Food For All

2013-12-25T23:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Holidays !!! to Everyone and a Prosperous New Year 2014 !!!

We thank you for your support and we do not forget !!!

The Melting Pot And Its Food

2013-06-04T21:40:00.003-04:00

England is full of Englishmen. France is full of Frenchmen. Italy is full of Italians and Russia is full of Russians. So what is America populated by? This little mental exercise points out one of the amazing things about the way America was envisioned by the forefathers. When you think about it, America stands out as most unique of all the nations of the world because we are not the homeland of an ethnic people. Now, we do have our ethnic population in the form of the American Indian native population which we value and prize as much as any population that lives here. But “America” as a nation is remarkable not for the dominance of one ethnic group but for the lack of one ethnic group that defines what it is to be American.

This is why we are called “The Great American Melting Pot”. It’s a good illustration because when you imagine a big pot bubbling over a stove or campfire, all of the ingredients all mix together to make one delicious meal. That is truly what America is. Our many ethnic subcultures mix and blend and add spice to each other until that resulting personality, that thing we call “an American”, is truly a wonderful blend of all of the ethnic groups that make up this great country.

In fact, the way Americans view ethnic diversity is unique in the entire world. We do honor the ethnic background of all peoples. In almost any big town or city in the country on any given weekend you might come across a festival celebrating the ethnic heritage of a people in that community be they Irish, Greek, German, Scottish, Native American, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Mexican, or any of the other many ethnic groups who call America home.

Over the centuries we have had waves of immigration from particular areas of the world that have added their particular flavor to the big melting pot of America. Sometimes in larger towns you can drive from neighborhood to neighborhood and each one will have the unique atmosphere of the home country of the ethnic group who calls that neighborhood home. But that spirit of celebrating the authenticity of every American is not used in this country to drive people apart. It is to honor the uniqueness of all Americans and actually bring us together. So as citizens of Chinese origin dance the Chicken Dance at a German Oktoberfest or as Americans of African heritage happily try on quilts at the Scottish Festival to be Scottish for a day, we enjoy the ethnic background of each other’s heritage. In doing so, we become one people from many.

In fact, American society continues to strive more and more to make ethnic background a source of pride but not division between our own people. So when it comes to where we work, who we keep as friends and who we socialize with out and about, to an extent, Americans actually do not care what another persons ethnic background is. This kind of attitude is virtually unthinkable in the majority of the world’s populations where each country is populated by a single “tribe” as we mentioned earlier. The American outlook of being ‘color blind” about such things is a bold experiment in how to run a society. But the American experiment in social order is one that is so successful that it is mimicked by dozens of nations all around the world.

Coupons Over $100 of groceries for the price of 1 fast food meal

2013-01-14T19:41:00.009-04:00

Food For All

How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons

2013-01-14T19:41:00.007-04:00

Times are tough, and everyone is economizing. A good place to start is with your weekly grocery bill. Some families have actually cut their food bills in half by learning how to save money with Grocery Coupons.

How much can you save? Some people who devoted lots of time and energy to clipping and using coupons have saved thousands of dollars on their annual food bills. With the price of food rising all the time, this can be a major savings. Some people have saved as much as 80 percent on a grocery bill, depending on their use of Coupons.

If you're going to start saving money using Grocery Coupons, but you've never done it before, then be aware of these facts.

Saving money using these coupons takes time. Most people take 20 minutes to an hour organizing coupons for a trip to the store. So basically you're trading some of your time for the savings you're getting. Don't overlook this fact, because it means you'll have to sacrifice something else.

People who use coupons most successful practice excellent organization and persistence. They're systematic and resourceful about how they use grocery coupons. This style of household management nets coupon clippers at least 12 percent off their grocery bills and sometimes as much as a whopping 75 percent.

By the way, did you know that almost half - 47 percent - of the grocery coupons issued by manufacturers are for nonfood items like cleaning products? Now which would you rather use your coupons for - a gallon of milk to feed your kids or the latest super-duper stain remover? It pays to stay alert when using grocery coupons, because you want to use them for food.

If you're ready to get serious about how to save money using Coupons, then try some of these tips from experience coupon clippers.

Review your spending. Make notes on what you buy on a regular basis. This will help you form or improve a strategy for shopping with coupons. Keep a notebook, or a computer spreadsheet, on products you buy each week so you can track prices. By doing this you'll know the best time to buy.

Get some kind of coupon organizer. If you're going to be really serious about how to save money with Grocery Coupons, then you'll need at least a coupon wallet, which is a miniature accordion file with labels for various kinds of products. You could use an office-size accordion file, or even an index file box with folders. The size container you need for your coupons depends on how much time and effort you're going to devote to the task.

Develop a system for using grocery coupons. You can do this one of two ways:

* Write out your shopping list, and then hunt for coupons to match your needs:
* Review your file of coupons and write your shopping list based on the products you have and the coupons that are about to expire.

Organize your coupons by a system that makes the most sense to you. Some people like to store their coupons according to expiration date so they won't lose any of the "found money" that coupons represent. Others prefer to set up their grocery coupon file according to products, while others find it easiest to look for coupons in alphabetical order. One family's father (a true computer geek) even made up a database according to the way his local grocery store was laid out and filed coupons by the store's layout!

Once you start clipping coupons, getting into spirit of the practice will make the time and effort seem even more worthwhile. Think of how to save money with Grocery Coupons as a treasure hunt. Not only are you getting good food to feed your family, you're "finding" money while you do it!

For more information on such coupons and grocery saving tips, please visit grocery coupons [http://www.grocerycouponstoprint.net] site.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Grocery Coupons: Supermarket coupons and the key to free food!

2013-01-14T19:41:00.005-04:00

Food For All

Printable Grocery Coupons For Budget Conscious Shoppers

2013-01-14T19:41:00.003-04:00

The increasing prices of commodities we buy from the grocery has pushed a lot of consumers to look for various opportunities to cut their expenses on various food items and household necessities. With the advent of internet use, a lot of grocery buyers surf the web for various solutions to the high cost of grocery items. Grocery printable coupons are getting much attention since these are very convenient and easy to use. These printable coupons can be used just like a regular manufacturer coupon which you present at the register to get some discounts.

You don't need to flip the pages of newspapers or magazines for clipping coupons in order to get great in-store deals. You can print out grocery coupons and dash out to buy your household needs. A lot of companies are offering printable coupons to help consumers in purchasing their groceries and many other items.

Various Ways to Find Printable Grocery Coupons

You can check out the various methods below to find great deals for printable grocery coupons. Here are some pointers for grocery coupon hunting:

Tip #1: Do some research over the internet

These coupons are very easy to use and are not too hard to find. If you are on the look for a specific product which you would want to purchase, all you have to do is do some research on the internet. Open your search engine and just type the product or item you want to buy and after which type the word "coupon". Often times you will find search results for various websites which contain a coupon for various items off the grocery shelves.

Tip #2: Check out various manufacturers' website for great deals with printable coupons

A lot of companies do offer their grocery coupon discounts in their website. This is one way of reaching out to various consumers. This will encourage consumers to shop and buy their products at the grocery store.

Tip #3: Look for various coupon websites, you can find great offers!

One of the easiest methods of looking for printable grocery coupons is to visit your favorite coupon website. Printable coupons can be found through these websites and are made available to consumers who are looking for ways to cut their grocery expenditures. Once you locate these websites, you need to visit it on a regular basis to keep yourself updated with the latest coupons you can print out for your next trip to the grocery!

These are just a few tips you can use when looking for grocery printable coupons. You can do away with clipping and cutting of magazine and newspaper discount coupons for your favorite products. Take the time to follow these simple steps so you can still purchase the brands you are familiar with and you trust without exceeding your budget.

For hundreds of Printable Grocery Coupons as well as free coupons to help you save on all of your shopping, visit http://www.freeprintablecouponsonline.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

How To Find Coupons and Deals to save money with coupons, deals, grocery coupons & daily deals

2013-01-14T19:41:00.001-04:00

Food For All

Stretch Your Budget by Clipping Grocery Coupons

2013-01-14T19:40:00.008-04:00

I used to think clipping and saving grocery coupons wasn't worth my time. While trying to figure ways to stretch my grocery budget, I reconsidered my opinion and gave it a try. I'm certainly happy that I did. In the past few months alone, I've saved well over $100 on my grocery costs. This was accomplished by redeeming coupons and being a savvy shopper. Here are some helpful tips to use so you can benefit from redeeming grocery coupons, too.

Modern technology has made it easy to find manufacturers coupons to use. Newspapers are still a valuable source for finding coupons, especially the Sunday edition newspaper, but now you can print coupons right at home from free coupon sites found on the internet. Many manufacturers now offer free coupons on coupon printing sites. It's as easy as printing out your favorite coupons and going shopping.

Try searching for "printable grocery coupons" in any search engine. You will get search results for a great many sites offering printable coupons. You will be able to find coupons for products ranging from household cleansers to prepackaged lunch meats to breakfast cereals. The majority of free coupon sites will limit you to one or two prints of each coupon, but this is well worth your while.

These sites update their offerings on a regular basis. Be sure to check back often to see what new coupons are available for your use. Bookmark your favorite coupon printing sites when you first find them. This will make it much easier to check for updates without searching for them all over again.

You can find even more online coupons by searching for a coupon on a specific product. Loads of manufacturers offer coupons to print on their own websites. This works best when searching for a brand name and the type of product you are interested in. For example, try searching for "French's mustard". While you are at the manufacturer's website, go ahead and sign up for their newsletter so you don't miss out on future savings.

Shop at grocery stores that double coupons. Many stores will double coupons on a certain day of the week, if not all week long. This really helps you reap the most benefits from your coupons. Many large grocery chains offer doubling coupons up to 50 cents value. This allows you to save a dollar instead of just half a dollar.

Watch for handy coupon ticket machines located in the grocery aisles while shopping. You can often find coupons for products you already use. This may also prompt you to try a brand new product, which is what the manufacturer had in mind to begin with. You may as well get a bargain when you try it.

Be on the alert for products with peel off coupons right on their label. Sometimes you will find cents off coupons to use, or on occasion even buy one product, get another one free. This can go a long way towards stretching your grocery budget.

Keeping up with weekly sales is a must. Read the weekly sales circulars that come in your newspaper and mailbox. When you find an item that you are interested in on sale, have a quick look to see if you have a coupon that you can use. You can often get a sales item for next to no cost when you apply a coupon to the purchase. This works great when shopping on a double coupon day. If you don't want to wait for the ad circulars to arrive in your newspaper or mailbox, you can usually find them online. Most large chain grocers have their weekly sales ad circular on their websites for easy viewing.

Use your coupons before their expiration date. This is easily accomplished by organizing your coupons into categories, keeping the coupons expiring earliest located toward the front. This may seem harder than it really is, but once you start clipping and saving coupons, you will soon find the method that works best for you. This may be as simple as keeping your coupons in an envelope to carry with you when shopping.

Writing a grocery list can't be stressed enough. If you have a coupon for an item on your list, be sure to write down the amount of the coupon next to the item. This will help you make certain to get the most money savings. It's a sad feeling to arrive home and realize you had a coupon for an item you just bought, but forgot to use it.

When you put a coupon item into your grocery cart, take out the coupon each time. This will allow you to have all of your redeemable coupons ready to give to the cashier when you reach the checkout register. It also helps makes certain that any possible savings aren't overlooked. Try to make this a habit. Not only will you save the most money, but it will also save you time.

Kathy enjoys cooking and gardening. Go to KitchenAid Mixer Attachments to see her new cooking website including the KitchenAid Food Grinder

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Coupon Mom Grocery Coupon Deals

2013-01-14T19:40:00.007-04:00

Food For All

Hidden Benefits of Grocery Store Coupons - More Advantages of Using Grocery Coupons

2013-01-14T19:40:00.005-04:00

The most obvious benefit of using grocery store coupons is the amount of money that they help you to save each time that you will go to the grocery store. This is really something that you cannot undermine because it is pretty obvious. It is very normal to see shoppers who use grocery store coupons slash their total tabs at checkout. You see shoppers ring $200 initially but after all the coupons have been scanned, their total comes down to less than half of that.

Grocery store coupons are powerful tools in shaping your financial life. Simply put, what used to be a fixed expense on food and supplies becomes flexible and it only decreases more over time. This is why there are more and more grocery store coupon users these days. As money becomes more difficult to make, people seek new ways of stretching their dollars and grocery coupons fit the job perfectly.

But apart from the obvious money saving benefits, did you know that the use of grocery coupons have more advantages? They may be more subtle and you do not notice them as much as the extra cash in your pocket but these hidden benefits help to make your life easier just the same. Care to find out? Here are more rewards you actually gain each time you pick those grocery store coupons out of your Sunday papers.

1. Less stress - Have you noticed the lower stress levels you are experiencing lately? If you find yourself less stressed it has got to be because of the savings you achieve with grocery coupons. Usually, you get stressed when you know you have to spend money at the store and this heightens even more if the items that you want are ridiculous prices. But knowing that you have grocery coupons which can take your total tab down and even score you lots of free stuff at the checkout, the stress decreases and sometimes disappears completely because you gain confidence in your money spending and saving skills.

2. More organization - The best way to use grocery coupons is to pair them with sales on the items on your grocery list. Naturally, you need to write your list first after looking over your pantry. Then you check out what is on sale from the paper or online resources. After doing this, you find the grocery coupons that you need and pair them nicely depending on how much money you want to save for that week. It is a whole process that integrates organization into your life. The more organized you are, the more you are likely to shop faster, remove waste in your pantry, stretch your budget, and save your money. What more can you ask for?

3. Ditch impulse buys - Of course, when you are organized, you are less prone to impulse buys. When you go to the store knowing what you really need, you have more focus and you take better care of your spending money. Your grocery store coupons protect you from falling into traps laid out by the grocery store for you spend unnecessary funds. All of a sudden, the giant bag of chips seems irrelevant and the random stuff near the checkout counter does not look as appealing as before. This is because you came to the store with a plan and you have to stick with it because of all the grocery store coupons you have and the promise of big savings once you reach that cashier!

And now print free grocery store coupons, just click here Grocery Store Coupons

It is simple to get free coupons and save at your local grocery store. Learn how to maximize your grocery savings and print free coupons, just click here... Free Grocery Coupons

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Grocery Coupon Shopping List Tutorial

2013-01-14T19:40:00.003-04:00

Food For All

Benefits of Using Grocery Coupons - How Grocery Coupons Can Save You Money

2013-01-14T19:40:00.001-04:00

The use of grocery coupons clearly divides the shopping public in two. There are those who think using grocery coupons are just too much work for very little savings while others simply cannot go to the store without them. There are even some who cannot live without grocery coupons due to the unemployment rate and the increasing cost of living! But the bottom line is if you want to stretch your budget, have more food on your table and items on your pantry, and save money each time you head at the checkout counter, then use grocery coupons.

Never mind what other shoppers say or think. If they want to waste their money buying at regular prices and do away with discounted rates and have stores and manufacturers vacuum their salary at the cashier is completely their choice. If they do not want to be wise with their money, so be it. As for you, realizing the value of grocery coupons will definitely take you a long way. Sure, it may take some amount of effort getting coupons and organizing your coupons and shopping trips, but it also takes effort to earn money. It is always better to spend it wisely than waste it all and worry later about needing to make some more.

This is the beauty of grocery coupons. What used to be a fixed expense becomes smaller and smaller each and every time as you get better with your use of the coupons. Some may say the amount that you save with each coupon is pennies or a dollar but even a tiny speck of sand can bury a house if it piles on up eventually. For example, for your grocery trip this weekend, you have collected two $1 coupons for cereal, four $0.50 ones for tooth paste, and another $1 off a bottle of peanut butter. This alone rakes you $5 in savings at the counter. Without the coupons, this is $5 more you are spending. Naturally, if you practice and work on your use of grocery coupons, you will have more coupons on hand and you will be able to increase your discounts and keep more money in your pocket.

Coupons are really money in your pocket. A good way to stay motivated in using them is thinking of them this way. If you have a $2 coupon, do not look at it as a piece of paper but as $2 cash on your hand because that is really what it is. It easily converts and it can truly do a lot of good for your finances. Over time, it takes a snowball effect. The more you save on your groceries, the more money you will have to spend on other utilities, bills, and responsibilities. You will have more money for the mortgage, more for the electricity bill, more for home improvements, even more for your kid's allowance. These big benefits all come from the simple change that you made on your grocery shopping by using coupons.

Clearly, there is no doubt how big grocery coupons are and how much they are worth. Considering the fact that you do get them for free is already a big plus and big value. By starting the coupon habit today you can start helping yourself buy your financial freedom. Money and shopping do not always have to cause you major stress and no matter how much you earn, savings in your pocket is always a great thing and it is very easy to do with grocery coupons so pick up the habit and reap the rewards.

And now print free grocery coupons, just click here... Grocery Coupons

It is simple to get free coupons and save at your local grocery store. Learn how to maximize your grocery savings and print free coupons, just click here... Free Grocery Coupons

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Power of Cereal Marshmallows

2012-05-13T16:08:00.001-04:00

Are you thinking of skipping breakfast? If yes, you are missing many benefits. Items like breakfast foods including cereals are an easy way to start your day with vitamins and minerals.
Breakfast being the first meal of the day is the most important one. Having breakfast in a haphazard manner or skipping it can affect our health. It is important to eat on a regular basis slowly etc you know what your momma told you chew your dang food close your mouth wipe your face. Its what mom didn't know that expanded our waistlines Sugar, Butter, Lard, Fried foods, Burgers, Red Meat, Cookies, Candy, Cakes all ok in some small dose but as a regular diet nothing in the mentioned foods has any substantial fiber content. Try adding these to Cold or Hot Cereal to add variety and flavor that's just not as sugary as sugar.

Improved concentration and reduced fatigue are some of the benefits of eating breakfast. The benefit also includes weight control as eating breakfast will make you feel less hungry throughout the day. Whole grain cereal is the most healthful breakfast. Cereal Marshmallows are the best option if you are looking for starting your day right.

History
- Marshmallow Leaf/Root: Marshmallow is an herb high in mucilage.
- Traditionally, the marshmallow leaf/root was used to soothe the intestines.
- These are helpful to get relief from cough and irritated throats.

Mallow was also used as a remedy for respiratory tract in case of irritating coughs having bronchial congestion because of its expectorant and demulcent properties. Marshmallow root and leaf both contain natural gummy substance- mucilage which is insoluble in water. When exposed to fluids, marshmallow swells up and becomes slick. This slippery material helps in relieving irritation in throat and controls coughing when get coated with the linings of mouth, throat and stomach.

Marshmallow has also been used for treating sore throats and in alleviating heartburn. It is said that marshmallow also possesses anti-effective and immune boosting properties. Now people use Marshmallow in a Varity of things Kraft Cereal Marshmallows AKA Marbits are perhaps the most unique.food additive on the planet.

Cereal Marshmallows

The unique and the new product for your shelves is Cereal Marshmallows.

These are different from normal marshmallows as they are hard because all the moisture in Cereal Marshmallows is sucked out when they undergo a freezing drying dehydration process. Making them dehydrated Marshmallows

Cereal Marshmallows are tasty and also provide a taste to the cereal when combined with oat bran or wheat bran and make an option for kids and adults to enjoy eating healthier cereal. Remember the picture of the food pyramid with the whole grain toast bowl of cereal and juice? Well that's pretty much how simple it is. With all the choices at the local grocery store in the Cereal aisle it is very easy to pick a cereal packed with nutrients and most importantly Fiber. Some Cereals can be as much as half your fiber intake for the day. Just the good ones don't always taste so good so just a tad bit of Cereal Marshmallows will make even the worst Cereal taste Great. Do your research by reading your Nutritional Facts labels on your food and youll see our Daily Diet is plagued with Sodium, Carbohydrates and Fats and most foods having less than 1 percent of your fiber

Other option to try Cereal Marshmallows is with hot coco, cappuchino or mocha's.

Cereal Marshmallows can also be added to any of your favorite recipe of cookie or brownie.

Importance / Benefits of Cereal Marshmallows

Studies illustrate that eating cereal for breakfast is important.
The nutritional advantages of having Cereal Marshmallows are:
1. Key nutrients: All key nutrients are present n cereals

2. Higher vitamin intake: People who have cereals frequently have higher intakes of iron, calcium and other vitamins as compared to those who eat cereals very often.

3. Less fat & cholesterol: People who eat cereals frequently consume less fat and cholesterol.

4. Top source of whole grains: Cereal marshmallows are the top source of whole grains especially for children and provide numerous health benefits.

5. Healthy body: Those who have cereal in the breakfast are less likely to be overweight.

6. Healthier Body Mass Index: Cereal eating children/adults tend to have a healthier BMI (Body Mass Index).

Apart from the above mentioned benefits, whole grain/ cereal contains all three parts of the kernel. They are: outer bran, inner endosperm and germ which make it complete with all healthy fiber and essential nutrients.

Ideas of how to use Cereal Marshmallows

1. In any kind of cereal you want to add them to. Makes even the blandest whole grain cereals taste many times better. Try in Hot or Cold Cereal.
2. As a Candy Substitute, the Unique way the Sugar if puffed full of air then dehydrated makes the Cereal Marshmallow one of the best Candy Substitutes ANYWHERE without actually giving up sugar. Since the Marshmallows are air filled if you compare a package of Cereal Marshmallows to your average king size Candy Bar you would see that the marshmallows you get about 8 times more volume meaning the package of marshmallows is 8 times bigger making it easier to eat less. Basically if you had in 1 hand a bag of Cereal marshmallows and in the other the same amount of chocolate in 1 hand keep in mind there's still more marshmallows than chocolate but your looking at under 40 calories and no fat vs over 500 calories and about half of your fat for the day
3. As a weight loss aide to
4. As a stop smoking aide
5. Added to ANY Recipe from cookies, cake, chocolates, frostings,
6. As a Ice Cream additive
7. Add to your Yogert
8. In Hot Coco, Coffee, Mocha's etc
9. IN ANYTHING
10. JUST BY THEMSELVES....;-P

We carry Actual Name Brand Kraft Marshmallows. These are Not just Marshmallows. These are like the ones in your Hot Coco or Cereal. These are the Best Little Marshmallows you will find or taste and to Boot they are a good time to.
For more information visit: http://www.cerealmarshmallows.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Gipsy Kings - Soy (Videoclip)

2012-05-05T17:16:00.003-04:00

Food For All

Why Soy (and Tofu) Aren't The Answer! The Problems With Eating Soy and the Solution

2012-05-05T17:16:00.001-04:00

The health status of Soy as a food item has become the subject of fantastic debate. There are vegetarian soy advocates who extol the benefits of eating soy, sometimes to the point of disbelief, and there are the soy fear mongers, would be prophets of doom, scaring us away. Whats the truth? Here is where we sort out the facts.

Tofu is a food product made from coagulated soy-milk. The curd is then pressed into soft blocks. Tofu is soy.

Soy (and tofu) is often used as a source of protein in a variety of "vegetarian-meat" recipes as well as in desserts, soups, smoothies, as soy milk, imitation cheeses and more. It is quite versatile.

However, research has consistently shown that soy is decidedly not friendly to the human body. Not in it's natural state, and especially not in the highly processed state that soy is typically served in.

The mistake in thought that leads us to believe soy is healthy has three main roots:

Mistake # 1

Since soy is a natural food crop; A raw food; A bean that grows from the ground; it must be healthy.

Consider that sugar is also natural. Salt is natural too. They both come from the ground. But we know that these are not healthy foods and should be consumed only in great moderation.

Soy is just another natural food that has highly intolerable properties for the human body. This will be discussed in more detail later on.

Mistake #2

Soy is very prevalent, it's all around us and in so much of our food that we have come to believe that it should be there.

Due to the soybean being one of three native crops in the US which are very highly subsidized and grown, soy is over- promoted and marketed to the American public.

Second only to corn, soybeans are the most government subsidized crop in the United States (wheat is behind soy at number three). Because it's so highly subsidized soybeans are a crop that is actually overgrown in the US. One of many results of the soy surplus is that soy has become a food crop whose use is encouraged by the USDA particularly in its Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

In extremely moderate amounts, soy would not necessarily be problematic for most people. However soy is so prevalent and available, and manufacturers have devised ways to use soy in so many applications, that it is typically over-consumed even for persons who are not "into" soy.

As a result, the amount of soy in the standard American diet is easily problematic even for those whose body would otherwise tolerate it relatively well.

Worse still are the methods and processes used to make soy useful in it's many applications. The over-processing that soy goes through adds many other external problems and issues to this already problematic food item. This too will be discussed in more detail later on.

Mistake #3

Asians eat vast amounts of soy. We have been sold the idea that Asians eat a diet very high in soy and tofu and live really healthy lives until very old ages as a result of it. This is a wild piece of fiction.

In Asia, soy that has not been fermented, the soy that we eat in the west (tofu and the like), has been used as animal fodder for thousands of years. In actuality, the average consumption of this type of soy by Asians is a fraction of what we eat. What Asians consume on a regular basis is "fermented soy."

In fact, the soybean did not serve as a food in China until the discovery of fermentation techniques (during the Chou Dynasty). The Chinese did not eat un-fermented soybeans as they did other legumes such as lentils because the soy bean contains large quantities of what they believed to be natural toxins or "anti-nutrients."

Soy that has been fermented is vastly different than non-fermented soy and is, in fact, the healthy soy we should be eating. Fermentedsoy actually is quite good for you.

Fermentation adds benefits to food in general. These benefits include pro-biotic bacteria (e.g. acidophilus), higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, and it makes food easier for the body to digest.

Common fermented products are yogurt and kefir, saurkraut and kimchi, many cheeses, some breads, pickles and vinegar.

Fermentation, while releasing the nutrients in the soybean also eliminates the problems associated with soy as a food. This will be detailed later. (Soy milk, tofu and soy cheese, are not fermented products).

Soy products that are healthy are fermented. The main types of fermented soy are; Miso, Natto, Tempeh, and Soy Sauce. (With soy sauce watch out for artificial ingredients and added MSG.)

Fermented soy products, mainly Miso, Natto, and Tempeh are high in protein and are very healthy. These have no negative or unwanted side effects and they are certainly suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

[Other high-protein sources for vegetarians: Fish, eggs and dairy.

Other high protein sources for vegans: First lentils, beans in general (not soybean), oat-bran, broccoli and cauliflower, asparagus, peanuts, avocados...]

Simply put, when we realize that unfermented soy is already in a surprisingly wide range of the processed foods that we eat, then in order to keep our soy intake at a healthy level, or at least non-detrimental, we have little choice but to electively eat soy products in great moderation only.

As will be discussed next, high or even moderate amounts of (non-fermented) soy in the diet can be the source of numerous health complications. Some of which are major issues.

Let's point out though that the issues associated with soy lie mainly with people who use soy as their principal source of protein. Some people view soy as a kind-of wonder-protein, the answer to nearly all food neads, indeed how it is often promoted by soy food-product makers in; soy milk, soy- patties, soy burgers, tofu patties, tofu slabs, scrambled tofu, tofu stir fry, soy cheeses, soy cereals, soy snacks, soy deserts etc. These people consume soy in more than moderation and are the ones who need to be concerned.

For those who use non-fermented soy as an occasional treat, a few of cubes of tofu at a party or restaurant, in a desert here or there, aren't typically in any need of concern. In very moderate use most people shouldn't realize any harmful effects at all.

The issues with Soy

Topping the list of the many issues associated with eating non-fermented soy are:

1) Soy is a phyto-estrogen -

A plant estrogen. This means that consuming soy significantly enhances the body's estrogen levels.

Estrogen is a hormone that has a pivotal role in the bodies of both men and women. It is important for cognitive function, fertility, and many of the changes in gene activity that take place in the body.

Estrogen levels that are too high can wreak havoc with our hormones. For women this can set off cycle irregularities and be the cause of weight gain, headaches, bad temper, chronic fatigue, and loss of libido.

For men it can lead to loss of muscle mass, enlarged breasts, lower libido and can be a precursor to atherosclerosis and arterial diseases.

For both men and women too much estrogen can lead to more serious problems as well.

2) Soy is a goitrogen -

It is a food that is damaging to the thyroid gland. It inhibits thyroid function.

The thyroid gland directly affects our daily energy. It regulates the body's rate of metabolism and affects the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland, T3 and T4, play an important role in the maintenance of normal blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tone, digestion and reproductive functions.

3) Soy is a trypsin inhibitor -

Trypsin is a digestive enzyme produced in the pancreas.

There are numerous enzymes that allow us to digest our food and then absorb nutrients from the digested food. Trypsin is the enzyme responsible for and required by the body to digest protein.

4) Soy contains phytic acid -

A naturally occurring acid in some grains and legumes.

Phytic acid is often considered an anti-nutrient because it is a fiber that impairs the absorption of minerals. It will interfere with and disrupt the body's ability to absorb calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

5) Soy is a techno-product overkill -

The methods used to make soy protein products add problems to this already troubling food item.

"-Production of modern soy protein products takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash, and finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution.

Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. The resulting curds are spray-dried at high temperatures to produce a high-protein powder.

A final negative process to the soybean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate (SPI) to produce textured vegetable protein (TVP).

High-temperature processing has the unfortunate side-effect of so denaturing the other proteins in soy that they are rendered largely ineffective.

Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray-drying, and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing.

Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are also added to soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein products to mask their strong "beany" taste and to impart the flavor of meat.-"

"Soy Protein Isolate (SPI)," "Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)" and "Hydrolized Vegetable Protein" are key words to look out for on ingredient panels. Avoid products that use these techno-produced soy items.

6) Soy is a GMO -

Genetically Modified Organism. Most soy products are made with soy crops that were modified at the gene level. It's actually very hard to find soy that is not a GMO.

-Genetically modified soybeans are called 'Roundup Ready.' They are inserted with a bacterial gene, which allows the plants to survive a normally deadly dose of [the herbicide] Roundup. Although the spray doesn't kill the plant, its active ingredient called glyphosate does accumulate in the beans themselves, which are consumed by [..] livestock and by humans. There is so much glyphosate in GM soybeans that when they were introduced, Europe had to increase their allowable residue levels 200 times [in order for the crop not to be in violation].-

Toxic to Mother and Child- Glyphosate throws off the delicate hormonal balance that governs the whole reproductive cycle. It is also toxic to the placenta, the organ which connects the mother to the fetus, provides nutrients and oxygen, and empts waste products.

In a 2009 French study at the University of Caen, scientists discovered that glyphosate can kill the cells in the outer layer of the human placenta (the trophoblast membrane), which in turn can kill the placenta.

-The placenta cells are, in Ewen's words, "exquisitely sensitive to glyphosate." Only 1/500th the amount needed to kill weeds was able to kill the cells. The amount is so small, according to the study authors that the "residual levels to be expected [to be present], especially in food and feed derived from R[oundup] formulation-treated crops" could be enough to "cause cell damage and even [cell] death." Furthermore, the effect of the toxin may bioaccumulate, growing worse with repeated consumption from Roundup laden foods.-

-In a Canadian epidemiological study which looked at nearly 4,000 pregnancies in 1,898 couples, women exposed to glyphosate during the three months before getting pregnant had a significantly higher risk of miscarriage, especially for those above 34 years of age.-

In the Canadian study above, even fathers who were exposed to glyphosate before their wives got pregnant showed an increase in early delivery and miscarriages.

7) Soy is not for babies -

Most concerning is the notion that soy is good for babies, for children, or for use in infant formulas.

An overwhelming number of published studies, confirmed by Dr. Mike Shelby director of CFSAN (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition), have concluded that soy repeatedly jeopardizes developmental health.

In 2002, researcher Retha Newbold of NIEHS (the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) expressed concern when her colleagues demonstrated that soy genistein (a soy estrogen) "triggers reproductive abnormalities... including a rare form of cancer called uterine adenocarcinoma."

Something that is toxic to the reproductive tract is toxic to multiple hormone systems throughout the body and brain as well.

Thyroid alterations are among the most frequently encountered autoimmune conditions in children. Research at Cornell University shows that -in children with autoimmune-thyroid disease the amount of feeding of soy-based formula in the first stages of life was significantly higher .- In a previous study, they found that twice as many diabetic children had received soy formula in infancy as compared to non-diabetic children.

The maternal consumption of soy products transfers estrogenic hormone disruptors to her fetus, and again to her child while breast-feeding. The amount of phytoestrogens in one days dose of soy infant formula is the same amount that's in five birth control pills.

Multiple studies conclude soy phyto-toxic causation of an assortment of severe, painful and often irreversible neurological and physiological disorders, and these diseases are more often caused during developmental exposures [to soy].

Soy phyto-estrogens also abnormally manipulate ER-alpha and ER-beta hormone systems disrupting extensive endocrine systems throughout the entire body and brain.

The negative effects of soy on the endocrine system are trans-generational, passing damaging endocrine disruptor effects from parent to child.

The FDA's Poisonous Plant Database includes "Soy bean, genistein and daidzein [soy estrogens]" on its list of poisonous plants. Developmental exposures to soy estrogenic endocrine disruptors fail to meet several FDA codes and regulations.

Soy infant formulas also contain high amounts of corn syrup and sugar, known to be developmentally debilitating. High levels of corn syrup and sugar can lead to pancreatic damage which interrupts insulin production then leading to infant and childhood diabetes type 1 and type 2. High levels of sweeteners also damage the thyroid and thymus glands.

8) Soy and the Genistein myth -

Genistein is an organic compound providing phyto-estrogens and showing some anti-oxidant effect, but the benefits of genistein come at a high cost.

Women have been encouraged to use high genistein soy products to alleviate symptoms of menopause and as a guard against bone loss and breast cancer. But given the full range of effects of genistein in the body, high consumption could result in age-related memory loss. Commercial soybean products offer genistein levels as high as 20 to 60 mg per serving.

Because their incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis is low, Asians are used as an example of the benefits of eating soybean products. However, the Asian diet of 'fermented' soybean products such as miso and tempeh includes only around 5 mg of genistein a day.

Genistein slows the growth of blood vessels serving tumors, another action that makes it popular as a cancer fighter. However, it has this same effect on blood vessels serving normal cells. Eating a regular diet high in genistein could result in the starvation of healthy blood vessels, resulting in a reduced supply of oxygen to cells, thus setting up a cancer promoting situation.

In a graphic example of how genistein slows cellular energy, a study found that eating high levels of it slowed hair growth by 60 to 80 percent.

A decade ago a study of 8,000 Asian men showed that those consuming the highest amounts of tofu had smaller brain size and nearly three times the rate of senile dementia as those who ate the lowest amounts. These results suggest that eating foods high in isoflavones such as soy protein isolates may accelerate the aging of the brain.-

9) Soy; the Money machine -

Soy production and sales is a four billion dollar industry in the US. Hence, the public relations hype extolling the virtues of soy have been global and relentless. There are at least 100 million acres of soy under cultivation in the United States alone, most of it genetically engineered.

The Monsanto Corporation itself has 45 million acres of genetically modified soybeans growing in the United States. American law permits these crops to be mixed with a small amount of organic soybeans, and the resultant combination may then be labeled organic.

-There is a distinct herd instinct among people who 'work in science' which makes it easy to believe whatever sounds plausible, if a lot of other people are saying it is true. Sometimes powerful economic interests help people to change their beliefs. For example, two of the biggest industries in the world, the estrogen industry and the soy bean industry, spend vast amounts of money helping people to believe certain plausible-sounding things that help them sell their products.-

Conclusion: Though soy is promoted as a health food, the value of those claims are checked by a mountain of evidence and research detailing soy's many problems. It seems wise to keep, elective, non-fermented soy intake low or very very moderate.

For good high protein vegetable sources refer to the list earlier in this article.

Rules of thumb for using soy:

Fermented soy products like miso, natto and tempeh are very healthy. Have Lots of These!

Techno-soy products like soy protein isolate, textured (and hydrolized) vegetable protein are unhealthy. Have None of These! (or, extremely few of them at the least.)

Tofu and the like (e.g. soy milk, soy cheeses..) have all of the same negative properties of any non-fermented soy products. Although as far as processed soy products go they aren't as techno-nasty as SPI or TVP. These are nonetheless not healthy. Eat very Moderate Amounts of These! Which means not as a total protein replacement nor as a daily staple.

Give no non-fermented soy to infants, to small children, or to pregnant women. None! Even as a treat!!

As the saying goes, "knowledge is power." From this standpoint, of knowledge, we know what the realities are with regards to soy as a food. We now can eat soy products responsibly, making educated decisions as to which products to consume and which not. Or, which to have in moderation and which to have on occasion.

Written by:
Ian H. Seinfeld - C.H. Natural Products
2000 Warransville Center Road South Euclid Oh
http://www.centralhealthonline.com

The reader is encouraged visit the above website for a printable copy of this article with a full list of research resources in a full color 3 column format, as well as to view other articles by the same author.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Ridiculous Grocery Wrapping Prank

2012-05-02T20:28:00.015-04:00

Food For All Blogger

Why Do People Prefer Online Grocery Shopping

2012-05-02T20:28:00.013-04:00

Internet has made our lives easier in more than one ways and has touched our routine life as well. Yes, you can now buy groceries online and without any geographical constraints. If you're asking of why do people prefer buying grocery online as compared to shopping from a traditional Mom and Pop store? There are many advantages of online grocery shopping discussed below:

1. One can save time in terms of travelling to a grocery shop or supermarket, circling the parking lot looking for parking, standing in queue at the billing counter, loading the groceries in your car, and traveling back home.

2. One can spend less time if they buy grocery online rather than visiting a nearby grocery store because they are less likely to be side tracked and end up buying more than what they planned.

3. If one lives on the top floor of building, he/she needs to carry the grocery bags up and down a flight of stairs or elevators. Door-to-door grocery delivery and online grocery delivery would be better and it will take care of this problem for you.

4. One can do this event in short time. So whether he/she has a busy day due to the regular schedule, job, school, kids, etc. that prohibits from visiting the grocery shop you can also choose to purchase grocery online.

5. You can shop anytime and anything you want, at your own convenience, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Even anyone can easily search any items using properly defined categories for each grocer on site. There are many online grocery shopping sites offers recipes as per cooking ingredients.

6. There are many sites that offer grocery as per geographical categories. Online grocery stores can afford to have a large collection for Wholesale grocery buying where you can buy monthly groceries easily.

7. You can keep away from the stress and hassle of having to drive to grocery store, dragging your screaming and restless kids with you to the store, indirect through the crowded lands while trying to avoid a accident or traffic jam with shopping carts, standing in a long line at the checkout or billing counters, loading your car trunk with the groceries when you leave the store and arrive at home.

8. You can make routine your grocery deliveries, so that frequently purchased grocery items are shipped to you on a regular basis.

Mark Waltzer is writer who enjoys providing online shoppers with valuable information for purchasing and benefits of online grocery shopping in USA. Find great savings on products such as Indian Spices food [http://www.spiceplaza.com/products.aspx?categoryid=-1&filterby=1&pageindex=1], online Asian Groceries, organic grocery stores and much more.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

NAKED GROCERIES

2012-05-02T20:28:00.011-04:00

Food For All Blogger

Grocery Shopping List Power - Step 1 in Saving Grocery Money

2012-05-02T20:28:00.009-04:00

A grocery shopping list can be the front line tool you use in saving money on your grocery budget each month.

There are several more sophisticated ways to save grocery money, but none is easier or faster to implement than the lowly grocery shopping list. Interestingly, this is a tool that almost everyone knows about, yet very few people actually use it in a systematic and reliable way.

For those folks who are not convinced of a grocery list's potential power in household management, here's what happens when you DON'T use one.

-- You lose money.

Without a list, a shopper is at the mercy of "what looks good" in a grocery store.

Believe me, if you shop this way, you WILL find something that looks irresistible. And costs more than you might have spent with a list.

Why? Simple. It is the grocery stores' job to entice you to spend money in their stores. That's how they stay in business. There's no problem with that. But it's YOUR business to get the best value for your money...unless you don't care how much you spend on your groceries each month.

In which case you probably wouldn't be reading an article like this one.

-- You lose time.

Using a list means you can enter your favorite grocery store, fly up and down the aisles one time, and be ready to check out in the fraction of time of another shopper who uses the 'browse' method of grocery shopping.

And if you're under the mistaken impression that you'll need to spend lots of upfront time figuring out what to put on your grocery list, well, you don't.

Hang your grocery list in a prominent place in your kitchen and train your family to use it. Then your list will be ready to go shopping when you are.

-- You lose nutrition.

Using a grocery shopping list means you get EXACTLY what you want at the store; and that includes the nutrition you want for your family. You call the shots on how much fat, salt and sugar your family consumes. You can decide to emphasize whole grains and whether raw vegetables, frozen or canned will grace your family's dinner table.

In short, with a grocery list, you are in control.

-- You lose efficiency.

Ever stand in your grocery store and think to yourself, "well, I know I need some frozen veggies (or broth, or canned fruits, or favorite mixes, etc.) to keep on hand for that easy throw-together recipe my family likes. But I can't remember what I already have at home. I'll just get a couple of bags of SOMETHING to keep on hand."

Fast forward to the night you want to actually COOK that wonderful food for your family. You discover you've got two bags of frozen broccoli and three bags of frozen stir-fry veggies, but what you NEED is a bag of frozen corn.

A list could have helped you bring home the corn. Without the extra stir-fry. Using a grocery list means you have what you actually need in your pantry when you need it. Plus, you'll end up with less throw-away food, too, since you're purchasing what you know your family will eat within a given period of time.

Bottom line, if you're serious about saving money at the grocery store, the first thing you'll want to use is a grocery shopping list. It's easy and you can start using one today.

Whether you're a college student learning how to grocery shop for the first time, a newly married couple establishing a budget, or a mom whose family has grown and the grocery budget has developed a mind of its own, the place to start to regain control is the lowly grocery shopping list.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com - Visit her website and get your free printable grocery shopping list today.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Tesco Homeplus Virtual Subway Store in South Korea

2012-05-02T20:28:00.007-04:00

Food For All Blogger

Order Groceries Online

2012-05-02T20:28:00.005-04:00

Say goodbye to long lines at the grocery store and supermarket and also driving in snarls of congested traffic. Order groceries online! It's safer, easier and more convenient and it also saves time, effort, money and energy.

Ordering groceries online has been made easy with lots of online grocery shopping stores. Before beginning to order groceries online, learn about the ordering, shipping and discounts offered by the chain of national or local supermarkets and see if they have online grocery shopping or can do home delivery for you.

Here are some tips when ordering groceries online

o Check out places to use online grocery services by checking with your regular grocery store or any other local supermarket to see if they do home delivery or offer online grocery shopping. There are a variety of online grocery shopping places like Amazon Grocery.Net, Mybrands.Com, NetGrocer.com, AULSuperStore.com or Safeway.com. Some of these stores deliver groceries worldwide while others have only regional delivery or have only limited products and mostly do not stock foods that need to be refrigerated and also do not have frozen foods.

o While ordering groceries online, possibly you have a tendency to become over excited and it is likely you could spend more than your budget and in the end regret the whole experience. To avoid this, use the online grocery checkout list and see the sub total at the bottom of the shopping list and if it is beyond your budget, try cancelling the least necessary items.

o Check out the net for online grocery discounts and various other offers that are given by the online grocery store. In this way you can save money and feel satisfied that you are doing something sensible.

o Select stores that have a flexible refund policy. Remember you are not shopping at the real supermarket where you can select your vegetables and fruits, this is ordering groceries online and sometimes you might get a rotten apple or a tomato. So the online grocery stores must be able to refund your money for this type of item. Most online grocery stores will credit to your account if you call their customer care without delay. Some online groceries may require you to send back the non-perishable items in the event of damaged packaging before crediting money or shipping you another item.

o You can save time when shopping for groceries online by remembering the shops that store your last month order. Most of the monthly routine like tea leaves, milk, pulses and more tend to be the same and you do not need to add them to the list every month or each time you order groceries online.

Most online grocery stores have a minimum purchase limit usually of around $40. So shop online only when you enough necessary items for that minimum purchase or else you will end up spending large money by ordering the unnecessary items. Some stores may also waive off the shipping chargers for first time customers if you place an order for a large amount.

Some groceries have same day delivery services while others usually ask for a period of a day or two for delivering the ordered groceries.

Thus ordering groceries online is convenient and time-saving for the people who are really busy and have no time to go to the supermarket.

Bob has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in lifestyle changes, you can also check out his latest website about:

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Dan3.0 - Groceries!

2012-05-02T20:28:00.003-04:00

Food For All Blogger

Printable Grocery List Tips and Tricks for The Serious Shopper

2012-05-02T20:28:00.001-04:00

Using a printable grocery list is a smart way to save time and money. Here are my top tricks for getting the most out of any grocery list.

-- Customize it.

Most printable grocery lists are quite generic so as to be usable by a wide variety of shoppers. That's fine, however, for maximum efficiency you'll want to customize your grocery list to include the items you regularly shop for. Do this the first time you use a new list.

-- Keep it easy.

Next, there are a couple of options you'll want to consider.

1. One option is to print off multiple blank copies of your printable grocery list after you finish customizing it. Keep your copies in a folder in your kitchen so you can conveniently grab a new copy whenever you need one.

2. Conversely, you can print off just one copy of your customized grocery list and drop that copy into a clear plastic sleeve. By doing so you instantly make your grocery list laminated. Just use a dry-erase marker and you can use your printable grocery list again and again.

-- Go hi-tech.

Have a personal data assistant (pda)? Then you might like a downloadable grocery list better than a printed copy. A quick online search for "pda grocery list" yields positive results.

-- Train the crew.

The biggest challenge with any grocery list is getting everyone in a household to use it. After all, what good is a grocery list that's not ready to go shopping when you are? If you have multiple people in a household, there's no way that just one person can know everything that needs to go on a grocery list.

So have a family meeting. Point out where you are posting your printable grocery list and let people know that if they want things from the grocery store they need to mark them on the list.

Remember, you're still in charge of the list! Just because an item is on your list doesn't mean you MUST buy it. You have a budget (hopefully!) and it's up to the grocery shopper to make any final shopping decisions.

Nevertheless, it's much simpler to cross something off a grocery list than it is to read the minds of all the family members. In our household, the grocery list 'rules' are quite simple. If you open the last of something, write it on the list or it won't be there the next time you hungrily go looking for it. Our system has served us well for years.

-- Make your grocery list accessible.

All the training in the world won't work if the grocery list is not accessible to everyone who has a need to write on it. For example, do you have small children? I have a 7 year old who loves to have her say by adding items to the grocery list, so the list is kept where she can reach it. An added bonus is that a grocery list is a great place for budding spellers to practice their skills. (For a free printable grocery list, see the author's resource box following this article.)

-- The most important step.

Sometimes I hear shoppers moan that they did fine compiling a list at home but they can't seem to remember to take the grocery list to the store with them. I suspect we've all had that happen to us at some time.

This is a point worth pondering. Without the list, your shopping can easily blow your budget as well as take much longer than it should. So take a minute and think about how you can always insure that your printable grocery list goes with you to the grocery store. Write yourself a reminder note on your calendar or schedule, get a key ring that reminds you of your list, whatever it takes to jog your memory. For myself, I have one place I promise myself to check before I walk out the door. Shopping lists and anything else that needs to go with me go in that one place.

A printable grocery list WILL save you time and money, but only if you keep the list handy to use and encourage its usage by all family members. In fact, a grocery list is one of the smartest tools you can use in your arsenal to run a well-managed home.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com. Visit her website and pick up a free printable grocery list today.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Over $100 of groceries for the price of 1 fast food meal

2012-05-02T20:27:00.003-04:00

Food For All Blogger

How To Save Money On Groceries

2012-05-02T20:27:00.001-04:00

Unlike a fixed monthly cost such as your mortgage or car payment, the amount you spend on groceries each month is somewhat flexible. While the common advice of clipping coupons and buying generic brands to save money while shopping is sound, by far the best way to truly keep your grocery shopping expenses under control is by understanding how grocery stores entice you to spend more than you really want. By fully understanding the ways grocery stores encourage you to spend, many of which you probably never even noticed before, you can combat their strategies and spend money only on the merchandise you really need.

Although a grocery store may appear to be simply a place to purchase food and other household necessities, in reality it's a cutting edge example of "how to sell more than consumers really need." Since you are the consumer, it's important that you realize these sales tactics so that you walk into a grocery store to get only what you need while avoiding everything else that the grocery store wants to sell you. Here are some ways that grocery stores manipulate you into spending more than you had planned and some simple steps you can take to counter them:

Smell: One of the first things you'll notice when you enter a grocery store is the mouth-watering smell. There is a specific reason why grocery stores smell of freshly baked goods, and also why the bakery is almost always found near the store entrance. The reason is that a bakery making bread and desserts gives off an enticing smell, and that smell is likely to make you hungry. The grocery store also knows that if you feel hungry while you shop, you are likely to spend more money - a lot more - than if you are not hungry.

A simple way that you can combat this is by going grocery shopping only after you have had a meal and are full. If timing doesn't allow for you to do this, at least drink a couple of glasses of water before leaving to make you feel full before shopping. Shopping while you're full makes it much easier to resist the great smelling temptations that the grocery store will flaunt in front of you.

Overall Store Layout: Did you ever notice that when you only need to buy a few staple items, you have to travel the entire grocery store floor in order to get them? While one might assume that the convenience of putting basic staple items in the same general area would make happier customers, grocery stores know that the longer that they can keep you in the store, the more money you are likely to spend. They also know that making you walk as far as they can inside the store will make it more likely that you'll pick up impulse items. Stores are specifically designed in such a way as to make you spend as much time as possible inside them and walk the entire store floor to get the basic staples that everyone needs.

Although there is no way around going to the far corners of the store to get the groceries you need, you can avoid the trap of impulse purchases on the store floor by taking the time to make a list of the items you need and sticking to it when shopping. Getting into the habit of making a single trip once a week to take care of all your grocery shopping needs instead of several smaller trips throughout the week will also greatly reduce your time in the store and the chances that you'll buy items you don't really need.

Item Display Layout: Manufactures of brand named products pay hefty stocking fees to stores to have their merchandise placed on the shelves at adult eye level (and child eye level in the case of products aimed at children such as cereal). Manufactures are willing to pay these prices because they know that you are much more likely to purchase something that you can easily see as you are walking down the aisle than something you have to stop and search for. The result is that the products placed at eye level are usually the most expensive.

Before grabbing the first item you see, take a few seconds to look at the upper and lower shelves. Similar products are placed together and simply looking will often reveal the same product at a much better price.

"Sale" Merchandise: Grocery stores will advertise a certain number of items at rock bottom prices (called "loss leaders") to get you to come to the store. While these can be genuine bargains, don't get fooled into thinking that everything that has the words "sale" or "bargain" above it is really that. While aisle ends are reserved for these "bargains," they aren't always the deals they seem to be and the discounted products are often displayed along side higher price products. You can sometimes even find similar products in the regular aisle section that are less than the end of aisle "sale" merchandise.

The important thing to remember when grocery shopping is to focus on the price of the product and not all the fancy advertising and slogans promoting the product. Take the time to check the other brands and see if there is a better deal. Also, remember that if you weren't planning to buy the item and you don't really need it, then it really isn't a bargain for you no matter what the price. Only consider those items that you regularly use and you have a need for.

Product Appearance: Product packaging at grocery stores is bright, usually in red and yellows since these colors attract the eye. Just because something grabs your attention, however, doesn't mean that you have to buy it. Keep focused on your shopping list and don't get distracted by products you don't really need.

Packaging will also be much larger than the actual product for many food items. Manufacturers know that shoppers assume that larger sized packaging equals a better deal. It would make sense since bulking items together saves the manufacturer on packaging, shipping and stocking which they can pass along to you. With a mantra "buy in bulk" now firmly grounded in most people's minds as a way to save money, manufacturers are taking advantage of this. While still not the norm, more and more larger sized packages are less of a deal than their smaller sized counterparts since manufacturers know you will make the above assumptions and probably not compare the per unit cost.

Before grabbing the largest box of a product, take the time to calculate the per unit or per weight cost. More often than you would expect, smaller packages of an item are actually a better deal than buying the same item in a larger package.

Check-Out Layout: The check out aisle of a store is like a mini mart in itself. This is because grocery stores know that they have a captive audience while you wait in line to pay for your groceries. They squeeze in every little thing that might remotely peak your interest to rack up a large amount on impulse sales.

The best way to avoid these temptations to is plan your shopping during off peak hours. Avoid the weekend if at all possible since this is when grocery stores are most crowded, as well as the evening when everyone has just gotten off work. With many grocery stores now staying open 24 hours a day, late night and early morning trips when the aisle and check out lanes are practically bare are the perfect time to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible.

By taking the time to understand how the grocery stores try to influence your shopping and spending habits, you have now put yourself in control. Utilize the suggestions about how to counter the grocery store's selling techniques and you will be able to control your grocery spending to a much greater extent and should have a much easier time keeping to your monthly food budget.

This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are included. A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted would be greatly appreciated.

Jeffrey Strain has published hundreds of money saving articles and the creator of the Daily Money Saving Challenge Program. He is the co-owner of http://www.savingadvice.com -- a website dedicated to saving you money.

savingadvice@gmail.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com