Robin's Rescue: Tips for shopping in bulk
Nutritionist and cookbook author Robin Miller tackles your food and dining dilemmas. Find her at robinmillercooks.com and get inspired by watching her YouTube videos: Dinner Tonight, by Robin Miller Cooks.
Question: I am a frugal shopper and I often look for bargains in the bulk-bin aisles of Fry’s and Sprouts. What are your thoughts on buying in bulk?
Robin’s Rescue: If you’re a cost-conscious healthy eater, bulk bins can be your best solution when shopping, whether you’re buying ingredients for breakfast, school lunch or tonight’s dinner.
The bulk-bin section of most stores has grown exponentially and you can find practically everything — rice, whole grains, flour, pasta, soup mix, beans, cereal, trail mix, vegetable chips, snack blends, seeds, nuts, nut butter, sweeteners, herbs, spices, salt, peppercorns, dried fruit, dehydrated fruit and candy. And let’s not forget gluten-free foods, tea and coffee.
Why buying these products in bulk makes sense
• Bulk bins are typically replenished fairly often, meaning ingredients are exceptionally fresh, especially items with a high turnover. You can’t always say that about packaged foods. Ask the bulk-bin manager which foods are replenished often.
• When you “bin shop,” you can buy as much or as little as you need. This is especially handy when you need a unique or expensive spice, or when you want to sample a small amount of something, such as snack mixes and cereal, before you commit to an entire bag.
• Because there’s no packaging, bulk items are often less expensive than those on store shelves.
• Since there’s no packaging, there’s no waste.
• Many items in bulk bins are organic. If that’s your preference, read the label on the bin to make sure.
Tips for shopping in bulk
• Check out the savings first (it helps if you have a rough idea of packaged food prices). When companies don’t have to pay for packaging and real estate on store shelves, the savings gets passed on to you. And don’t forget, since you can buy only what you need or think you’ll eat, there’s less waste too.
• Decide how much of an item you want before filling the bag and buy just what you need, whether it’s 3 tablespoons of curry powder or 4 cups of whole-wheat pasta. It’s easy to get excited and overfill (I do that with the chocolate-covered honeycomb at Sprouts).
• Keep track of bin item numbers so the cashier knows how to price your food. Write the bin number on the bag, label or twist tie.
• To keep prices in check, use the scales and weigh your food before heading to the checkout.
• Look for specials; many stores offer huge savings on different bulk items every week.
• When you get home, transfer bulk items to airtight containers and store them in a cool, dry place.
Let the bulk-bin binge begin!
E-mail your questions to robinsrescue@azcentral.com and she’ll dish up delicious answers every Wednesday.