How to spend 30 euros in the most efficient way (or what science says about the ideal shopping basket)

Inflation is causing many alarms and many are already trying to adjust their shopping baskets. In this context of uncertainty, part of the debate has shifted to the idea of fixed-price shopping baskets. These are made up of basic and essential products whose prices will remain stable for a certain period of time. But is it possible to make an affordable and nutritious basket?

Prices frozen until January. The Carrefour supermarket chain was the first to create one of these baskets. The proposal of the second largest supermarket chain in Spain by market share has committed to maintain the price of thirty of its private label products at least until January 8, 2023. These products can be purchased together or individually as announced by the company.

Products in the basket. The basket includes some staple products such as pasta, flour, oil (sunflower oil), bread (sandwich and hamburger), salt or vinegar; but also other not so basic products such as cereals and cookies, jam, various preserves (tuna, corn, peppers, mushrooms and peas), chicken broth or juice.

This basket also includes products that would not be considered staples, such as canned meatballs in sauce, tea and chocolate soda, perhaps to accommodate the occasional whim.

The basket also includes hygiene and cleaning products such as toothpaste, toilet paper, sanitary towels, gel, dishwasher, detergent, bleach and window cleaner.

Criticism of the nutritional value. This promotion has been received with some misgivings by nutritionists, who see several problems with the basket. These can be summarized as a surplus of ultra-processed foods and a lack of fresh foods.

The first point to bear in mind when analyzing the basket is that it does not in itself constitute a complete diet. As nutritionist Edgar Barrionuevo points out in statements to Business Insider, the quality we can give to this basket depends on how it is combined: if we make up for what is missing with fresh foods, it can constitute part of a balanced diet, but if the gaps are filled with more of the same, the verdict would be negative.

But is it possible to build a basket that is more complete on its own?

What science says to improve the basket. If we want to improve this basket to provide it with greater nutritional value, we can be guided by some keys given by nutritionists and experts. The ideal change would be to introduce more fresh products and remove ultra-processed products. Products such as hamburger buns, tinned meatballs, chocolate, juice or tea can be discarded.

Ultraprocessed foods are not usually cheap, so eliminating them from our purchases is not incompatible with saving money. Something similar happens with products such as jam. The problem is therefore not in what to remove, but in what to introduce. The ideal would be to add a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, but this leads us precisely to the problem that this type of baskets want to solve: price volatility.

There are ways to deal with this volatility. The simplest is to resort to deep-frozen products. Deep-frozen vegetables (and also fruits) retain all the nutrients (sometimes even better than in their “fresh” version). Canned fruits and vegetables can be an alternative, but salts or sugars are often added for preservation, which makes them lose some nutritional value. Deep-frozen products are also cheaper options and generate less food waste.

Three macronutrients. A balanced diet requires carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There are some changes we can make to optimize these intakes. As for carbohydrates, the best option is to replace ultra-processed breads with loaf bread. Bread is still a processed food, but it can be used to replace less healthy options.

The protein content of this basket was also questioned by Barrionuevo. Tuna cans and peas are sources of protein, but they can be supplemented with more protein, especially of vegetable origin. Here the best option would be to introduce dried pulses: easy to store and cook, nutritious and economical.

Although not a cheap option, a shopping basket without olive oil can be a better “treat” than chocolates, juices or soft drinks.

Other tips to eat better while saving money. Science gives us other tricks to save on our shopping. Everyone has heard that it is a bad idea to go to the supermarket on an empty stomach. The reason is that our hunger will lead us to give in to temptation and we will go for less nutritious and more expensive foods. It’s easy to underestimate the weight of hunger in our decisions. Making a plan and sticking to a shopping list can also help.

It can also help to take the time to read labels, both nutrition and price. The first of these is the most problematic, and it doesn’t look like this is going to change. When looking at the price tag, the key is to find the price in relation to the amount of product you are getting.

Making plans is not only important when we go to the supermarket. Work-life balance is also difficult in the area of nutrition, but taking the time to think in advance about what we are going to eat can save us from resorting to precooked and ultra-processed products.

An alternative with a future? The debate about these baskets is still open. For now, only one supermarket chain has announced this measure, although it is to be expected that, in view of the expectation generated, other chains may respond with similar offers. If this happens, it will be possible to compare offers, both in economic and nutritional terms.

Image | nrd