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Since the start of COVID-19, we’ve all become aware of how we need to stock up on certain items–including foods that won’t go bad, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and other items that fly quickly off the shelves. But are you focusing on the wrong items to stock up on? (No, you don’t need an Amazon warehouse worth of toilet paper.) Experts warn that these are the mistakes you’re probably making when it comes to stocking up at the store:
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Forgetting vitamins and supplements. “What you should be focusing on is your medicine cabinet,” health and wellness expert Linda Morgan of Motivation Nook tells us. “Stocking up on vitamin C, essential medicines for your family, and other first aid basics can be an important yet often overlooked aspect of the grocery-shopping experience at the moment.”
Stocking up on non-essentials. "Most people only have so much space in their home to store food and groceries. You're doing yourself a disservice if you use up your storage space on non-essential items like snacks or soda, as opposed to the essentials that you really need on a regular basis," health coach and acupuncturist Jamie Bacharach of Acupuncture Jerusalem says.
Forgetting nutrient dense foods. "If you stock up on too much calorically dense foods such as chips, individually packaged dessert items, and high calorie frozen meals you could put yourself at risk for a possible nutrient deficiency. This is one of the worse mistakes you can make when stocking up on grocery items. Instead try stocking up on vitamin and mineral rich canned fruits and vegetables, shelf stable milk and milk alternatives, canned beans and legumes with no added salt, and whole grain rice, pasta, and bread you can simply pop in the freezer to extended the shelf life," registered dietitian Kimberley Rose-Francis tells us.
Stocking up when you don't need to. "If you have a small household or don't go through groceries quickly, don't feel the need to stock up just for the sake of it," health coach and acupuncturist Jamie Bacharach of Acupuncture Jerusalem warns. "Plan according to your own personal habits, as opposed to what people around you may be doing."
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Forgetting the non-perishable nutrient-rich foods. "I think the biggest mistake when stocking up on groceries is to forget that the richest foods in terms of essential nutrients such as vitamins and nutrients (i.e. fruit and vegetables) are also the most perishable ones," associate professor in public health at Skövde university in Sweden Gianluca Tognon explains. "That is why it is important to buy dried nuts and fruit (respectively unsalted and unsweetened) as well as frozen fruit or vegetables. It is also possible to frozen your own fruit and vegetables, especially if you have a garden or a chard."
Falling for price gouging. "As tempting as it may be to stock up on soap, detergent, hand sanitizer and other COVID-related items, there is a lot of price gouging going on right now," warns health coach and acupuncturist Jamie Bacharach of Acupuncture Jerusalem. "Make sure you're getting fair value for your money when stocking up on bulk items."
