Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Cycling around her home near Red Deer, Alta., and swimming laps at the outdoor pool in her neighbourhood is how Nancy Bain stays active during the summer months. But throughout the winter, the 70-year-old gets out by giving back to her community – volunteering for the Salvation Army, ringing bells for donations at her local grocery store.
During the six hours a week she spends volunteering, Bain enjoys observing the people who walk through the grocery store doors: families of newcomers from Syria who shop in bulk, business owners with restaurants or convenience stores who stock up on produce, and those she affectionately calls the Subaru crowd: tote-carrying shoppers whose carts contain high-protein milks and kombucha.
Bain fits in with the Subaru crowd. Her own cart is usually stacked with fresh vegetables, kombucha, high-protein milk and spices such as masala to flavour the array of plant-based and meaty meals she makes. Maintaining her meal plan has helped keep her on track with hitting her dietary goals: She cooks meat on weekends – beef stews, tacos, burgers that she barbecues, as well as the occasional flank steak – and on weekdays, she eats plant-based meals of tacos, chilis and chana masala prepared in the slow cooker.
“I like this balance,” she says.
She has become a loyal shopper at Real Canadian Superstore, where she buys her groceries with a $300 President’s Choice gift card (which costs her only $285 thanks to another rewards program she belongs to). Combining perks like this helps trim costs on her monthly grocery bill, which she usually keeps under $400.
Recently, she began paying closer attention to the amount of protein she gets through milk, legumes and other sources, which she says keeps her satisfied and helps repair muscles.
How I save money on groceries: When I shop at only one grocery store, points on my loyalty card add up, which I redeem. My increased familiarity with this chosen store has made me more aware of their sales prices, as well.
How I splurge on groceries: Even the small amount of beef I buy has become very expensive in the past couple of years. I can find flank steak marked down by 30 per cent on certain days. When I see that, I feel that it is less of a splurge. A fabulous artisan bakery called Rise Bakehouse recently opened near me, where I’ll spurge on sourdough products.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: I have experimented with more plant-based meals. The fibre found in pulses, as well as the sustainability of producing them, appeals to me.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: At times, it is easy to be impressed by the produce selection and go overboard with the amounts I buy. I have a Tupperware container that helps keep most of it fresh longer, but still I end up with mushy cucumbers and moist spinach more often than I like to admit.
Five items always in my cart:
1. 2-per-cent milk – Fairlife – $7.49: As an active senior, I am conscious of my protein intake. This milk has 50 per cent more, and makes my morning latte healthier and satisfying.
2. Hummus – President’s Choice – $11.49 for 908 grams: I enjoy snacking on this hummus with rice crackers and Beck Farms carrots from Innisfail Growers. I mix my hummus with kimchi, which I also typically buy at the Superstore. They used to have kimchi hummus a few years ago, but they stopped making it. Now I make it myself.
3. Kombucha – Rise – $9.99 for one litre: Ginger is my go-to flavour, as it seems to be for many since it is often sold out.
4. Sourdough English muffins – No Name – $2.99: I toast them in the mornings for breakfast as well as later in the day to accompany soup or chili.
5. Chopped salad kits – Taylor Farms – $6.99: The Asian bagged salad is one of my favourites. When choosing, I consider the greens included and flavour of dressing, as well as the best-before date.
