At the grocery store, several objectives come to mind quickly: you must make sure that your child does not put his mouth on the shopping cart, keep an eye on them as you walk passed a pyramid of products and avoid cake and ice cream struggles. Phew!
Keeping your children busy is a panacea for many of your daily problems. Here are some ways to do so at the grocery store.
Snacking
Of course, being at the grocery store, in the middle of tons of tasty products would make anyone hungry. Bring a few crackers and raw vegetables for your children. They say we should never go shopping on an empty stomach to avoid buying everything. While they are eating fruits and vegetables, your kids won’t think about cookies and cakes.
Read the labels
Reading the list of ingredients is beneficial for many reasons. First, it is a good way to learn to read, to learn different languages when they are old enough to look for a translation and to learn the importance of good nutrition. A few products display a long list of unnecessary ingredients and, for the kids as for us; it is best to eat ingredients that we know.
You can also accustom children to look at the Nutrition Facts table. They will get to know what contains vitamins and what is full of sugar and fat, and they will compare the products.
Local products
Canadian products, in addition to being manufactured under strict safety and quality laws, encourage our local economy and require less fuel and energy for transportation. Try to identify Canadian and local products with your children. Some are easier to find than others, like our fresh strawberries, tomatoes and peaches that smell so strong and good that you can find them by smell.
You can also find fruit stores and public markets near you. In addition to guaranteeing the freshness of the products you buy, local growers are usually more open to suggestions and it is reassuring for parents (and fun for kids!) to meet the hand that feeds you. A growing number of initiatives are promoting local products in various areas. Personally, I know Spud, Buy local Think global and Gaspésie Gourmande, but do not hesitate to add suggestions in the comments to promote your region and help other mothers.
Express delivery!
If you are not in an educational mood and if your children are old enough, give them a list of products to find. After a while, they will know where the bread, milk and juice are and while they are proudly helping you, you will have more time to discover new flavours and let your chef’s imagination roam free.
Bon appétit!
