I like grocery shopping. I should add to this by saying if I can do it on a weekday morning or late evening. I enjoy browsing the aisles and letting a sale item or new product spark an idea for a recipe.
I’m a list shopper and yes; I usually come home with something that wasn’t on the list. It often falls into the category of dark chocolate. I’m thinking I should just start putting it on the list and then I wouldn’t be guilty of straying.
As I read through food blogs I notice many people mention receiving deliveries of fresh produce at their doorstep. It got me thinking – how many people out there take advantage of online food shopping and delivery?
I’ve seen opportunities, but I’ve never taken advantage.
Then I came across an article published in the Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity that evaluated the use of grocery delivery service by overweight participants. I first saw it mentioned in Shape magazine, but I found the actual article online here if you’d like to check it out.
Each group was given a diet plan, exercise recommendations and therapy in the areas of nutritional/behavioral psychology. One group was encouraged to purchase their groceries online (the study reimbursed shipping costs only) and they also got an extra nutritional counseling session.
When all was said and done online shopping decreased the number of high fat foods purchased. Participants reported this type of shopping improved their healthy choices and helped them to avoid impulse purchases.
Hmmm…impulse purchases like, say, unnecessary chocolate.
Have you tried online grocery shopping? What do you think? And the big question for me is – is it more cost effective?
On another note, I wanted to mention that I tried the Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup Erica posted about Saturday on her blog, Itzy’s Kitchen. Very tasty! I followed the recipe, but cut the milk to 1 cup and the cheese to ½ cup, mixing shredded parmesan and smoked provolone. Then I used an immersion blender to mix it all making it more of a cream soup. It was so good!
Top photo by Clara Natoli, morguefile.com