Like most people, I also try to save money whenever possible. At the same time, I try to be as rational as possible when it comes to discounts or items on sale.
How does it usually happen?
When we walk into a store and see a discount on a certain item, we have an urge to buy it immediately: "The offer is good, and I have to get more!"
That's how people usually think and act.
Of course, there are foods that are worth stocking up on, especially if they are on sale. For example, green peas or corn will come in handy one day when you want to make a salad.
But there are foods that you shouldn't put on your shopping list at all. Because they are often overpriced and their usefulness is questionable.
I advise you to be very careful in your food choices and consider these 10 foods you shouldn't buy, even if they are on sale:
1. Sliced bread
Many people buy sliced bread for convenience. However, it is better not to buy sliced bread for at least three reasons: sliced bread is usually a little more expensive than regular bread; sliced bread spoils faster than whole bread; for slicing the bread, special knives are used, which are lubricated with oil. As a rule, low-quality oil is used to lower the cost of the product. Thus, the slices do not stick together and look neat, but the bread becomes harmful to the body.
2. Granola
You may think, of course, that granola is healthy because it contains so many different cereal flakes, nuts, and dried fruit. In fact, though, it's not as healthy as it sounds. Often a lot of sugar is added to granola. It is better and cheaper to make such a dry breakfast yourself, because then you can control the amount of sugar and the ratio of all the ingredients you add.
3. Packaged greens and salads
What's wrong with fresh salad neatly packed in a plastic box? For one thing, the cost of such a package can be higher than all the salads and greens bought individually. But that's not the worst part. Numerous laboratory studies have shown that such salad kits are unsafe.
Despite the multi-stage treatment, which, in addition to washing and blast freezing, also includes a stage of disinfection in various chemical solutions, a huge number of bacteria, including Salmonella, can be found on the green leaves, and the closed plastic packaging is an ideal environment for their further multiplication.
4. Ground spices
First of all, it must be understood that quality seasonings are a priori an expensive product. It takes a lot of time and effort to plant, grow, harvest and export around the world. To buy quality spices, you should avoid supermarkets because chain grocery stores don't sell real spices. Powdered spices in bags are a poor quality product. Manufacturers in pursuit of big profits mix ground spices with salt and other fillers to increase the total volume of the product.
5. Grated cheese
First of all, it is most likely an old cheese, and secondly, it often happens that some of the cheese does not match the brand that is listed on the package. The obvious solution is to grate the cheese by hand, rather than daring to try an ambiguous product.
6. Dressings and sauces for salads
All these cheese and César dressings have nothing to do with the original dressing, it's just mayonnaise, brought to a close to the original taste with preservatives and additives. Your salad goes from being healthy to a high-calorie, unhealthy meal. An alternative is herb yogurt or herb sour cream.
7. Tomato-based pasta sauces
The main reason not to buy such canned tomato pasta sauces is because they are overpriced. I suggest making the sauce at home from canned tomatoes, which are much cheaper, as well as from fresh vegetables.
8. White rice
Try to avoid refined foods and opt for whole grains. There is a 17% higher risk of diabetes if you eat white rice at least 5 times a week compared to once a month.
9. Energy bars with protein
These high-calorie bars are usually placed near the cash register for those impulsive consumers to buy. Unfortunately, they are high in fat and sugar and have the same amount of calories as a normal chocolate bar. Plus, they are 2-3 times more expensive. If you need a source of energy, choose a vitamin-rich fruit, yogurt or a handful of nuts.
10. Nuts
The fact is that the shelf life of these foods is usually very long, which means that nuts can be very, very old. Old nuts, especially walnuts, produce a poisonous enzyme that can have bad effects on the body, up to and including cancer. So, I advise you to be very careful when taking nuts in packages: you can't know their real age, because the date on the package can be considered the date of production. Don't take the risk!
Be careful when going shopping. Do not let yourself be seduced by beautiful and attractive promotions. Often they turn out to be completely disadvantageous for the buyer, both financially and in terms of health.
Saving money is good, but not at the cost of your health.
Have a great shopping experience!