by Chef Matt M
I’m here to share with you 7 key tips on how to achieve the ultimate grocery store efficiency, no matter where you shop. Follow along and, please, do keep up!
So basic, yet so imperative. My eyes are always peeled for a spot close enough to the store exit that I don’t mind walking to with an armful of loaded bags. Maybe the front row or an edge space with nothing crowding the trunk or doors, if I’m feeling lucky. Avoid the crowded middle rows where you’re more likely to run into lousy parkers, escaped rolling carts, or the worst case scenario, a note on the windshield apologizing for the latest dinger on your side panel.
Sounds about as basic as my parking advice, right? There’s a reason our entire team prints out a list, checks it twice, and tries to find the produce that’s not moldy but nice. (I’m so sorry for that.) But seriously, going in with a drawn-up plan, and the act of physically crossing it out really does eliminate missing anything while keeping you on pace. This rule must be followed particularly closely when attempting to shop on an empty stomach.
This rings true for not only shopping quickly but with a healthier outlook as well. Just about every grocery store I’ve ever been to has some kind of layout that goes like this; fresh fruit, vegetables, and other produce on one side of the store linked off by a wall of refrigerated items running along the back that leads you to a deli, butcher, bakery, or seafood counter in some order on the other side. The middle is filled with rows and freezers filled with a lot of “stuff’, right? In other words, fresh ingredients on the outside edges, and processed stuff on the inside rows. We want the bulk of our shopping to happen on the outside edges as a general philosophy and practice. With that in mind, I generally attack the shopping list by starting with produce and moving along the back to grab any refrigerated egg or dairy products before making my way to the butcher or seafood counter. Place a quick order with those fine folks (we are often on a first-name basis) while I double back for any pantry staples or frozen goods I need from the middle.
No matter how big your list is, you can fit your groceries into a small cart. With a little practice, you’ll learn to stack bulky, heavy items in the undercarriage leaving the top for fruit, herbs, eggs, or any other items that you don’t want getting mushed. I’ve even done a double shop at the same time for two clients using just one small cart. Get with the times and leave the outdated, full-sized carts to the Instacart shoppers.
This is a big one folks…there’s nothing that makes me more frustrated on my shopping runs than all of the in-the-way carts that you have to maneuver for an efficient trip. Be part of the solution and park your cart like a pro. When you’re shopping for veggies, leave your cart somewhere central while you zip off with your list to grab 3-5 items. Don’t leave it in the way of a popular stall like directly in front of the avocados - tuck it off to the side to leave a clear lane in and out of every section, such as near the grapefruits. Avoid all the awkward cart traffic jams that amateur shoppers create.
This one is a bit tougher to explain but you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. No oyster sauce with the other Asian ingredients? Look up to the top shelf. You’ve stumped the always cheerful but rarely helpful staff looking for gluten-free breadcrumbs? Just look up and half the time, the missing item on your list will be waiting up on that no-man’s-land of a shelf that overstocked items go to be out of sight and forgotten about. I can also confirm that the bottom grocery shelf can support one husky chef’s weight if you need a little step up to help you reach the top!
I can’t be the only one that’s particular about the way that my groceries are bagged, right? Heavier items in the bottom, refrigerated items, or raw meat in a separate bag. I always unload my groceries from cart to belt in the order I want them bagged, but even that can backfire when I let a rookie bag ‘em up. Explain to me how putting my beautiful filet of center-cut salmon under the world's heaviest, spikey pineapple is good bagging practice. Do your own bagging, people.
I hope these tips motivate and inspire your next shopping trip to be the speediest yet - maybe even a new personal best. Envision a world where you can be in and out of your local market, fully loaded, in about 20 minutes flat. The possibilities are endless and the time saved can be dedicated to everyone’s favorite activity - COOKING!