdf


If you look at the canned goods they look very healthy in comparison. Maybe you don't eat out but we do and it was an eye opener when I started doing a little research.

I apologize for the curve in the topic but it is still about canned goods. :D


Karl

 

[Bull Barrel]

Don't forget that shelf space is for sale to the highest bidder. And who will be the highest bider? Frito-Lay, which is the largest maker of snack foods. Notice their products are not only in the snak aisle but throughout the store.

 

[6gun]

Don't forget that shelf space is for sale to the highest bidder. And who will be the highest bider? Frito-Lay, which is the largest maker of snack foods. Notice their products are not only in the snak aisle but throughout the store.

I can't even see Frito-Lay products any more they have shrunken so small in size and they some how seem to think potato chips worth their weight in gold now. :roll:

They can keep their unhealthy tobacco pouch sized bags of chips and shove them.

 

[Bull Barrel]

The reason for the small bags? They have so many brands they have to shrink the bags to get them all on the shelves.

 

[RugerHound]

It's ironic that the contents have decreased, and yet they need 4 times the shelf space to display it all. :?

 

[6gun]

The reason for the small bags? They have so many brands they have to shrink the bags to get them all on the shelves.

So why didn't the shrink the price when they shrunk the bags? :? :?

The bag they now call the family size for almost $5 has shrunken to the size of what they use to call a grab bag that use to cost .79 cents do they think consumers are stupid and don't notice what their doing? :? I boycotted their products the first time they shrunk them. looks like they shrink them weekly now, I rarely buy chips and if I do I buy the store brand I get about 3x's more for 1/3 of the price Lay's wants, and I found out lots of the store brand chips taste better than Lays.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Doc said, twenty yrs ago to avoid veggies n such in cans. All veggies here frozen, grown, or bought fresh. We buy corn in season, on cob, cook more than we can eat and shave the rest off for the rest of the week use. Late season we may buy several dozen ears and cook, shave off, and freeze. More research needed on the can vs bottle beer.

stevemb: The reason your Doc and my Doc told us to quit eating canned foods is due to the amount of sodium that is added. Now thanks to this reason most canners have introduced low-sodium alternatives. I have high blood pressure and try to eat as salt free as possible. There are good canned veggies, beans and even broths that are fairly low sodium.

Not to derail this topic but I have to address something I have noticed since being diagnosed with severe hypertension. Processed meats are probably the worst, i.e. lunch meats. The other thing is when eating out. Restaurateurs give you some idea of the amount of sodium in a dish. I will use Chiles as an example. Their food is extremely unhealthy due to sodium if you don't watch what you order. Some appetizers have the equivalent of 3 or 4 days worth of sodium according to the American Heart Association. Same with all of the others mid scale chains.

An example, my favorite is the Texas cheese fries, guess what 4950 mg of sodium. It is actually fairly standard across the industry. Here is the nutrition info. for appetizers. It really is quite amazing. http://www.chilis.com/EN/LocationSpecificPDF/MenuPDF/001.005.0000/Chilis%20Nutrition%20Menu%20Generic.pdf


If you look at the canned goods they look very healthy in comparison. Maybe you don't eat out but we do and it was an eye opener when I started doing a little research.

I apologize for the curve in the topic but it is still about canned goods. :D


Karl

Karl;
Not to rain on your Doctor's parade, BUT newer research has proven that high sodium levels in FOOD does NOT contribute to high blood pressure, NOR does Cholesterol in eggs and other food contribute to blood pressure or the clogging of arteries; Turns out that's ALL your bodies doing by itself .
A LOAD of "FOOD FACTS" are pure nonsense and NOT based on any good or repeatable studies.

I personally tend to have a high blood pressure, BUT then I also have what they call "Bradycardia" where I tend to have a very low PULSE rate. Fact is the Body needs the same amount of blood and gets it one way or another; either pressure or flow rate. Now I wont argue about Sugar/diabetes that is a definite proven.
The other "Doctor's old standby" is the EIGHT glasses of water per day; Not a SINGLE BIT or research or facts supports that one. Fact is in the normal course of a day, you get more than enough fluid intake through other sources.

 

[gramps]

But you do need water to decrease the salts (calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium), otherwise concentration in the kidneys can lead to stones. :shock:
gramps

 

[bobski]

salt and sugar in all different colors and shapes will kill you.

nutrients are considered poison in todays world.

i ate 3 months salt free and a strictly zero point veggy and fruit snack w/w diet.....and when i ate something processed, i thought i was going to be sick it had so much salt.
i can taste the salt in cheese, and even in low sodium canned foods, ever since ive eaten strictly from the ground to mouth.

lost a lot of weight and the hardest part was/is fighting the bodies craving for salt and sugar.

doctor told me everything you eat gets pumped thru your heart. i try to picture what salt water does to pipes.....and it wakes me up.

 

[bobski]

wow, safeway was THE place to shop when i was out west in the 70-80's. sad to see it go to the tar pits.

 

[Colonialgirl]

LOVE salty foods !!! Can't STAND "salt free"; Thought I was gonna STARVE to death in the VA Hospital for three days when I got the so-called healthy diet with NO SALT-- PHAAAAGGGGHHH !!
And NO SUGAR EITHER for on my Rice Krispies and for in my Coffee. They can ALSO take that 1% milk and --- ummm well never mind.

I been dieting Carb Free (almost completely) still using salt, but long ago switched to Sweet & Low.. Since I got out of the hospital;Wt: 250+ down now to around 226. BP : DOWN in the NORMAL range 99-112/66-70
I'm hoping for around 200# or LESS when I see my Primary Care in mid-October. That will Surprise the Hades out of her !!!