Trolley Spying
When I go food shopping, I'm always really interested the see what other people have in their trolleys. Likewise, I get some funny looks, especially when I buy lots of red meat, eggs and coconut milk. I can just see the people wondering what I'm going to do with it all. Surely she can’t be going to eat all those foods we’re constantly told are bad, by herself?
People are generally quick to say how healthily they eat, but when you see their trolley, surely you are seeing what they actually eat, rather than what they’d like you to think they eat.
Trolleys full of processed junk food bother me far less; at least the people pushing those trolleys, on some level, know they have a bad diet. What bothers me more is the trolleys I see full of “healthy” foods. The type of “healthy foods” I wouldn't go near.
A very sad, un-Primal grocery trolley
I see so many trolleys full of low fat, highly processed products (I can’t bring myself to call them food). Trolleys full of whole grains, as they are good for us, right? Diet drinks with ingredients I can’t pronounce. Spray on “vegetable” oils, to make sure as little fat as possible contributes to dinner. Processed low fat sauces to smother wholegrain pasta with. “Healthy” reduced fat chips, presumably to deal with the blood sugar crash that comes after eating the pasta. Huge bottles of orange juice. Skim milk to pour over the healthy low fat breakfast cereal. Margarine instead of butter, Weight Watchers low fat processed sweets to ensure there is never any need to go over three hours without eating.
Pasta Sauce and Processed Sauce, yum yum.
I wonder, do people really think these “healthy” low fat processed products taste nice? I strongly suspect they are eaten for the perceived health benefits, not because they taste nice. My Paleo diet not only tastes amazing, but it is super healthy too.
This is my recent trolley. I generally buy all of my meat from my wonderful local organic butcher, so I usually just buy some veggies, fruit for my house-mate to take to work (I'm only eating fruit once or twice a week at the moment), coconut milk, almond butter (for use in an occasional NoOatmeal) and I sometimes buy nuts depending on which recipes are on my menu plan that week.
My recent paleo groceries
Are you guilty of trolley spying too? Are you frequently shocked by what some other shoppers fill their trolleys with? Do you get disapproving looks at your Paleo trolley too?
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All the time! Though I’m generally looking for people whose carts look like mine. You know, grain-free. I have yet to find such a cart.
What I hate is when I shop for my (disabled) boss and there I am with a cart full of (ugh!) grains and stuff. I cringe to think I might actually be standing beside a fellow paleo and they’d think of me the way I think of non-paleo people!
Don’t you just hate that! You can guarantee that will be the time you bump into Paleo friends!
After I get all my groceries, I go through with my 5yo daughter and get everything she wrote down on her list.
Unfortunately, her picky eating habits were in place before I learned about paleo. I feel awful when I look down at my cart and see all the unhealthy food she is going to be putting into her growing body.
Talk about guilt!
Hopefully she’ll get less picky as she gets older Jon, perhaps she’ll also start wanting to copy what you eat too…
I don’t usually look at people’s trolleys while they’re shopping but when they hit the checkout. One particular day I saw a woman paying for truckloads of those Celebrity Slim shakes (that was her only purchase and needless to say the woman was fat), and a girl paying for truckloads of canned beans (again, it was her only purchase and weirdly the girl looked like a model, although I wonder how her farts smelled).
Urgh – those celebrity shakes look horrid! Glad I don’t house share with either of those two!
Being the only one in our house eating Paleo our trolley is pretty shocking, The Boy is all about what’s quickest and easiest….. and lowest unit price (I’m working on that since ai threw out two half huge bags of growing potatoes which he buys because they are cheaper that way)
lots of two minute noodles, Pasta Packs and chips, makes me sad that he won’t even consider trying and feeds miss 3 this crap regularly, commonly perceived healthy options wouldn’t bother me so much
coming from one of the Junk Food Capitals of sydney with a chain restaurant on every corner, what people have in their trolleys rarely shocks me, there aren’t that many golden arches, Big buckets and large Red Chickens around without the sales being available, Unfortunatley Junk food and Processed products are heaps Cheaper than good quality healthy food, the boy would have a heart attack at the price of free range omega 3 organic eggs….. but I no longer buy 2 bottles of scotch a week so I think we can afford that change
That must make it so much harder for you Belinda, good for you for sticking with Paleo. It’s a shame prices can’t be on a level pegging, it’s easy to spend a fortune eating well – but so worth it.
Hopefully one day he’ll follow your example!
Hey, cool post. I definitely have the same feelings about those “healthy” trolleys!!!! Although I understand that there is so much mis-knowledge that in a way I kind of feel bad for them trying.. but in the wrong way!
I’m really new to the paleo though, do you usually shop at Coles or IGA? It would be nice if you could make a post with interesting items that can be found at the big shops for us paleo eaters! For instance, almond meal (IGA), or which coconut milk (ayan I think you mentioned), or other “hard-to-find”, or unknown ingredients that can be used to create some nice meals!
For starters, I can say Coles usually has a nice selection of organic grass-fed beef!
Thanks Roberto! Great idea, I’ll cover that too. I alternate between Coles & Woolworths for things like Coconut Milk, eggs – and at the moment vegetables. I’m going to try some farmers markets as I want a good supplier of local organic vegetables. I’ve luckily found a really good organic butcher but would probably buy meat from a farmers market too. Occasionally when I’ve not been organised I buy meat from the supermarkets – it;s good to see that their better organic ranges are expanding.
Hey that first trolley looks just like mine, only I got more COKE in mine!!!!!
😀
Gert, you need to read this
http://paleo.com.au/2011/10/whats-so-bad-about-soft-drinks/
and replace that coke with water or tea – quick!
I have always been one to look at other peoples carts and be so quick judge! Even more now that I’ve gone paleo.