For the benefit of the new members: Welcome! I’m Wren and this is my nest. I talk too much during meetings (ask Debi, she’ll tell you). Every week I go through the newspaper grocery flyers and type up a list of the best prices locally for low-calorie, low-Points, and otherwise healthy foods, long on natural and whole foods and things made out of actual food ingredients. I usually manage to include some food trivia, and I should probably make clear that it is my personal hobby and is not in any way, shape, form, or fashion an official Weight Watchers publication. If you run across any good buys or other information I’ve missed, there's a whole empty Comments section down there just waiting.

The second week in January is National Pizza Week.

January 6th: Bean Day, National Shortbread Day
January 7th: National Tempura Day, Fruitcake Toss Day
January 8th: English Toffee Day
January 9th: National Apricot Day
January 10th: National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
January 11th: Milk Day, Hot Toddy Day
January 12th: Curried Chicken Day, National Marzipan Day
January 13th: National Peach Melba Day

I’ve seen fresh berries and even cherries in recent weeks. The blackberries are decent: I have not tried the cherries. They seem to come from Chile. Chicken is very low this week, as low as fifty cents a pound for whole birds; sadly last week’s good prices on boneless skinless chicken breast seem to have vanished except at Food City and Sprouts.

According to Consumerist, the cold weather in other parts of the country means that wheat and Florida citrus crops may be at risk, which in its turn means that the price of breakfast may rise. Consumerist also has an entertaining article, full of informative links, on how to safely save on your grocery bill by eating stuff you already have.

And now the week’s good deals:



Albertson’s:

Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
Beef shoulder roast, boneless, $2.69/lb
Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, family pack, 98¢/lb
Pork chops, center cut, family pack, buy 1 get 1 free
Whole chickens, 78¢/lb
Chicken drumsticks/thighs/leg quarters, 78¢/lb
Whole turkey breast, $1.99/lb
Tilapia/catfish/pollock/swai fillets, family pack, $2.88/lb
Tuna or mahi-mahi steaks, wild caught, 12 oz pkg, $4.99
Coho salmon, whole fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
Store brand sliced cheeses, 6-8 oz, $2.99
Knudsen “Cottage Doubles” (cottage cheese and fruit), 10/$10
Jell-O pudding or gelatin cups, incl. fat-free and sugar-free, 2/$5
All Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 50% off
Fresh Express bag salad, “Iceberg Garden”, 88¢
Jonagold apples, 10 lbs/$10
Sliced mushrooms, 6 oz box, 10/$10
Navel oranges, 10 lbs/$10
Mangos, 10/$10
Red bell peppers, 10/$10
Summer squash, grey/yellow/zucchini, 10 lbs/$10
Sweet onions, 10 lbs/$10
Eggplant, 10/$10
Carrots, 2 lb bag, 10/$10fs



Bashas’:

Beef New York steaks, bone in, value pack, $3.49/lb
80/20 ground beef, $1.67/lb
Whole chickens, 99¢/lb
Turkey breast, bone in, $1.69/lb
Turkey wings/thighs/drumsticks, $1.29/lb
Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $2.99/lb
Alaskan salmon fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
Gorton’s Grilled Fillets (2 Points each – 4 for the whole package!), 2/$7
Milk, $1.77
Coffee-Mate liquid creamers incl. fat-free, 16 oz, $1.79
Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.88
Bumble Bee tuna, solid-white or chunk-light, 88¢
Country Crock side dishes, 2/$7
Jell-O pudding or gelatin cups, incl. sugar-free and fat-free, 3/$10
Food Club granola bars, $1.99
Hostess OR Cheezit 100-calorie packs, 2/$5
Kellogg’s 90-calorie packs, 2/$5
Green Giant frozen veggies, 10 oz pkg, 3/$4
Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen meals, $5.99
Bananas, 3 lbs/99¢
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, local grown, 99¢
Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
Cabbage, local grown, 39¢/lb
“Mini peeled” carrots, local grown, 1 lb bag, 99¢
Vine tomatoes, local grown, $1.99/lb
Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
Small apples: Gala, Jazz, Red Delicious, 99¢/lb
Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
Green onions, 2 bunches/$1



Food City:

Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $1.89/lb (roasts, $1.99/lb)
Beef stew meat, $2.49/lb
Beef cross rib roast, boneless, $1.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.69/lb
Tilapia fillets, $1.99/lb
Food City eggs, medium AA, 5 dozen, $4.49
Mexican papayas, 2 lbs/$1
Iceberg, 2/$1
Fuji apples, 2 lbs/$1
Mexican green onions, 3 bunches/99¢
Sweet potatoes or yams, 2 lbs/$1
Dole bag salad “Classic Iceberg”, 2/$3
Tomatillos, 2 lbs/$1
Chayote squash, 3/99¢
Kiwifruit, 10/$1



Fresh & Easy:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1.97/lb
Atlantic salmon fillets, skin on, $6.99/lb
Store brand cottage cheese incl. low-fat, 16 oz tub, $1.69
Yoplait yogurts incl. Light, 10/$4 (multiples of 10)
Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.69
Store brand lunch meats, 9 oz tub, $2.99
Store brand tuna, chunk light, 63¢
Store brand bag salad: “Sunshine”, 98¢
“Wild Rocket”, $1.98
Bananas, 19¢ each
Carrots, 2 lb bag, 98¢
“Baja Classic” tomatoes, 98¢/lb
Yellow onions, 2 lb bag, 98¢
Broccoli florets, 12 oz bag, $1.98
Navel oranges, 10 lb bag, $4.98
Beefsteak tomatoes, 12 oz, $1.49
Blueberries, 11 oz box, $3.78
Bing cherries, $4.98/lb



Fry’s:

Beef roasts: chuck/eye of round/sirloin tip/crossrib/bottom round, buy 1 get 1 free
Beef t-bone steaks, family pack, $4.77/lb
93/7 ground beef, 2 lb chub, $3.90/lb
Pork picnic roast, whole in bag, 99¢/lb
Chicken thighs/drumsticks/leg quarters, 67¢/lb
Tyson whole chickens, 67¢/lb
Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $4.88/lb
Atlantic cod fillets, $5.99/lb
Libby canned veggies, 50¢
Fry’s canned tomatoes, 59¢
Dole fruit snack-packs, $1.77
Kroger tuna, chunk light, 50¢
Valley Fresh canned chicken, 5 oz, 99¢
Hostess 100-calorie snack cakes, buy 1 get 1 free
Smart Balance spread, $1.99
Kroger cheeses incl. reduced-fat, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
Kashi frozen entrees, $2.99
Progresso Light soups, 4/$5
Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain or Fiber Plus cereal bars, 3 boxes/$6
Splenda, granulated, 9.7 oz, $6.99
Apples: Gala, Red/Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, $1/lb (organic, $1.29/lb)
Navel oranges, $1/lb
Minneola tangelos, $1/lb
Fairchild tangerines, $1.29/lb
Cherries, $4.99/lb
Summer squashes, yellow or zucchini, $1/lb
Dole bag salads, 2/$5
Private Selection box salads, 2/$5
Crunch Pak apple slices, 14 oz bag, 2/$4
Hass avocados, regular or organic, $1
“Mini peeled” carrots, organic, 1 lb bag, 2/$3



Rancho Grande:

Beef shoulder steak or roast, family pack, $1.99/lb
Assorted pork chops, 89¢/lb
All Pepsi products incl. Diet, 12 pack, $2.99
Roma tomatoes, 2 lbs/89¢
Cilantro, 6 bunches/99¢
Mexican papayas, 3 lbs/99¢
“Macho” bananas, 2 lbs/99¢ (I am culturally illiterate and have no idea what this means)
Whole pineapples, 2 lbs/99¢
Radishes, 4 bunches/99¢
Mexican green onions, 4 bunches/99¢
Jicama, 3 lbs/99¢
Tangerines, 4 lbs/99¢
Tamarinds, 99¢/lb



Safeway:

Beef London broil, boneless, $1.49/lb
Beef top round roast, $1.99/lb
Beef t-bone steaks, $4.77/lb
80/20 ground beef, $2.49/lb
Pork shoulder place roast, bone in, $1.99lb
Whole chickens, 47¢/lb
Chicken thighs/drums/back quarters, $1.29/lb
Yoplait yogurts incl. Light, 10/$4
Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunks or shreds, $4.49
Lucerne cheese slices, 8 oz, $2.49
Skinny Cow ice-cream novelties, $3.99
Lean Cuisine or Eating Right frozen entrees, $1.59
Eating Right frozen sandwiches, 5/$10
Eating Right stir-fry meals, 23-24 oz, $5.99
Healthy Choice “Fresh Mixers”, 2/$6
Nabisco 100-calorie packs, 2/$4
Campbell’s Select Harvest soups, 10/$10
Cherries, $2.88/lb
Fresh Express bag salads, buy 1 get 1 free
Eating Right bag salads, 2/$3
Nature Sweet cocktail tomatoes, 12 oz bag, 2/$5
Vine tomatoes, $2.69/lb
Hass avocados, 99¢
Gala/Fuji/Granny Smith/Red Delicious apples, 3 lb bag, 2/$5
“Texas Ruby Red” grapefruit, 2/$1
Blackberries or raspberries, 6 oz box, 2/$6
Broccoli crowns, 99¢/lb
Cauliflower, 99¢/lb
Mini daffodils in a four inch pot, $3.99



Smart & Final:

Beef chuck roast, $2.99/lb
Beef top sirloin steak, $2.99/lb
Beef tri tip roast, $3.49/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.89/lb
Jennie-O ground turkey, 1.25 lb pkg, $1.89
Jennie-O turkey burgers, 3 lb pkg, $5.99
Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, $1.89
Eggs, AA large, dozen, 99¢/lb
Chicken of the Sea tuna, chunk light in water, four pound can, $7.59
Foster Farms chicken franks, 3 lb pkg, $3.99
Fuji apples, 3 lb bag, $1.99
Cantaloupes, 4 lbs/$1



Sprouts:

Beef top sirloin steak, $2.97/lb
Beef chuck roast, $2.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.97/lb
Whole turkey breast, 6-8 lbs, $1.49/lb
Salmon fillets, $6.99/lb
Prepared salmon dinners, $4.99
Gardenburger veggie burgers, $2.99
Hass avocados, 3/$1
Eggplant, 3/$1
Navel oranges, 77¢/lb
Bartlett or Bosc pears, 77¢/lb
Pink Lady apples, 77¢/lb
Red mangos, 77¢/lb
Roma tomatoes, 77¢/lb
Cabbage, 3 lbs/$1
Russet potatoes, 3 lbs/$1
Yellow onions, 3 lbs/$1