Rethinking Seasonal Produce

Lately I’ve been thinking about how to cut the cost of groceries.  Most sources on time management will tell you to make a meal plan for the week, list everything you’ll need for the menu, and go to the grocery store to buy it all.  The problem with that is you may not be capitalizing on the weekly sales and seasonal fluctuations in the market price of produce.  So I’ve taken another approach.  Perhaps it is not quite as efficient as the first method; but I think it’s more economical and probably is healthier since I’m often getting locally grown and in-season produce. 

When going to the grocery store, I have started to pay attention (for me, that means making a mental note of the price) of various produce items.  For instance, back in the fall, I was sucked in by a beautiful seasonal display of winter squash- spaghetti squash, acorn, and butternut.  I bought a couple at $1.50 a lb.  The next week, in the same grocery store, the price had dropped to 48 cents/lb.  That’s a more than 66% price drop!  These are especially good to stock up on, because they have a long shelf life, so I bought several more.  This week’s sale produce dictated the week’s menu, which included butternut squash bisque; spaghetti squash with olive oil and parmesan; and roasted acorn squash. 

Yes, my kids like strawberries in the dead of winter and asparagus in the heat of summer.  Hey, they’re great on the grill!  But for true economy, paying attention to the seasonal produce and taking advantage of market fluctuations can make a big difference in the grocery bill!  In the fall, when apples were on sale, we bought apples.  In the summer, when yellow squash and tomatoes were coming in from local farms, that’s what we had for dinner.  Check local farmer’s markets; produce markets; and other grocery store fliers.  You’ll get the tastiest and least expensive food when you aim for seasonally appropriate food.