In an email sent April 13, a customer who is following their Personalized Nutrition Program asked us how to convert grocery list measurements, which are commonly listed in grams, ounces, cups and so on, to make grocery shopping easier.
Although grocery list items often appear in measurement quantities like those listed above, many items found in grocery stores or markets are not sold in these quantities. For example, your grocery list may require that you purchase 10 cups of broccoli, but broccoli is usually sold by the bunch, not in cups.
There are three main reasons that grocery list items are listed in this way:
It maintains consistency throughout the plan, because quantities are listed in the same way in individual meals and in the grocery list.
It ensures that you only need to buy exact amounts, instead of overspending by buying too much.
Most importantly, items are listed this way because fruit, vegetables and cuts of meat are not standard sizes. A bunch of broccoli may be quite large, or it may be quite small, depending on the season or where you purchase it. The same applies to chicken breasts, apples, oranges, etc. That is why it is difficult to convert these quantities into exact item purchases on the grocery list.
That said, a grocery list that is easier in this respect, that perhaps lists suggested item quantities (like “approx. 1 bunchâ€) as well as specific quantities (like 10 cups), is a good idea, and we are grateful for the suggestion that this could be made easier. We will look into developing this.
Tips for Grocery Shopping
Here are some ways to avoid confusion when shopping for groceries using the grocery lists included with your Personalized Nutrition Program:
Use approximate quantities. Don’t trouble yourself with getting too exact while shopping, if you run out of a certain item, just replace it with another item. If the grocery list calls for ten cups of broccoli, buy one bunch – if you run out, you can always use a cup or two of chopped green peppers in many recipes instead.
If you’re uncertain about item quantities, err on the side of too little for food that goes bad quickly and on the side of too much for food that keeps well. Apples, peppers, carrots and onions all last quite a while, while lettuce, tomatoes and bean sprouts go bad more quickly. Don’t forget you can freeze meats if you purchase too much.
Simplify what you buy – read over the recipes in your first week and decide if you’d like to repeat (eat over again) any of them. That means you can buy more of the items that appear in those recipes, eliminating items in recipes you decide not to make. This also has the advantage of letting you cook in batches, which means less cooking for you!
You’ll find that after you go shopping once using the grocery list, the next time will be much easier, because you will be experienced at judging how many cups, grams or ounces of food you will get out of a single food item.
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