Shopping Tips
Here are some tips from the Ontario Student Nutrition Program Guidelines to help you plan and shop for nutritious meals for your family and maximize your food dollars.
Plan ahead before you shop
- Take an inventory of your staples, such as milk or milk alternatives, fresh fruit and whole grains (brown rice, cereals and pasta).
- Determine the number of food items you will need for breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
Make a list
- Use a list to help you shop more efficiently.
- Try to follow what is on your list.
- Look for or try new healthy foods especially vegetables and fruits.
Shop with strategies
- Choose Ontario grown and/or produced foods.
- Shop at local produce stores or farmers markets when available.
- Shop along the walls of the store for fresh foods: generally the fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and dairy sections are located along the walls of the store, not in the aisles.
- Purchase in bulk quantities (but not from open bulk bins, due to the risk of cross contamination) to reduce cost.
- Read the food labels.
